- 7 weeks ago
The big focus of this episode of India First is on the escalating political crisis in Nepal, triggered by a youth-led 'Gen Z revolution' that has resulted in widespread chaos and the ouster of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening. The day after the Gen Z revolution saw kiosk and confusion on the streets of Kathmandu and curfew across Nepal.
00:09Situation? It's peaceful. The army's out on the streets, but there were street fights right outside the Nepal army headquarters.
00:18And we'll show you these images of the street fights that are happening here.
00:23There was kiosk and clashes on who would lead the negotiations with the army.
00:28Online opinion polls suggested the name of former Chief Justice of Nepal, Sushila Karki.
00:33But a faction of protesters didn't agree and they proposed the name of Kulman Hissingh, very popular amongst the youth.
00:41Now, Kulman Hissingh is seen as the can-do man who sorted out the 18-hour-long load-shedding problems of Nepal.
00:49But will that power vacuum lead to more cures and crisis? And that's our top focus on India First.
00:57Gen Z split Nepal on the edge.
01:20From protests to a power vacuum.
01:22Gen Z clashes at the army HQ gates.
01:32While talks go on on the interim government inside.
01:35Karki or Kulman question divides Gen Z.
01:52What next for Nepal? Chaos or consensus?
01:56That is the big focus on India First.
01:59So, Nepal remains on the edge with apprehensions that the political vacuum could lead to a greater crisis in the Himalayan paradise.
02:09Symbols of the state have already been destroyed.
02:12The ousted Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's party has called for an investigation not only into his ouster,
02:18but also on the violence that followed.
02:21And the question remains, if the interim leadership that will come up in Nepal,
02:26will they have the legitimacy to bring Nepal back from the brink?
02:31And whether the vacuum would impact India too?
02:35Left-N-General Rakesh Sharma, former Adjutant General of the Indian Army,
02:39was Colonel of the 11 Gorkha Rifles.
02:41He commanded troops both from Nepal and India in the Gorkha Rifles.
02:44He joins me on the Chakraview podcast at 8.30 tonight on the role of the Nepal army in bringing peace and the road ahead.
02:53I'm Gaurav Savant.
02:54As always, let's get started with the headlines on India First.
03:04Chorus grows for former Nepal Chief Justice Sushila Karki to become the interim head of the government.
03:09Gen Z group says, ready to accept Sushila's leadership.
03:14Former Chief of Nepal Park, Kulman Ghi Singh also in the race.
03:24Rahul Gandhi reiterates the hydrogen bomb warning once again,
03:29says elections stolen in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka,
03:33assures to give another explosive evidence on the Vochori charge in coming days.
03:39Big win for security forces against Red Terror in Chhattisgarh.
04:0210 Maoists killed in Gariabad district.
04:06Top Maoist leader, Manoj Balkrishna killed.
04:09He had a bounty of 1 crore rupees on his head.
04:19Headway in India, US trade talks.
04:21US steel to visit India by September end.
04:24India looks to seal the trade deal by end of November.
04:28цел Apple.
04:29action.
04:30Yeah,
04:31They said it was all like here,
04:33Hey other newsors.
04:36people listen back now.
04:38I won't see it clean,
04:39they've been right inside.
04:40They've been hacia reality.
04:41I said it loud.
04:43They're telling the language I think.
04:45I have got this evidence.
04:48They received a lens in 2011
04:51when they've remained
04:52and returned.
04:53in the u.s charlie kirk's shooter remains at large official say killer appears to be
05:03of college going age who blended in the crowd and jumped off the roof after the shooting
05:18gen z protesters clashed outside the nepal army headquarters this afternoon
05:22on the issue of negotiations with the army and the road ahead for nepal one group recommended that
05:28sushila karki former chief justice of nepal represent them in these negotiations and be
05:34their face this was the decision taken apparently on the basis of a poll that was conducted on a
05:40social media platform however another group of protesters remained opposed to it and wanted
05:46kulman singh former chief of nepal electricity authority kulman ghi singh um he's seen as the
05:54kandu man of nepal the man who freed nepal from an endless cycle of 18-hour long daily power cuts
06:01and then there is the question of balin shah who's suddenly taken a back seat india today has the
06:07biggest team of reporters on ground zero getting you a 360 degree perspective on all the latest news
06:14and analysis but first they get us this report
06:25clashes at the gates of the nepal army headquarters
06:32gen z supporters turning on each other
06:37the same youth who brought down a government now brawl among themselves in the middle of the road
06:44the
06:46inside the army compound talks are on under heavy protection former chief justice sushila karki
06:52and activist durga prasai were escorted inside other youth leaders stopped at the gate
07:02this after gen z delegates in the army sat across the table for two hours on wednesday
07:07while speaking to the media gen z delegation leader gurum broke down
07:16gen z is trying to choose its face online justice sushila karki leads the ports
07:22another faction backs kulman ghi singh an engineer who is credited with solving nepal's power crisis
07:28right now the first thing is uh the interim government the second theme is dissolving
07:35the current parliament and the third thing is maintaining law and order in the country these
07:40are the things three things that we are looking forward for now nepal's president has appealed for
07:45calm writing that he's working within the constitution to protect democracy and ensure peace
07:51the
07:53an uneasy calm remains on the ground government offices lie in ruins and curfew remains in place
08:02uh
08:04in ramachap the army opened fire after a jail break
08:28two prisoners dead 10 more shot in the clash
08:38security is tight at the india nepal border with only oil tankers being allowed to cross into india
08:44uh
08:46uh
08:50uh
08:52uh
08:54uh
08:56From Arsene to aftershocks, Nepal is scarred but still searching for peace.
