- 5 months ago
In this episode of India Today Global, the focus is on the crisis in Nepal where Gen Z protests led to the resignation of KP Sharma Oli and the imposition of a curfew. As talks begin for an interim government, with former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as a leading candidate.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global.
00:03After Nepal burned for two consecutive days, curfew has been imposed from 5pm until 6am Thursday.
00:11The Gen Z protest that followed after the ban of 26 social media platforms forced KP Sharma Oli to put down his resignation.
00:20Meanwhile, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki is the frontrunner for now
00:25and Balendra Shah and Ravi Limachane are also being seen as other probable candidates.
00:33Conversations are on, talks are on with the Gen Z youth.
00:38Following the imposition of the curfew, the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu now remains closed until further notice.
00:46But, meanwhile, Air India is operating special flights today and tomorrow from Delhi to Kathmandu and back
00:54to help passengers who have been stranded due to the recent developments in Nepal.
00:59The scheduled operations will also resume from tomorrow.
01:02Nepal's Army Chief has also met youth leaders and is holding discussions with major stakeholders.
01:08A coordination committee from Gen Z is to be formed.
01:11The coordination committee will be authorized to hold further talks on the formation of the interim government in Nepal.
01:19Lawmakers from Nepal's Nagarik Unmukti Party have collectively resigned.
01:23The MPs have submitted their resignations while demanding dissolution of Parliament.
01:29And joining us from Kathmandu is our reporter, Amit Bhardwaj.
01:34He's been reporting relentlessly through the violence that we've seen over there.
01:39What is the situation on the ground, Amit?
01:41We're looking at talks between the youth and the army and there are certain names that have come up.
01:49The worst is certainly over in Nepal.
01:52And if you would have asked me this question last evening, my answer would have been certainly, you know,
01:58we do not know which way Nepal is going.
02:01But I've seen this city, capital city of Kathmandu change over, you know, in the span of 12 hours.
02:09When I say 12 hours, when we reached the safe location last night, after all our reportage, everything looked vulnerable.
02:17But that's when army chipped in on the streets and every lane of Kathmandu.
02:23And those who were using violent methods to protest were actually, you know, given a straight message by the army, Nepalese army,
02:34that violence and damage to the government property or private property will not be tolerated.
02:38No arson will be tolerated.
02:40In the morning when we were on the ground, whether it be the parliament building, the prime minister's office,
02:46Supreme Court, everywhere the army was marching with its armoured vehicles.
02:51So that was a clear message which has settled the debate about normalcy, law and order situation.
02:57Because in fact, there's a Delhi Bazar jail in the heart of Kathmandu town.
03:02And the prisoners attempted a jailbreak there.
03:05But within a few minutes, you had the army rushing in with their armoured vehicles using force, you know, with restraint, although, to manage things there.
03:15So that's how things are unfolding right now.
03:17And I've just come from the place where the Gen Z protesters or activists, if we can call them now,
03:25because I've seen them clearing the streets all through the day today in Kathmandu city, you know,
03:30taking everything that was devastated from the out of the street so that traffic movement can be restored in the city.
03:37Right, Amit, it seems like for now, peace prevails, but uncertainty continues.
03:43For now, what we're also looking at, Amit, is that Karki seems to be the consensus candidate.
03:49What is the road ahead?
03:50Is she going to be leading the interim administration?
03:53Well, certainly, you know, Sushila Karki seems to be the top favourite as far as the next head of the interim government is concerned.
04:07But is her name final?
04:09I think there is some time, maybe in the next 24 hours or 48 hours, we'll get a clear picture as to whether she is taking over the government of Nepal,
04:19the interim government of Nepal, and which will also decide the future course of action and the future of Nepal in its Gen Z community,
04:28which actually, you know, ousted the political elite.
04:32I'm not even saying that the political party is in power, rather the political elite.
04:38And this entire transition and revolution in Nepal was brought by them in merely 17 and 18 hours of non-stop agitation on the roads after the killings of 9th September.
04:52Now, coming back to this Sushila Karki matter, what we are given to understand that when I went to the army headquarters in Bhadrakali of the Kathmandu area,
05:03Bhadrakali area of the Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, what I saw was the Gen Z crowd, the protesters and the activists,
05:12who have now taken a form of activists, so to say, because they have been clearing the streets all through the day today after the violence that happened yesterday.
