Chitwan, Feb. 15 -- Among the 64 candidates contesting across Chitwan's three constituencies, two youths in Chitwan-1 stand out not because of political background or organisational backing, but because of the personal suffering and social injustice that shaped their entry into politics.

Arjun Chepang, 29, representing the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, and Bikash Kami, 25, contesting under the banner of the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party, come from communities that have long remained at the margins of Nepal's social, political and economic life. Their candidacies reflect not only political ambition but also a determination to challenge 'discrimination' rooted in identity.

Chepang, a resident of Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-5, is ...