09:19The big question remains, will Gen Z be able to reach a consensus on who they want to lead the nation
09:25and will that finally ensure normalcy in Nepal?
09:30With Tapasen Gupta and Amit Bhadwaj in Nepal, Bureau Report, India Today.
09:38Let me quickly cut across and bring into this conversation Ambassador Rakesh Sud, India's former ambassador to Nepal.
09:45Ambassador Sud, how would you assess the situation in Nepal today?
09:50Is this power vacuum worrisome?
09:55I think it is extremely worrisome because right now the methodology that we are looking at in terms of an interim government and so on,
10:05dissolution of parliament, interim government, this is outside the constitution of Nepal.
10:11The constitution of Nepal calls for fresh elections if no government can be formed with the existing parliament and if parliament members,
10:20members of parliament are resigning, so then there have to be fresh elections within six months and there is the provision of a caretaker cup.
10:29The caretaker government, well, if Prime Minister Oli is now in communicado, as we see, and but there is actually no provision for an interim government of the kind that we are looking at.
10:43Also, there are talks of large number of constitutional amendments, so therefore, we are not very clear as to what is going to happen.
10:52And then, finally, it is a good thing that the president has today spoken.
11:01I mean, we would have, I would have thought that the president, particularly after the resignation by Prime Minister Oli, should have addressed the nation.
11:12But instead of that, it was the army chief who was addressing the nation, which is very peculiar.
11:19And all these developments, clearly, you are absolutely right.
11:22And look at the manner in which symbols of authority, symbols of state have been destroyed, burned to the ground in Nepal.
11:30The army as of now is the maintaining, you know, authority, the authority that's maintaining law and order.
11:34But what is your reading of names of Sushila Kharki or Kulman Ghi Singh and Balen Shah that are doing the rounds as per Nepal's existing constitution?
11:46Can they be made head of an interim establishment and how will they govern?
11:49Well, you know, these are all names that are doing the rounds.
11:53But Balen Shah, for example, came as an outsider in 2022.
12:01When he stood for election as an independent, he doesn't have a political party and so on.
12:07The other new political party that came out of nowhere in 2022 was RSP, which was led by Ravi Lamechane, who was a television personality.
12:20But then Ravi Lamechane rose to the top.
12:24He became deputy prime minister and home minister, but then got involved in a cooperative scandal worth thousands of years.
12:31of crores and he was in jail, actually.
12:34When during this whole chaos and things like that, there are about various jails have been opened up and more than 13000 prisoners have just gone out, including Ravi Lamechane.
12:49So we don't know what these people want.
12:53Now, there are three old established parties like the Nepali Congress, the UML and the Maoists.
13:01Yes.
13:01They even today constitute about 75-80% of the strength of the parliament.
13:09And all of them have been targeted.
13:10What they've been doing is that they have been playing this game of musical chairs between their leaderships and so on for a long time.
13:20So which is why this resentment has been building up.
13:23And in your view, what then happens to leaders like KP Sharma, Oli, or Sher Bahadur, or Pushpakamal Dahal?
13:31I do not think, I don't think that any of them have a future in politics in Nepal.
13:38Neither Prachanda, nor Oli, nor Dioba.
13:43However, those names are out.
13:46In fact, many of those other names like Kerala and so on, you know, the familiar names that we know in Nepali politics, which have been there for a long time.
13:56I think those names are over.
13:59In fact, it's interesting.
14:01You know, we haven't, we don't look at it.
14:03But by the end of this year, there was supposed to be annual general conventions for all three major political parties.
14:11Yes, Prachanda was being challenged by two young leaders from his own party because Prachanda has been heading that party as general secretary since 1989.
14:25And they wanted to put term limits.
14:29And there was a proposal that was put up and it is kind of, but there are murmurs of discontent.
14:36But Oli was being challenged by none other than the former president Vidya Devi Bhandari, who was a member of his own party and who retired two years ago as president.
14:52But obviously, the party discontented elements appeared to her and she was ready to re-enter politics.
15:01Oli was trying to prevent her from re-entering politics.
15:04In Nepali Congress, Dioba was trying to postpone the general convention.
15:10In Nepali Congress, there's a limit.
15:12And Dioba had crossed that limit of how long he could continue to chair the party.
15:18But he was trying very hard to postpone his general convention to beyond 2027 because he wanted to be able to distribute the tickets for the next general election.
15:33So, in each of these parties, there were rumblings of discontent, just as there were rumblings of discontent in the youth, just as there were rumblings of discontent in rural areas.
15:47And we saw the manner in which all of that came out.
15:50But Ambassador, is this worrisome for India?
15:53Is this vacuum, you know, there's an apprehension that hostile neighbors could exploit this situation and especially our hostile neighbor to the west, if not the north?
16:01I don't think that as long as we are so far, I think the best thing that has happened is that nobody seems to have in, you know, whenever there is a disturbance in Nepal, someone or the other comes up with a foreign hand and that finger always points at India.
16:24Now, I think that this time we've been fortunate nobody has done that, at least so far.
16:29And partly it is because we have refrained from getting involved in any kind of local political involvement, which is a good thing.
16:43And I think we should let the Nepalese sort it out.
16:48Meanwhile, we should always, I mean, we always have to monitor the developments very closely to see who is the beneficiary.
16:57Now, there are all kinds of conspiracy theories, by the way, going on in Nepal as to whether some foreign powers are behind it and things like that.