05:20Right. Another news that has been trickling in is we've been talking to Indians who are stuck there.
05:27Amit, how many Indians approximately are stuck in Nepal and what is the embassy really doing in ensuring that they return home?
05:37Well, you know, Indians from different backgrounds and different states of the country are stranded in Nepal at this point in time.
05:46They are constantly in touch with the Nepal authorities as well as the Indian embassy located out here in Kathmandu.
05:54You know, the Andhra Pradesh government, for that matter, has gotten into touch with the different group of Telugu people who are certainly stranded in different parts of Nepal, including Kathmandu.
06:06And with the consultation of the authorities, you know, they have been put at safer places, safer hotels, which were identified in coordination with the local authorities out here.
06:17The Nepal army has already issued an advisory in this particular regard.
06:22If any tourists, be it Indian tourists or anyone else, the foreign nationals who are right now inside Nepal, if they are facing any problem,
06:31they have to immediately get into touch with the agencies, the police authority or the army around them so that proper redressal can be given to them.
06:40Right. Right. Amit, that is a very critical area that we're looking at.
06:46We know that the Indian embassy in Beijing has also put out a travel advisory and spoken of how the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra,
06:56of which Nepal leg is an important part that travelers should now look at and ensure that they don't travel to Nepal further to be traveling to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra,
07:07and that the Yatra will certainly see some some obstacles now because of the situation in Nepal.
07:15So that's one part. And there are many who are in Pashupatinath as well traveling there.
07:20So we have a lot of travelers who have come in, who went to Nepal and ensured that, you know, they are there not just for tourism,
07:28but for pilgrimage purposes as well. But right now they're stranded there.
07:32The embassy, like Amit said, is looking at ensuring that they're safe, that they're in safe places.
07:40They need to get in touch with the embassy and have themselves registered.
07:46And the Air India is resuming flights to ensure that Indians come home safely.
07:54Now, Donald Trump calls Modi a very good friend.
07:57But at the same time, he's urging EU, that's the European Union, to hit India with 100 percent tariffs over Russian oil.
08:04And while he pressures others, America's own defense industry is cashing in billions from the Ukraine war.
08:12So the question is, is Trump really standing up for principles or just protecting America's profits?
08:18Here's a report.
08:19U.S. President Donald Trump is once again sending mixed signals, this time over India, China and the Ukraine war.
08:35On one hand, Trump calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi his very good friend,
08:41praising the India-U.S. partnership and expressing confidence in resolving trade disputes.
08:49Modi too echoed optimism, saying talks would unlock the limitless potential of bilateral ties.
08:58But on the other hand, Trump is pushing the European Union to join the United States
09:04in slapping tariffs of up to 100 percent on India and China,
09:09two of the biggest importers of Russian crude oil.
09:12His argument, choke off Moscow's oil revenue and force Vladimir Putin to the table.
09:18This comes even as Washington itself profits the most from the conflict.
09:25According to the Observer Research Foundation,
09:28global defense spending soared to $2.7 trillion in 2024,
09:33the sharpest annual rise since the Cold War.
09:37And America's defense industry has been the biggest winner.
09:40Between 2020 and 2024, the U.S. supplied 45 percent of Ukraine's arms imports,
09:47while its own arms exports jumped by more than 20 percent globally.
09:53Lockheed Martin, Boeing and other U.S. giants are ranking in billions
09:57as NATO allies, as NATO allies crumbled to replenish stockpies and fund new packages for Kyiv.
10:06In fact, from 2024 onwards, Washington shifted from aid to sales,
10:12turning the war into a business model.
10:14So, while Trump threatens punitive tariffs on India for buying discounted Russian oil,
10:20the reality is that America itself is cashing in on the war more than anyone else.
10:26A smiling Trump may say Modi is a great friend,
10:29but his double standards reveal a different truth.
10:32When it comes to Ukraine, war has become business,
10:38and the biggest profits are flowing straight into America's defense industrial complex.
10:45Bisharik Shahab, Bureau Report, India Today Global.
10:52And joining me now is Sherry Malhotra, Deputy Director, Strategic Studies Programme at the ORF.
