KATHMANDU, June 30: Young people and students have stood at the forefront of every major political movement in Nepal. From the end of the Rana regime, the 1990 People's Movement, the decade long Maoist insurgency, and the 2006 People's Movement, children and students were often seen carrying party flags, distributing pamphlets, and taking part in political activities alongside adults.
Yet, more than 15 years after Nepal became a federal democratic republic and declared schools as "Zones of Peace," the practice of involving children in partisan politics has not fully ended. Despite strong legal safeguards for child rights, political parties continue to draw minors into their organizations for political purposes. The government officially declared children and schools as Zones of Peace on May 25, 2011.
The issue has resurfaced after the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which rose to power promising an alternative to traditional politics, was found to have listed children as party members. An organizational report presented during the party's first general convention stated that the party had 35,257 members under the age of 18. The disclosure has raised serious concerns about child rights protection and sparked heated debates in both houses of Parliament.
Nepal's political history contains numerous examples of children being mobilized, directly or indirectly, for political purposes. During the democratic movements of 1951 and 1990, political parties used school students to distribute pamphlets, carry messages for underground leaders, and participate in protests. Political scientists argue that the greatest assault on child rights came during the Maoist insurgency between 1996 and 2006, when children were extensively mobilized for both political and military purposes.
Worth of stories
According to political analysts, the Maoist rebels recruited thousands of children through so called "child living forces" and cultural groups to support the insurgency and expand the organization. The verification process conducted by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) also found many underage Maoist combatants. They were later discharged after being classified as "disqualified combatants."
While traditional political parties have long faced criticism for using children during election campaigns and mass rallies, it is equally troubling that the RSP, which campaigned on promises of digital governance and alternative politics, has been found to have enrolled a large number of minors as party members.
According to the organizational report presented by then General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti during the party's closed session on June 23, Bagmati Province had 13,001 members under 18, Koshi 6,235, Gandaki 5,116, Lumbini 3,648, Madhesh 3,030, Sudurpashchim 2,813, and Karnali 1,414. Altogether, the report listed 35,257 party members below the age of 18.
The RSP has defended itself by claiming the issue resulted from a technical error. It said birth dates were mistakenly entered using the Gregorian calendar instead of the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar, causing the software to incorrectly calculate members' ages as under 18. Opposition lawmakers, however, argued in Parliament that the party had violated the law by registering children as members.
Nepal is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires states to protect children from political exploitation. Article 39 of Nepal's Constitution guarantees children's rights and prohibits their exploitation or misuse. Section 14 of the Political Parties Act, 2017 requires party members to be at least 18 years old. Similarly, Section 7 of the Children Act, 2018 prohibits the direct or indirect use of children for political purposes.
Educating children about political ideas, democratic values, and public affairs is part of civic education and is entirely appropriate. Political parties should also remain accountable to issues affecting children. However, formally enrolling minors as party members and placing them within party structures runs contrary to both Nepali law and established child rights principles.
In Parliament, lawmakers including Renuka Kauchha of the Nepali Congress and Nar Bahadur Bista of the Nepali Communist Party argued that the RSP had adopted contradictory positions. They pointed out that while the party has advocated abolishing Free Student Unions in schools and colleges, it has simultaneously distributed party memberships to individuals under 18, reflecting a clear policy contradiction and double standard.
Opposition leaders also argue that regulatory agencies should not wait for formal complaints before taking action. They say bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission, the National Child Rights Council, and the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens should launch independent investigations into the matter.
Children were once drawn into politics through conflict and street protests. Today, the concern is their enrollment as formal members of political parties. If the RSP's explanation is genuinely the result of a technical error, it should immediately audit its membership database, correct the records, and publish verified figures. Otherwise, if a party that leads the government itself ignores national laws and international obligations, the commitment to keeping children and schools as Zones of Peace risks becoming little more than words on paper.
-1782782519.webp)