17:08So far, I don't see any evidence of any foreign powers behind it.
17:13I think this is a homegrown thing.
17:15But, you know, when you have a leaderless, organic kind of a movement like this, there are people who would like to fish in troubled waters.
17:28And that is what we have to look out for.
17:31And Nepal has seen many of these janandolans in the past decades, right from 1990s through 2006 and now.
17:39But, Ambassador, some of these protesters have access to assault rifles and grenades.
17:44There are reports of armories being looted.
17:46You mentioned 13,000 prisoners out on the loose now.
17:50Does this make a very lethal and dangerous cocktail not just for Nepal but even for India?
17:55Well, to that extent, I think the government has already sealed the border.
18:02And partly, we are also conscious because there are seven bordering districts in Bihar,
18:08ranging from Western Champaran all the way to Krishanganja and so on.
18:14So, and these, you know, there is a frequent exchange of people, trade, communication and a close relationship between the people on both sides of the border,
18:28whether it is the Bhojpuri connection, the Mathali connection and so on.
18:32So, that we have seen and to that extent, and in fact, today I saw reports indicating that the SSB, the Sashat Srisimabal,
18:42which is the border, which mans the border between India and Nepal,
18:47they actually got a couple of, two dozen prisoners who were trying to escape,
18:52who had escaped out of Kathmandu jails or Nepali jails and they were trying to get into India.
18:56But they were apprehended and they were then handed back.
19:00So, obviously, if it was, we don't want to run the risk of having a porous border at this time when there is so much uncertainty in Nepal.
19:12Ambassador, I want to now throw this open for a wider discussion.
19:15Joining me now from Nepal is Darshan Prajuli, he's a journalist covering this closely.
19:21Darshan Prajuli, Konstantino Javier, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy and Security Studies at Centre for Social and Economic Progress.
19:29His research has covered foreign policy issues and then crisis in Nepal, in Sri Lanka and in Myanmar.
19:35Dr. Sartak Nepal is a citizen journalist and an orthopedic surgeon, joins us from Kathmandu.
19:41And Pravesh Svadi is a journalist and Darshan Prajuli may come and ask you first, the current situation, any clarity on who leads Nepal and how?
19:52And what happens to the old parliament? Does it now completely stand dissolved?
20:01Yeah, I mean, can you hear me?
20:05Loud and clear, go on, sir.
20:06Right, so the situation on the ground here right now in Nepal is insane.
20:13There is a lot of international players that have been, you know, playing an inside game, these political parties.
20:20And the name is already out.
20:22So Sila Karki, who is backed by Balendra Saha, you know, has been already backed.
20:28But also there are so many other things that are happening at the same time.
20:31Also, these protesters are questioning the, you know, role of army chief here because there is, you know, vacuum at the moment.
20:42So there are many players with some interest.
20:45It looked like the, you know, the Durga Persai and other different statements that these three political parties are issuing at the moment is very worrying for this Gen Z revolution.
20:58As far as I understand, I've talked with a few of the leaders of, you know, these Gen Z revolutions like Hami Nepali and such.
21:08And as you can see, these people, you know, there is always this, you know, issue of divide and rule.
21:14So I also request Indian media to, you know, spread factual information because of just, you know, one small misinformation.
21:24It can, you know, change the whole narrative of, you know, how this whole Gen Z revolution was started.
21:32No, that's exactly why we have journalists on ground covering this, you know, on our broadcast so that the only facts and especially on India today, it's always facts first.
21:41But, Konstantino Javier, will this interim leadership that comes up, will it have the kind of legitimacy that is required to bring about the reforms that the protesters or the Gen Z revolution, revolutionaries wanted?
21:56War on corruption, alternative governance.
21:59How will they have the systems in place?
22:02Yeah, ultimately, the whole…
22:05Okay, give me a moment.
22:06Let me get Konstantino Javier to respond.
22:08Great point, Gaurav.
22:08Go on, sir.
22:14Yeah, great point, Gaurav.
22:16I think that's the million dollars question.
22:19Point this idea of the foreign hand.
22:21I think that's lazy thinking.
22:23I agree with Ambassador Suud.
22:25Let's understand the Nepali hand.
22:27This is a generation which is angry, worried about the economic future, tired of the old leadership.
22:32And just another chapter we've been seeing play out in the entire region, Sri Lanka and Maldives and Bangladesh.
22:36So, a change.
22:38Second, the Gen Z, to your point, Gaurav, played a role in the end, I think, of the old system, as we saw the last few days.
22:45But you can't govern a country on Zoom, right, which they have been doing.
22:50I mean, Gen Z is the solution to the end of the old system, but obviously is not ready to step in and govern this country.
22:58So, it creates a vacuum.
22:59So, therefore, point three, Gaurav, to your point, I mean, we're hearing calls to abolish the constitution.
23:04The constitution of Nepal took nine years to design.
23:08It took a long time, and it was very difficult.
23:10So, I think that's certainly not the problem, because the problem was the people that were managing the constitution.
23:1517 prime ministers in 20 years, mostly a rotation of three, four old, upper caste old men.
23:23So, the other solution, the only one I see out here, Gaurav, is keeping the parliament, not until 2027, but holding elections as soon as possible, because two things will happen.
23:35If you hold elections within the old traditional parties, there will finally be the emergence of a new generation of people.
23:42Leaders like, for example, just to give you an example, in the Nepal Congress, Gagan Tapa, who's 49 years old, has still not emerged as a leader of his party.
23:49He could have, and maybe it's too late now, but that is the first thing that will happen within the three old parties.
