Nepal, Feb. 23 -- During the 2025 Gen Z uprising, conspiracy theories about the protests being sponsored by 'American NGOs' were doing the rounds . Others attributed the early-September unrest to India, which had never liked KP Oli, the then prime minister who was unceremoniously chased away from office.

Much of the talk was speculative, but it reflected a deeper scramble for influence in Kathmandu. As the country gears up for a historic election being held against the backdrop of the Gen Z uprising, foreign powers are looking to secure their interests. This is hardly surprising in a country precariously sandwiched between India and China and where the interests of its 'third neighbour', the US, are steadily growing. The post-election do...