The political landscape of Madhesh Province is often volatile. During the project's implementation, widespread Gen-Z protests led to significant unrest, with government buildings vandalised and local governance structures disrupted. In Bishnupur Rural Municipality, Saptari, the Pidit Utthan Youth Club faced numerous challenges: how to advocate for inclusive policies when the very institutions they needed to engage with were under threat.
Instead of abandoning their advocacy, the CSO demonstrated remarkable adaptability. Recognising that formal meetings inside municipal halls were impossible, they pivoted to community-level dialogues.
As a youth leader from the club explained, "After the protests, there was a lot of fear and mistrust. We couldn't just walk into the municipality and demand things. We had to start from the ground up, reconnecting with our own community first."
From this foundation, they gradually expanded the dialogue to include issues of education, health, and access to services for Dalit women and children. By the time they organised a dialogue on environmental issues, the political situation had begun to stabilise, and local representatives, who had also been affected by the unrest, were more receptive. The shared experience of the crisis had, in a way, humanised the relationship between the community and its leaders.
When the Pidit Utthan Youth Club finally submitted its position paper to the Chief Administrative Officer, it was not a protest but an offer of partnership. The paper, grounded in the community's resilience and practical needs, provided a roadmap for rebuilding a more inclusive Bishnupur. The case of Saptari demonstrates that in fragile contexts, cultural dialogue and community cohesion can be a vital first step toward rebuilding the trust necessary for effective policy advocacy.