23:55The second thing that will happen as soon as you hold elections is that the new parties that are already rising will create more force.
24:03Other new parties, including the Gen Z parties, which have the possibility to create their own parties and voice their own concerns, will also be created.
24:11And I think then you open up the path for a real, more democratic and stable Nepal as soon as those elections are held.
24:20Let me bring in Dr. Sarthak Nepal to weigh in on this.
24:24The next generation of the next generation of the existing parties or names that crop up through, you know, this opinion poll that's taken online on platforms like Discord.
24:36You know, how will Nepal move forward, sir?
24:39What's the template that's likely to be followed?
24:41I think first, the interim government should come in, please.
24:48And I feel it is very much important to have a leader at the moment who could conduct the proper election.
24:58Not like Bangladesh, where Mohammed Yunus was there and, you know, the elections could not be there for a long time.
25:06But it is very, very important for Nepal to have a proper leader who could lead us to have a general election within a very quick time.
25:18So, I feel any of the names that have been coming up, you know, Susila Karki or Kulman Gissing, I think both of them have done an extremely great job at their time.
25:34But the names that have mostly represented, you know, and have been given by the Gen Z is Honorable Ex-Chief Justice Susila Karki.
25:45And she is in talks with the President Ramchandra Paudel and the Chief of Army as well.
25:56So, I think she could be one of the potential leaders for us for quite some time and then elections.
26:06And then we can see the rise of the older or the newer parties, probably new parties because the people are not really happy with the older parties like Nepali Congress and CPN UML, CPN Maoist and all.
26:24So, Pravesh Swedi…
26:24Probably the Rastriya Swatantra party, yeah.
26:26Okay.
26:27And Pravesh Swedi, do you also see this as the end of the road for leaders like K.P. Sharma, Oli, Prachanda, Sherwarad Odioba, Girja Prasad Kaurala, that entire old leadership, end of the road for them.
26:39And what about leaders like Kulman Gissing, you know, if I may, people could talk of him as this Nepal electricity authority, can-do man.
26:48He got rid of corruption, he led the crusade against corruption, no more 18-hour power cuts.
26:53Is he the man of the moment along with Sushila Karki?
27:00You know, things are evolving so rapidly.
27:04What we assume yesterday is not the same today.
27:07You know, there are a lot of things happening today, day and night.
27:11So, it's not clear picture, we have no clear picture yet.
27:16But what can I assume right now is, you know, is the Gen Z team are very committed to the democratic process, they respect the current constitution, and they are, they even showing some sort of fear with the army leadership and negotiation.
27:35They are not, actually, they are not feeling comfortable with dealing with the army leadership.
27:42What I observed there, hours long discussion on internet, it's not clear what sort of leadership they are expecting.
27:53We are clear that they want, not corrupted, fresh leader, but they are not confident themselves, they can give a good and strong leadership from their own network, or their preferred network like Balin or something we said earlier.
28:13So, ultimately, what I say is, if the smart move taken from the old political parties, mainly from the young generation leaders, there is still some space for them.
28:28Interesting. So, younger leadership from the existing parties, join hands with the new one, but, you know, Darshan Prajali, why did Balin Shah suddenly take a back seat?
28:38Because everyone said he'd done a lot between 2022 and 2025. He's immensely popular. Why is he taking a back seat? Or is the political posturing for now?
28:50No, I think, in my understanding, why Balin Shah, I mean, took a black classes. So, whoever forms a government today for the election is just a kam chalav sarkar, right? Just for the six months.
29:04So, when everything changes, because every Genji wants Balin to be five-year president, if he chooses that path. And right now, the breaking that I can give you is, I mean, Nepal army haven't, you know, shown, I mean, the president, where is president?
29:21That's the question of Genji. And everyone is demanding to, you know, to, because the president has only been, you know, publishing a statement. We haven't seen him live. So, I mean, one of the, you know, the demand that Genji are making right now is, where is the president? I mean, the president.
29:42Constantine, you know, Javier, that's quite a valid point. One would have expected the president to address the nation, but it was the army chief, as Ambassador Sudh also pointed out.
29:51And nobody in Nepal has seen the president. Nobody knows where ousted Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli is hiding. They just saw a helicopter leaving. And what happened after that? Where did that helicopter land? All of that information is not there.
30:03But at the same time, the challenges remain immense. The burning down of government buildings and courts, spontaneous anchor against authority. But in the absence of the same authority, restoration of normalcy would be extremely difficult, not just in Kathmandu, but across Nepal.
30:17Yes. Two points, Gaurav. First one is, see, with all due respect to the president of Nepal, he's missing in action because he's an actor from a movie that has ended.
30:30That chapter has ended. There is no confidence on the streets in a set of personas and people that have ran the country.
30:38There are unacceptable people for whatever solution comes, number one. Number two, the people that are going to step in, as our Nepali friends were just saying, I think there will be people of transition.
30:49Not like in the Bangladesh case with the assumption and the ambition, which was in some ways an illusion that they would reform and restructure the entire country without elections and finally have come to the terms that they have to have elections first.
31:04But here I think we have a cast of people that inspire confidence, have given good signs towards India over the last two days, that they want to work towards early elections.
31:12That will bring to the scene a new generation of people that will run the country.
31:19Third, on the law and order, there's only one institution currently that is capable of providing law and order.
31:25It has been doing so since yesterday evening. It is the Nepal Army, in fact, led by an army chief who also studied in India and has good links here.
31:33So I think in that sense, what we need now is any of these figures to come to force and allow this to move on as soon as possible towards elections.
