India, Sept. 13 -- Whether the mayhem in Nepal that caused the fall of the Oli government had among its many causes the clang of the competing for influence of the US and China is a question awaiting a conclusive answer.

Let us take the countries other than India in South Asia that have witnessed a similar churn, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and now Nepal. In Sri Lanka, it is difficult to describe President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as being in the US camp. Indeed, he has sent the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to prison for corruption. Many regard the genial, ever accessible Ranil as pro-US, although it must be added that even his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa was initially regarded as pro-US, but under the influence of his elder brothe...