Nepal, a victim of conspiracies

Great powers want to keep the land of the brave in their grip, a major challenge for India

- DR VIJAY DARDA

Twenty-four years on, Nepal’s royal massacre still raises unanswered questions: Why did Crown Prince Dipendra gun down nine of his royal family members, including his father King Birendra and mother Queen Aishwarya, before turning the weapon on himself? The massacre has remained a mystery since. Likewise, we may never fully know the truth about the recent violence and bloodshed in Nepal and who profited politically from the justified anger of the youths?

While there is no direct link between these two incidents, I mention them because they serve as a stark reminder that Nepal, a peaceful Himalayan nation of simple, resilient yet brave people, has become prey to the conspiracies of great powers. It is understandable that young people were angry after K P Sharma Oli's government imposed restrictions on social media platforms. The first day's protests were a result of that, but the second day’s protests were quite unexpected as they escalated with protesters, armed with weapons, setting on fire key government buildings including Parliament, the 112-year-old Durbar Hall, and the residences of the President and Prime Minister. The Supreme Court building was also torched. So did paid criminals infiltrate the crowd of youths? It seems likely, but it would be unfair to name anyone without evidence. Perhaps it were those same powers that once had the royal family of the only Hindu nation massacred. Such powers are adept at coups.