31:46And that will be, I think, something that will be welcome across the world.
31:49Just one point also about what what other countries are doing or not doing.
31:54One of your previous questions, I think China has limited appetite to support Nepal in economic terms.
32:02We saw this in Sri Lanka, where Sri Lanka had a financial default.
32:06The Chinese were missing in action.
32:08And Nepal, I think, today notices and understands that the West, as we know, has no appetite for great, great donations and support these days, especially the United States of America.
32:18So I think that just poses a huge challenge and onus in India also to be supportive of this next generation of Nepali leaders, listen to them, learn from what they want,
32:28and then provide, if request-based, what they need to provide a stable economy.
32:33Because this crisis, Gaurav, is an economic crisis.
32:36Let's not forget this.
32:37It is a generation that has lost hope and is worried about the economic elevator that is less frequent and less capable.
32:44It is worried about the previous generation having gained from economic openness,
32:49and they are worried about their jobs, their prospects, which manifests politically, as we saw this week, in a very violent way.
32:56Indeed, and you're absolutely right.
32:59India has a very major responsibility, of course, depending on the help that is sought by the new leadership in Nepal, as and when that leadership comes.
33:08But Dr. Sartak, Nepal, what happens to the constitution of Nepal?
33:12Because there are voices within Gen Z who are not happy with the existing constitution.
33:18So what happens?
33:20How is that aspect likely to be taken forward?
33:25I think it is very important to understand that the constitution,
33:32we draft everything according to the existing constitution, as said by the President Ramchandra Paudel.
33:39There has been a lot of kiosk regarding what are we going to do with the constitution.
33:45But even the Gen Z community have addressed the issue that they want the current constitution,
33:55but they want it in a way that it could be amended, you know, and they want it in a good way.
34:04So I think the constitution that has been existing in the present will be continued.
34:15But there has been a lot of issues with the parliamentary dissolution as some of the parties,
34:24some of the questions that have been arising is regarding the dissolution of the parliament within the different parties as well.
34:34So it is a big question, even for the newer and the older parties that are emerging here.
34:44That's a very important point that you make and there is a lot of uncertainty even now.
34:50It's sincerely hope that peace returns and, of course, prosperity to this Himalayan paradise as quickly as possible.
34:58To all my guests, many thanks, many, many thanks for joining me.
35:02As Karsin said, you know, Havia was also pointing out, India has a very major responsibility to provide help when sought.
35:10Because do keep in mind, India and Nepal share a very strong civilizational bond.
35:17When Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone to Nepal in 2014 for the SAAC summit,
35:24there were several things he said.
35:26He spoke of that civilizational bond.
35:29It's that link.
35:31Maryadha Purshottam, Sri Ram from Ayodhya, Masita from Janakpur.
35:35And he went from the land of Somnath to the land of Pashupatinath.
35:40There's also a very important link that the Prime Minister mentioned.
35:44India.
35:44Every war that India won since our independence, Nepal shed blood in those wars.
35:52That's how close that bond is.
35:54Civilizational ties.
35:55Sanatandhar, Buddhism, the army that binds our nations together.
36:00And a short while back, I spoke to Lieutenant General Rakesh Sharma,
36:03former Adjutant General of the Indian Army, former Colonel of the Leven Gorkha Rifles.
36:07He commanded troops in GR, both from India and Nepal.
36:11And he and I discussed what next to bring this relationship on an even keel
36:17and for peace to return to that Himalayan paradise.
36:20We get you some excerpts of that conversation on the Chakravue podcast.
36:25This is how Valmiki's Ramayana talks about Maryadha Purshottam, Sri Ram,
36:46telling brother Lakshman after the victory over Ravadha in Lanka.
36:51That while Lanka is made of gold and very beautiful, it's not to my liking.
36:57Because for me, my mother and my motherland, swargadapi gariyasi are greater than heaven.
37:09And this is today the national motto of the Himalayan paradise, Nepal.
37:17That shows the close civilizational bond between Bharat and Nepal.
37:24But this Himalayan paradise is in turmoil today.
37:29And to discuss more about the turmoil and the way forward,
37:33with me is someone who's very close to Nepal.
37:38Like India and Nepal are civilizationally one.
37:43Similarly, soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Nepal,
37:51they've shed blood together.
37:53They share the same bond.
37:55With me on this broadcast is Lieutenant General Rakesh Sharma,
38:00former Adjutant General of the Indian Army,
38:03a Gorkha Rifles officer, Colonel of the 11 Gorkha Rifles,
38:06and you commanded the Ladakh Corps.
38:09Sir, welcome on the Chakraview podcast.
38:11Thank you for inviting me.
38:13Sir, when we look at this turmoil in Nepal today,
38:18what goes through your heart?
38:19Because it gives a lot of pain to see a brother in such deep distress.
38:25So, I agree with you.
38:27It's so painful.
38:28It's so distressing to see the kind.
38:31And similarly, you know, if you recollect 15 years ago,
38:35they had that Maoist insurgency for 10 years.
38:37We were distressed at that time also to see the kind of pain and anguish
38:41that Nepalese people, which is like our own people.
38:45You know, we never distinguish between the people of Nepal,
38:49Gurkhas and people of India.
38:51And naturally now, we feel so bad about it.
38:56I wish our goodwill is always towards Nepalese people
38:59and Nepal as a country.
39:01And having been there a number of times,
39:04every time you go, you feel the warmth and the love and the affection.
39:08Since we speak the language,
39:10we feel the love and affection of people.
