KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane addressed the parliament today, focusing his remarks on climate change, disaster management, and the need to strengthen state institutions. He urged the government to pursue robust international diplomacy for climate justice and to conduct scientific studies regarding disaster impacts.

Lamichhane emphasized that the suffering of citizens affected by disasters should be viewed through the lens of climate injustice rather than isolated natural events. He called for strengthening security agencies and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, arguing that the country must preserve the lessons learned from past disasters.

However, his lengthy address remained notably silent on the contribution of the Gen Z generation, a demographic widely considered instrumental in the political rise of the RSP. Despite the widespread understanding that the Gen Z movement created the political environment for the party’s emergence, Lamichhane did not mention their role or the issues they have championed.

The Gen Z movement has consistently pushed for reforms concerning corruption, governance, accountability, and generational political shifts. The omission of these topics in Lamichhane’s speech has sparked political debate. Observers note that acknowledging Gen Z is not merely a matter of formal recognition, but a responsibility to address the core political questions raised by that generation.

While Lamichhane prioritized climate justice and the need for disaster reconstruction, the failure of a party leader who claims to represent the new generation to address their political intervention has raised questions. Whether Lamichhane’s silence was due to time constraints or political strategy remains unclear, but the incident has prompted questions about whether the party will integrate the Gen Z agenda into the mainstream of governance or view them solely as a background to their electoral success.