10:58Sherry, thank you so much for joining us.
11:00Look at the larger perspective over here.
11:03China not being tariffed like India is.
11:08What is the play over here,
11:09and what's the play when it comes to pressuring Europe
11:12to impose 100 percent tariffs on both India and China?
11:17Well, thank you for having me on the program, Geeta.
11:20So, firstly, I would say that, you know,
11:21President Trump is himself feeling the pressure.
11:24It's because he's been unable to persuade Russia and Ukraine to arrive at a peace deal.
11:28There was hardly any outcome from that much-anticipated Alaska summit.
11:33So, I guess he's realizing the hard way that diplomacy doesn't happen overnight.
11:37And he's seeking to try fresh tactics,
11:39such as demanding that the EU now hit India with tariffs of 100 percent to pressurize Putin to end the war.
11:44But he's also simultaneously been posting on his Truth Social platform about continuing trade negotiations with India.
11:51So, it's really a bit schizophrenic that he's, on the one hand, pressurizing India's partners to impose further tariffs on India
11:57while talking about successful trade negotiations with India.
12:01But coming to your question about the EU,
12:04I think it's unlikely that the EU would cave into such demands.
12:09For starters, the EU has itself, time and again, been at the receiving end of Trump's threats.
12:14The Transatlantic Alliance has gone through multiple upheavals since Trump took over in January this year.
12:21So, the Europeans know how he works and how he corners countries into accepting certain positions.
12:26I think the Europeans are also likely aware that these demands originate from Trump's personal frustrations
12:32due to his lack of success in brokering the peace deal, given that his eyes are on that Nobel Peace Prize.
12:38Secondly, I would say that when you talk about the EU-India partnership,
12:41this week itself, we will actually see a lot of activity on this front.
12:45That's right.
12:46So, the EU's top trade negotiators, the EU Commissioner for Trade,
12:50he will soon be in Delhi to advance the FTA negotiations.
12:54The PSC, the Political and Security Committee,
12:57which comprises of the 27 ambassadors of the EU member states to Brussels,
13:01are also visiting India.
13:03You also have the EU-India Counterterrorism Dialogue just taking place in Brussels as we speak.
13:08Right.
13:09And next month, the Committee of the European Parliament on Trade will be in India.
13:13There's also going to be a new EU-India strategic agenda to be launched next year,
13:17along with an EU-India summit.
13:19So, really, my point is that this is the extent of the diplomatic and political engagement
13:24taking place currently between the EU and India.
13:27And this really goes to show how serious both are about deepening relations with each other.
13:31So, I think there's less likelihood that the EU would, you know, jeopardize a partnership
13:36that it is investing a lot in, one that is growing in such a steady manner,
13:39only to appease Trump at the time of the EU Trade Commissioners coming to India in two days
13:44with the goal of progressing on the FTA negotiations.
13:47Right.
13:47Also, Sherry, the fact that there's a distinction the European Union makes
13:51when it comes to illegality and immorality.
13:54Over here, this is not illegal.
13:57They might consider it immoral to buy Russian oil.
13:59Sherry Malhotra, thank you so much for joining us for now.
14:03Now, Trump's doublespeak can hardly be missed.
14:08But why this selective outrage against India alone?
14:11On Stagecraft Today, I explained why this blow-hot, blow-cold attitude
14:15and how does China stack up against the US?
14:18You can watch the detailed analysis on India Today Global's YouTube channel.
14:21Do subscribe to the channel as well if you want the latest developments from across the world.
14:25For now, here's the excerpt.
14:33Donald Trump likes to call himself a master dealmaker.
14:49But his treatment of India looks more like a masterclass in doublespeak.
14:54One moment, he's hot.
14:56One of America's greatest, most devoted and most loyal friends,
15:01Prime Minister Modi of India. Thank you.
15:06And the next moment, he's cold.
15:08I've been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil, as you know, from Russia.
15:16All while dangling the promise of a beautiful deal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
15:21His advisors blast India for buying discounted Russian oil.
15:25Because India's high tariffs cost its jobs and factories and income and higher wages.
15:30And then the taxpayers lose, because we've got to fund Modi's war.