39:13And, you know, of late what has happened,
39:16I wish it had not happened
39:17and they would have found a better method of resolving issues.
39:21Because, you know, when you see the Sheetal Nivaas burning
39:24or when you see Singh Darwar or the parliament in flames,
39:28it just hurts.
39:30I mean, it just hurts to see the turmoil.
39:33Yeah, so, you know,
39:34I wouldn't say that the students would have done this.
39:37The people are in love with their own country.
39:41And we see this here in the soldiers who have joined our armed forces.
39:46But the fact is that you see all these burnings
39:48which have been carried out, it's not nice.
39:51It is national assets being lost out.
39:53And I wish it not happened this way.
39:56Yes.
39:57And we'll talk about the crisis.
39:59We'll talk about the serious crisis
40:02when it comes to confidence in their political leadership.
40:05The manner in which homes of several leaders,
40:08the presidents, Palashita Nivaas set on fire,
40:12presidential house set on fire,
40:13homes of several prime ministers,
40:15not just K.P. Sharma Oli,
40:16but Sherebhadur Diawba,
40:18several deputy prime ministers,
40:19finance minister,
40:20home minister,
40:21IT minister,
40:22their homes were being set on fire.
40:24They were being,
40:24former prime ministers were being assaulted.
40:26Their families were being assaulted.
40:27The anger is palpable.
40:30So has it started one day?
40:32Is it anger just started 48 hours ago?
40:36Or is there anger which was pent up for quite some time?
40:39It has just come up to that level today.
40:42And if you start seeing,
40:44and all of us who follow what's been happening in Nepal,
40:48I think there was a pent up emotion.
40:50It just required a trigger.
40:51It just required a kind of a catalyst to take it off.
40:55And then the government provided the catalyst
40:57and lo and behold, it was bad shape.
41:00So this was coming.
41:02Many of us who could read through.
41:04See, I give you a simple example.
41:07Look, Gaurav,
41:08in a country which is as small as Nepal is,
41:11if you have 8 to 9 lakh young boys and girls
41:15leaving their country every year
41:17for outside pastures
41:20and all largely going as blue collar workers,
41:23I think this is a great loss to any nation.
41:26I was speaking to somebody in Nepal
41:28who was telling me that
41:29this is the handiwork of outside forces
41:32to weaken Nepal.
41:34You know, blaming,
41:35they're saying,
41:36you know, you guys in India are sleepwalking into trouble.
41:39Look at what's happening in Bangladesh.
41:41what has happened in Sri Lanka
41:43and what is happening in Nepal.
41:45You guys are sleepwalking into trouble.
41:47I don't know.
41:47You tell me if we are.
41:49But they say that students have a very noble thought.
41:54But students are just the front.
41:56There are other forces at play.
41:57How do you see this?
41:58Look, all this can be said
42:01and
42:02you know,
42:05the conspiracy theories
42:06are the first ones to be brought about.
42:10In case of Bangladesh,
42:12they had political troubles
42:13and the agitation took place
42:15because of the
42:16problem in their reservation.
42:19You know, the Reservation Act.
42:20In Nepal, there was no reservation.
42:23In Nepal, it came up
42:24for a different reason altogether.
42:25The students failed.
42:26But if I may,
42:27just blocking 26 websites,
42:30you know,
42:30social media platforms
42:31will lead to a revolution.
42:33So,
42:35unemployment is so rampant
42:37and everybody is a YouTuber
42:39and everybody is...
42:40I mean,
42:42I was shamed
42:44but I spent so much of time
42:45on my phone here.
42:46So, you know,
42:47the fact is
42:48the youth is only embedded
42:49to social media
42:52if they don't have
42:54better avenues to do so.
42:56And you just cannot
42:56one day morning decide.
42:58See,
42:58a Supreme Court ruling
42:59did come last year
43:01which said that
43:02the Supreme Court said
43:03that there needs to be
43:04a check on
43:06the malcontent
43:07which comes across.
43:08India also have got...
43:09You know,
43:09India also we follow this.
43:11You just can't put
43:12something there.
43:13You can call the YouTube
43:14people saying
43:15why is this content there?
43:16So,
43:16they do some checks
43:17themselves.
43:18So,
43:19to ask the social media
43:21companies to make sure
43:23that no malcontent
43:24is put across there
43:25is one issue.
43:27But to ban them
43:28is another issue
43:29because now social media
43:30was anti the current government
43:32and they were writing
43:33so much of...
43:34People writing so much.
43:35You just cannot ban it
43:36on a decision
43:37taken in Supreme Court
43:38one year ago.
43:39So,
43:40you know,
43:40it cannot be done.
43:42It is the involvement
43:43and I think
43:44Gen Z,
43:45you must be having
43:46Gen Z kids here.
43:47So,
43:48the fact of the matter is
43:49that they have
43:50wedded through social media.
43:52It is not...
43:52It is not an additionality.
43:55It is part of life.
43:56And in their case,
43:57it's also a way
43:58of being in touch
43:59with the family overseas.
44:00Yeah,
44:00everything.
44:01You know,
44:01it is...
44:02Nowadays,
44:03you block a phone,
44:04you can't even use UPI.
44:06You can't get paid
44:07for a cab here.
44:09You know,
44:09you just cannot do it.
44:11So,
44:12was KP Sharma
44:13only being tone deaf
44:15especially after
44:16his visit to China?
44:17I don't know
44:18whether he is tone deaf
44:19or not.
44:19And I thought
44:20people should have
44:22understood
44:23the power of the student.
44:25Remember,
44:26we had Mandal in India.
