I’m not saying this is right or wrong, and I’m not taking the side of any politician or government. I’m simply sharing an observation based on what I’ve seen.
Looking at events in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and now India notice what appears to be a similar pattern. It raises questions in my mind about whether there could be some broader influence behind these movements.
The pattern I think I see is this: someone who was previously unknown to the public or not a major social media figure suddenly emerges with a slogan against the government. Public support for protests grows rapidly. Calls are made for officials to resign. Social media coverage expands dramatically. The government deploys police and security forces to maintain law and order. Then the movement is increasingly presented as being led by students or Gen Z, followed by lawyers and other groups becoming involved. Eventually, political parties also begin to play a role.
Maybe these similarities are just coincidences. Maybe they aren’t. I don’t know. But seeing what appears to be a comparable sequence of events across four South Asian countries within such a short period of about three years makes me wonder whether there are larger forces at play or whether these movements simply evolve in similar ways.
I’m open to hearing different perspectives, but these similarities genuinely make me think.