It's been a while since the Arab Spring - about 15 years since a series of pro-democracy protests, primarily driven by youth, forced out despots and dictators, making way for democratic processes.

Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain - all burnt, some paving the way for development and progress, while a few plunged into violence and humanitarian crises. India felt the embers of that anger too, as reflected in the public outrage in the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case. The brutal gangrape of a young woman in Delhi in 2012 and the ensuing mass movement for women's safety led to the decimation of the Congress party in the capital and gave rise to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The years (2010-2012) were indeed a season of discontent that spread from nation to nation, toppling unequal systems. While the reality today in many of those nations may not still be utopian, the historic protests marked a watershed moment in global history. With several years gone by in between, and though not exactly of the same magnitude, we can once again discern the stirrings of youth-led movements. Propelled by record-high voter turnout spearheaded by the youth, Hungary witnessed a political transformation in April this year. Frustrated by economic malaise, high inflation, increasing joblessness, and upper-level corruption, the youth unifiedly backed Péter Magyar's TISZA party and ended Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule.

We witnessed that same impatience with the older order in our neighbouring country, Nepal. Youth-led anti-corruption movements rocked Nepal in September last year. But instead of remaining limited to protests alone, the youth exercised the power of the ballot and elected a 36-year-old rapper-Prime Minister, Balendra "Ballen" Shah, in March this year. Of the 19 million voters, 1 million were first-timers. Bangladesh also experienced the momentous uprising of July-August 2024 that led to the fall of the old guard. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the nation and eventually, an interim government was instated under Nobel Laureate, Muhammed Yunus.

Back home, it's imperative to notice the meteoric political rise of actor-politician Vijay. He thrashed every doubting exit poll and rode into the chief minister's seat fueled by the strength of young voters, who are touted to have been his single largest driving force. Interestingly, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar's TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) manifesto devoted substantial space to economic and educational modernisation as well as issues such as climate change. Post-election data has revealed that 6 out of 10 voters in the 18-25 age group cast their vote for Vijay, who offered a credible alternative to the state's two legacy parties, DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). News reports also suggest a decisive role played by the youth in West Bengal to help hand the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) a landslide victory against the TMC (Trinamool Congress).

There is definitely a shift once again afoot. The world for the younger generation has been highly uncertain. From global warming and climate disasters to wars and layoffs, youngsters are scared, worried, and restless. Artificial intelligence (AI) has upended their lives, teaching them the easier route to doing work, only to ease them out of a job entirely. Social media preys on their every insecurity but also amplifies the many inequities of life. They have watched previous generations ruin the environment, pollute natural resources, reward malpractice and narrow motives, and get away with corruption. When morals and values do a volte face, when the current world order feels past its expiration date, younger generations feel lost and listless. And then they crave change; they want a destruction of older regimes in order to herald a new world order.