44:27Power of the student.
44:29We were youngsters.
44:30We saw
44:30the kind of anguish
44:32that we saw in India.
44:34The student
44:35is a strong power.
44:37They are impressionable
44:38by age.
44:39They have...
44:40We are an aspirational country.
44:43India.
44:43Nepal is
44:44as much aspirational
44:46as people are there.
44:47You have a motorcycle,
44:48you want to buy a car.
44:49You have a car,
44:50you want to buy a better car.
44:51You have a small flat,
44:52you want to buy a bigger flat.
44:53Everybody is aspirational
44:55in nature.
44:56And it is logical.
44:57You know,
44:58they say,
44:58look,
44:59I am entitled
45:00to same aspirations
45:01as the minister's son
45:04who drives
45:06range rovers in Nepal
45:07and, you know,
45:09flashy,
45:10cars and music
45:11running around there.
45:12And I am also entitled
45:13to...
45:13I am also a citizen
45:14of the same country.
45:16And all this
45:16social media
45:17also puts across
45:19knowledge base
45:20which probably
45:20didn't exist there
45:21earlier.
45:22So, you know,
45:23I think the decision
45:24taken was a catalyst.
45:27But to say
45:28that that is the only thing,
45:29it was pent-up emotion
45:31that blew up
45:32in the face
45:33of the politicians.
45:35You know,
45:35you also mentioned
45:36this SUV.
45:38There is this
45:39image that is
45:40going viral
45:40in Nepal
45:41and somebody
45:42sent it to me,
45:43a minister's SUV
45:44going very fast.
45:46It hits a little child
45:47and arrogantly
45:48the minister
45:49just moves on
45:52and the child
45:53is left on the road.
45:53That also angered
45:55the people.
45:56So,
45:5611-year-old child
45:57and all this,
45:59you know,
45:59see,
45:59small,
45:59small thing adds up.
46:00the statement
46:02that the Prime Minister
46:03gave on this incident
46:04that you are referring to
46:05was casual.
46:07Accidents happen.
46:09You can't say
46:10accidents happen.
46:11Accidents happen
46:11every day.
46:12but a politician's convoy
46:15which is going across
46:17and hits a child
46:18and the child
46:19gets hurt badly
46:20and the convoy
46:21doesn't stop
46:22to pick up the child
46:23and take it to hospital.
46:24Yeah,
46:26it would make a difference.
46:28You know,
46:28so,
46:29you add all
46:30these things together,
46:31it was boiling.
46:33It was there,
46:34pent up.
46:35They forgot to notice
46:37that there is an issue
46:38of anguish
46:40in the nation
46:41and also
46:42a feeling of
46:43corruption
46:45is rampant.
46:46You know.
46:47And it's a musical chair,
46:48same four, five people
46:49just turn around
46:50and become
46:51Prime Ministers
46:51and Ministers.
46:52God knows how
46:53the politics works
46:54that till yesterday
46:54Nepali Congress
46:56was supporting
46:56Maoist Center,
46:57Prachanda was Prime Minister
46:58and then
46:59one fine morning
47:00they say,
47:00okay,
47:01Prachanda,
47:01you know more,
47:02I will support
47:02only and only
47:03become Prime Minister.
47:04This is not musical chair.
47:06This is,
47:06and you know,
47:07what,
47:0714 odd Prime Ministers
47:08in 10,
47:0911 years,
47:10you can't even
47:11have a government
47:11to talk to.
47:13So,
47:13that's why
47:14as an institution,
47:16the political hierarchy
47:17was under,
47:19under stress.
47:21They should have been
47:21under stress
47:22to say one day
47:23people will get annoyed.
47:24If you add
47:25all these people
47:25going out,
47:26migrating,
47:27no educational
47:29institutions,
47:30etc.,
47:30etc.,
47:30then there is
47:31a large amount
47:32of grievance
47:33that existed
47:33in Nepal.
47:34So,
47:34what,
47:35according to you,
47:36should be the path
47:38that Nepal adopts,
47:40these youngsters,
47:41the army,
47:42because apparently
47:43the anger
47:44with the existing
47:45leadership
47:46is tremendous.
47:47They don't want
47:48any of this old
47:49leadership
47:49back in power.
47:50some good names
47:52have been thrown
47:52up.
47:53See,
47:53we went to Nepal
47:55some recently,
47:55six months,
47:56eight months ago,
47:57and even then,
47:58people said,
47:59look at the work
48:00done by Balin Shah.
48:02Now,
48:02Balin is a politician.
48:04He just became
48:05a mayor in 22.
48:06He is just
48:07three years old,
48:07but he turned
48:08the city,
48:10he turned
48:10this Kathmandu city.
48:11He has been
48:12so harsh,
48:13the chaos
48:13has been removed,
48:14clean.
48:14We have been
48:17to Kathmandu
48:18so many times
48:18that we saw
48:19a substantive
48:20change in Kathmandu
48:22this time we went.
48:24And Balin Shah
48:25brought it.
48:26And he was
48:26strong,
48:27ham-handed,
48:28and he brought
48:29a change,
48:30and he is young.
48:32He is 95.
48:3390 born.
48:35So he is young
48:36and he has a future.
48:38So Balin Shah,
48:39Mrs. Karki,
48:42he is from Purva.
48:43She is a Purva.
48:44She is from East.
48:45She is from
48:46Dharan,
48:46Bratnagar.
48:47Isn't that where
48:48your regiment
48:49had more of its soldiers?
