Cartoon, from telegraphnepal.com. Its Founding editor, N. P. Upadhyaya (Aryal), a senior journalist (who died of old age last year) of 50 plus years standing, was a regular and caustic critic of Indian expansionism and its toadies including those among media persons who are projected by India as ‘experts’: “They aren’t experts as such but instead they have ever conspired against Nepal and have caused immense damage to this sovereign and once an “Independent Nation”, he wrote.

By Ramakrishnan

The turmoil of September 8-9 last was a water-shed moment of Nepal. What were the forces at work, seen and unseen, in the turmoil? This article, in two parts, seeks to probe into this: Nepal Turmoil:The Role of India’s expansionism, Hindutva, pro- monarchy forces. Nepal’s nationalists are deeply upset and concerned by what they see and fear as a threat from Indian expansionism, which is bent on Sikkimization of Nepal. In this part-2, we shall, among other things, focus on: Hindutva politics and its link with India’s expansionism in Nepal.

 The Indian Mainstream Media, the MSM or godi (lapdog) Media as it is aptly called, has little interest in going deep into the real issues and forces at work in South Asia, Nepal included. In fact, most of the Big media are vehicles of mis- and dis-information. Pakistan and Bangladesh are damned in India, more with an anti-Muslim mindset. But a Hindu-majority Nepal is equally wary of India, because of India’s expansionist policies and practices. This article provides glimpses of that reality, based on perceptions reflected by the Nepali media.      

The Election Commission of Nepal announced March 5, 2026 as the date for the next elections. Some in the Gen Z want provisions to vote for a directly elected executive head of the country, even if by changing the Constitution. There are many imponderables ahead. But what is certain is India’s influence in the polls: Nepal is surrounded by UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand, all brimming with saffron politics, and the borders are open, visa-free. There are parties in Nepal, promoted and beefed up by India, that are promoting return of monarchy and Hindutva . Nepal’s institutions are all penetrated by Indian agencies, co-ordinated by RAW, India’s CIA, as openly discussed in Nepal’s media.

One problem facing the elections is arms and criminals. Nepal’s Peoples Review, reported Oct 16: “ Facts are indeed frightening. Out of more than 14, 000 inmates, who escaped from 28 prisons and juvenile detention centers across Nepal during the protests, nearly 5,700 individuals, including hardened criminals, are still on the run – with looted weapons – while 8,851 escapees, including 341 juvenile detainees, have voluntarily surrendered, as of this writing…”

It again reported, October 21, 2025:   

“ During the Gen Z movement, over 1,200 firearms, including pistols and rifles, and nearly 100,000 rounds of ammunition were looted from police units, mostly on Sep 9,  when protesters vandalized and set fire to police stations too. According to the Nepal Army Headquarters, out of 978 looted police weapons, the army has recovered 586. Only a portion has been handed over to the police.. Police believe most of the weapons are still in Kathmandu, though some may have reached the (India) border areas of Sudurpaschim and Madhesh provinces…”

This story was originally published in countercurrents.org. Read the full story here.