15:34But Washington's own China policy quietly spares Beijing from equivalent punishment,
15:40even though it is the biggest importer of that very same oil.
15:43Trump brands India, Maharaja of tariffs.
15:46Accuses it of laundering blood money.
15:49Yet floats tweets about positive talks.
15:51Why is China allowed to skate while India gets hammered?
15:56Has India really become that dispensable to the United States of America?
16:00And how does China stack up against America?
16:03Hello and welcome.
16:04You're watching Statecraft with me, Gita Mohan.
16:06Summer of 2025 exposed the pattern.
16:17Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Indian textiles, jewellery, footwear and chemicals under the banner of squeezing Putin.
16:27While Navarro called India a Kremlin laundromat and warned of consequences if New Delhi didn't come around.
16:34But at the very same time, the administration eased restrictions on U.S. semiconductor sales to China,
16:41delayed new penalties on Beijing's Russian oil trade, and spoke of productive talks with Xi Jinping.
16:48The world's two biggest importers of Russian crude were treated like opposites.
16:53Is this principle or is it pure political calculation dressed up as foreign policy?
16:58U.S. President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his trade-as-sanctions playbook,
17:04urging the European Union to hit imports from India and China with tariffs of up to 100%
17:10in an effort to choke off Russia's war chest.
17:14But Europe has pushed back.
17:17Because buying Russian oil, according to the European Union, is not illegal, it may be immoral.
17:23And therefore, they cannot sanction countries that buy oil from Russia.
17:28Meanwhile, businesses live in uncertainty, while politicians trade barbs and tweets.
17:33Contrast that with Washington's approach to China.
17:37Beijing buys even more Russian oil than India and remains the world's largest exporter,
17:42a critical supplier of advanced electronics, semiconductors, rare earths, batteries and affordable consumer goods.
17:49So why has India become the easier target?
17:54Scale and integration matter.
17:56India's exports were about $825 billion in 2024-25.
18:02Impressive, yet smaller than China's trillion-dollar level trade.
18:07And its integration into global supply chains is still developing.
18:11India does not yet dominate the high-tech intermediate inputs
18:15or critical manufacturing that make a partner indispensable for immediate supply resilience.
18:22The U.S. need for China is not only about parts and products, but about demand and finance.
18:29China is a major market for U.S. agricultural goods and aircraft.
18:33And it remains a large holder of U.S. treasuries that helps keep borrowing costs lower.
18:38That asymmetry explains why Trump's doublespeak lands on India with greater force.
18:45India is still pegged as a rising option rather than an immediate substitute.
18:50Its export basket skews toward textiles, pharmaceuticals and services
18:55rather than the full spectrum of critical intermediate goods.
18:59But India is growing and that growth will change the calculus.
19:04Treating India as dispensable might win short-term headlines.
19:07But it risks handing strategic advantage to rivals
19:11and eroding the very partnerships Washington claims to value.
19:17The question for both capitals is whether they learn before the costs deepen
19:21and whether India accepts being a beatable target
19:24or insists on being treated like the strategic partner it is becoming.
19:29That's all in this edition of the show.
19:36But before we leave you, we go with these visuals.
19:39The U.S. president claims that Washington, D.C. is safe
19:42as crackdown on immigration continues and the National Guards have been deployed in D.C.
19:47He also said that earlier it was unsafe to visit D.C. restaurants at night because of high crime rates.
19:53But when President Trump went for dining at a seafood restaurant near the White House,
19:58this was the scene at the restaurant.
20:00Protesters were chanting,
20:02Free D.C., Free Palestine.
20:04Trump is the Hitler of our time.
20:07Take a look.
20:08Goodbye and take care.
20:10Free D.C., Free Palestine.
20:12Trump is the Hitler of our time.
20:15Free D.C., Free Palestine.
20:18Trump is the Hitler of our time.
20:21He's terrorizing communities all over the world, from Puerto Rico, to the Philippines, to Palestine, to Venezuela, he is terrorizing communities, he is not welcome to D.C., he's not welcome to Palestine, Palestine is not for sale.
20:43Free D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the hitler of our time!
20:50Stay on you all! Free D.C., free Palestine, free Palestine, free Palestine, free D.C., free Palestine!
21:13Free D.C.
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