48:52Yeah,
48:52our soldiers come
48:53from that area,
48:54Rai Limboos.
48:55So,
48:55you know,
48:56Mrs. Karki is from East
48:57and she has been
48:59strong against corruption,
49:02very strong against corruption.
49:03So,
49:04you know,
49:04people remember her
49:05that she came up strong.
49:06And she took some
49:06very strong decisions also.
49:08Very strong decisions
49:09and,
49:09you know,
49:09she was,
49:11so,
49:12maybe Mrs. Karki
49:13is an interim government
49:14because Bahrain Shah
49:15now has said that
49:16he is not keen
49:17on forming the government
49:20and he is saying,
49:22I support Mrs. Sushila Karki.
49:23So,
49:24Sushila Karki becomes,
49:25she was Chief Justice
49:26of Supreme Court
49:28and she is well aware.
49:30See,
49:31to agitate
49:32is one part.
49:33To govern
49:33is another part altogether.
49:35To govern
49:36is not easy,
49:36you know,
49:37you have to run
49:37so many institutions
49:39from economics
49:39to foreign policy,
49:41etc.
49:41And rebuild,
49:42I mean,
49:43even courts,
49:44district courts burnt,
49:45high courts,
49:46Supreme Court burnt.
49:47Whether those documents remain...
49:49First bring peace.
49:49First bring peace
49:50into the country.
49:51First bring an assurance
49:52that
49:53aga thik hoga,
49:54things will be better
49:55in future.
49:56That assurance
49:57to the people of Nepal
49:58that we will bring
50:00about a change.
50:00shock and bloodshed
50:10on yet another
50:11American campus.
50:13Charlie Kirk,
50:13one of US President
50:15Donald Trump's
50:15closest allies,
50:17gunned down
50:17in front of a live audience
50:19on television.
50:21The assassination
50:21was caught on camera
50:22and it's reignited
50:24that very urgent question
50:25about rise
50:25of political violence
50:27in the United States
50:28of America.
50:29President Trump
50:30condoled the death
50:31called it
50:32a dark day
50:33for the United States.
50:35We get you more
50:35in this report.
50:37Not counting gang violence.
50:39Great.
50:42Charlie Kirk,
50:43a key ally
50:44of President Donald Trump,
50:46is shot dead.
50:47The 31-year-old founder
50:49of Turning Point USA
50:50was on the stage
50:51addressing students
50:52at the Utah Valley University
50:54when he was fired at.
50:58The shooter is believed
50:59to have been on the roof
51:01of a building
51:01across the road
51:02more than 100 yards
51:04from the stage
51:05where the right-wing
51:06activist was speaking.
51:08The event was part
51:09of Kirk's
51:10American Comeback Tour.
51:14This morning,
51:15I can tell you
51:15that we have recovered
51:16what we believe
51:17is the weapon
51:17that was used
51:19in yesterday's shooting.
51:20It is a high-powered
51:22bolt-action rifle.
51:24That rifle was recovered
51:27in a wooded area
51:28where the shooter
51:29had fled.
51:30The FBI laboratory
51:31will be analyzing
51:32this weapon.
51:34Investigators have also
51:35collected footwear impression,
51:38a palm print,
51:39and forearm imprints
51:40for analysis.
51:41The police arrested
51:43two people
51:44but released them later.
51:46Multiple agencies,
51:48including the FBI,
51:49are involved
51:50in a manhunt.
51:52The only information
51:53we have on the suspect,
51:55the possible shooter,
51:56is taken from
51:57closed-circuit TV
51:58here on campus.
51:59We do have that.
52:00We're analyzing it.
52:02But it is security
52:03camera footage
52:03so you can kind of guess
52:05what the quality of that is.
52:07But we do know
52:08dressed in all dark clothing.
52:11But we don't have
52:12a much better description
52:13other than that.
52:16Kirk was a rising star
52:18in the conservative network.
52:21President Trump
52:22called him a true patriot
52:24and vowed to hunt down
52:26everyone responsible
52:27for the killing
52:28described by Republican leaders
52:30as political assassination.
52:33U.S. flags across the country
52:34have been lowered
52:35to half-mast.
52:37Grief and anger
52:38at the heinous assassination
52:40of Charlie Kirk
52:42on a college campus
52:43in Utah.
52:45Charlie inspired millions
52:47and tonight,
52:47all who knew him
52:48and loved him
52:50are united
52:51in shock and horror.
52:53This kind of rhetoric
52:54is directly responsible
52:56for the terrorism
52:57that we're seeing
52:59in our country today.
53:00And it must stop
53:02right now.
53:03Former presidents
53:05Barack Obama
53:06and Joe Biden
53:07posted messages
53:07on social media
53:08condemning the murder.
53:14Kirk's assassination
53:15marks the latest
53:16in a dangerous surge
53:17of political violence
53:19in the U.S.
53:21Last year,
53:22Trump himself
53:23was shot at
53:24during a rally
53:24in Pennsylvania,
53:26narrowly surviving
53:27with a year wound.
53:32Governor's homes
53:33have been torched.
53:35Judges have faced threats.
53:37And in December,
53:39United Healthcare CEO
53:40Brian Thompson
53:41was killed
53:42in a brazen
53:43Manhattan hit.
53:45Today,
53:46American people
53:47fear political violence
53:48is becoming the norm.
53:52Bureau Report,
53:54India Today.
53:57Well,
53:57that is all we have
53:58time for
53:58on India
53:59first this evening.
54:00Many thanks for watching.
Recommended
57:14
|
Up next
42:11
57:56
Be the first to comment