As Nepal battles a crisis triggered by Gen Z protests, India should be more visible in its support to the neighbouring country, states the intelligence assessment accessed by CNN-News18. “Moving quickly,
yet carefully is important. The new generation leaders and protesters are not aware India’s relations with Nepal. Delhi should give more visible support to Nepal,” it said. “The resignation of KP Sharma Oli as President closes a chapter of anti-India narrative. This is also the time of rise of new political players who may not be aligned with New Delhi, especially those who are close to China,” it said, adding, “It is important to engage more with Nepal.” New Delhi should move beyond Kathmandu and also the Madhesi belt, where Indian stakes are high, it said.
Why India’s strategy matters
“From a security perspective, India cannot afford instability in Nepal. Weak governance in Kathmandu will open doors for greater Chinese penetration. Beijing is active in Nepal through infrastructure projects and political support,” it said.
India’s strategic concern is not just in border security. “India cannot allow Nepal to become a corridor for Chinese economic and security interests. Delhi’s approach should be of quick delivery of border projects,” it said.
The protests
At least 51 people, including an Indian national, have died in the recent ‘Gen Z’ protest that erupted across Nepal against corruption and a ban on social media sites, policesaid on Friday.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Thapa, who is co-spokesperson for Nepal police, said the casualties include one Indian national, three policemen and other Nepali citizens, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.
At least 36 bodies are at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, where post-mortems began on Friday, it said.
Police said 17 bodies were recovered from different parts of the country on Thursday and Friday.
At least 19, mostly students, were killed when police opened fire at the Parliament building in Kathmandu when the protests under the banner of Gen Z launched their agitation on Monday.
Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitatorsentered his office demanding his resignation over the deaths during Monday’s protest. The ban on social media was lifted Monday night.
The violence continued even after Oli’s resignation, with protesters setting fire to the Parliament, the President’s Office, the PM’s residence, government buildings, political parties’ offices and homes of senior leaders.
Nepal’s police force is gradually resuming operations in the Kathmandu Valley, with police stations and posts that were vandalised or set ablaze slowly coming back into operation, officials said.
With PTI Inputs
