I’m a renter, migrant and community organiser. Many people, especially young people like me, are angry about capitalism. There’s good reason for that. We’re struggling to live in an economy rigged for the rich, on a burning planet, while the cost of essentials like food and housing skyrocket. Our future is looking bleak.
Hi, I’m Shovan. I’m running in the 2027 state election as the NSW Socialists candidate for Newtown. I’m a renter, migrant and community organiser.
Many people, especially young people like me, are angry about capitalism. There’s good reason for that. We’re struggling to live in an economy rigged for the rich, on a burning planet, while the cost of essentials like food and housing skyrocket. Our future is looking bleak.
As a renter, I am sick of being forced out of overpriced and mouldy rentals. Our suburbs are run by landlords, investors and property developers who are more interested in trying to make profit than house people.
I migrated to this country from Nepal when I was 4 years old, and in recent years I’ve witnessed the rise of racism first-hand. Far-right politicians like Pauline Hanson want us to blame migrants for the problems caused by the billionaires. They want to promote culture wars about trans people to distract from the real issues in society.
Meanwhile, our government offers no solutions to the problems we face. They are more interested in subsidising the fossil fuel and arms industries and sucking up to the Trump administration than taking action on the cost of living crisis.
Like so many in my generation, I’ve been horrified watching Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and in recent years I’ve been a leading member of the Palestine solidarity movement in Sydney. I’ve organised and spoken at rallies demanding our government to stop aiding the US and Israel’s crimes in the Middle East, and I helped initiate and organise the Gaza solidarity encampment at Sydney University.
For the past decade I’ve participated in activist campaigns for equal marriage, refugee rights, climate action, student rights and Indigenous solidarity. I’ve stood with nurses, teachers and bus drivers on strike for better pay and conditions, and linked arms with retail workers and university workers on picket lines.
My involvement in these movements has reinforced my belief that ordinary people have the power to change the world. I’ve seen countless times that when everyday people take a stand together, they’re capable of leading a transformation of society.
As a member of NSW Socialists I will fight to build a movement that can take on the rich and powerful to build a better world. If I’m elected to parliament, I’ll fight for you.