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On March 9, Tribhuvan International Airport witnessed a historic gathering as thousands of supporters welcomed former King Gyanendra Shah upon his return from Pokhara. The crowd, estimated at 14,000 by police, escorted the former King to his private residence, Nirmal Niwas, in a show of solidarity for the monarchy. Organized by pro-monarchist parties like the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (led by Rajendra Lingden) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (led by Kamal Thapa), alongside Hindu outfits and businessman Durga Prasai, the event marked one of the largest monarchist demonstrations in recent years. Despite a lack of coordination among organizers, the turnout has energized monarchist forces, who are now planning more protests to push for the restoration of a ceremonial monarchy.

The rally was not just a show of support for the former King but also a reflection of growing dissatisfaction with the current political system. Many participants expressed frustration with the failure of political parties to address issues like corruption, unemployment, and poor governance. The monarchist movement, though fragmented, has gained momentum in recent years, with significant demonstrations in 2021 and 2023 drawing considerable attention from both domestic political parties and the international community. However, these protests have lacked a unified structure or leadership, with deep divisions among various groups hindering the emergence of a cohesive movement.

Interestingly, the protests have inadvertently united Nepal’s major political parties, who are now preparing counter-demonstrations to defend the republican system. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has warned against any attempts to undermine the constitutional setup, while CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal is leading efforts to counter the royalist movement. Dahal has canceled all party programs to focus on organizing a Kathmandu-centric movement to protect the current republican system. The largest party, Nepali Congress, however, has not taken the protests seriously, with some members arguing that the growing support for monarchy reflects public dissatisfaction with the failure of political parties to deliver on their promises.

Meanwhile, Kulman Ghising, the managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), continues to dominate headlines. Despite facing scrutiny from the Energy Ministry and political pressure, Ghising remains a beloved figure for his role in ending Nepal’s chronic load-shedding crisis. This week, Energy Minister Deepak Khadka credited India for resolving the power crisis, downplaying Ghising’s contributions. However, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa defended Ghising, emphasizing his impending retirement and the public’s overwhelming support for him. With Ghising’s popularity intact, the government appears hesitant to take any drastic action against him.

Ghising’s tenure at NEA has been marked by significant achievements, including the reduction of load-shedding hours and the improvement of the country’s power distribution system. His efforts have earned him widespread acclaim, but they have also made him a target for political maneuvering. During the recent elections, the CPN (Maoist Center) used Ghising’s achievements as a campaign tool, further complicating his position. Despite the challenges, Ghising’s legacy as a transformative leader in Nepal’s energy sector remains secure.

In another significant development, the cancellation of dozens of USAID-funded projects has sent shockwaves through Nepal’s development sectors, including health, education, agriculture, and democracy. The government is scrambling to address the gap, but political leadership remains silent on the issue. While India and China may step in to fill the void, their support is unlikely to fully compensate for the loss of US aid. With the UK also cutting foreign aid and Europe prioritizing defense spending, Nepal faces an uphill battle to secure alternative resources. As the US shifts its focus to the Indo-Pacific region, Nepal may soon initiate talks to revive critical projects.

The cancellation of USAID projects has raised concerns about the future of Nepal’s development initiatives. Many of these projects were aimed at improving healthcare, education, and agricultural productivity, and their sudden termination has left a significant void. Government officials have started consultations on how to address the gap, but the lack of a clear strategy has left many stakeholders worried. The situation is further complicated by the geopolitical dynamics in the region, with India and China viewing the US presence in Nepal with suspicion.

On the domestic front, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, often criticized for neglecting provincial structures, is now engaging directly with provincial assemblies. This week, he addressed assemblies in Lumbini, Far-West, and Karnali, signaling a renewed commitment to federalism. Whether this marks a genuine shift in policy or a political maneuver remains to be seen. Oli’s engagement with provincial structures comes at a time when there is growing discontent with the central government’s handling of federalism. Many provincial leaders have accused the central government of undermining their authority and failing to allocate adequate resources.

Oli’s outreach to provincial assemblies is seen as an attempt to address these concerns and strengthen the federal structure. However, critics argue that his efforts are too little, too late, and that more concrete actions are needed to ensure the success of federalism in Nepal. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Oli’s engagement with provincial structures will lead to meaningful change or remain a symbolic gesture.

In the realm of diplomacy, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is currently in India, where she is participating in the prestigious Raisina Dialogue. Alongside her diplomatic engagements, Deuba is expected to meet Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and extend an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming Sagarmatha Dialogue in Kathmandu. The Oli government is keen to strengthen ties with India, but an official invitation for PM Oli to visit India is still pending. As both nations explore the possibility of high-level visits, Nepal’s diplomatic efforts remain in the spotlight.

The Sagarmatha Dialogue, scheduled for May 16-18, is expected to bring together top leaders from across the region to discuss issues of mutual interest. The event is seen as an opportunity for Nepal to showcase its diplomatic prowess and strengthen its ties with neighboring countries. However, the success of the dialogue will depend on the participation of key leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that "questions" remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions, BBC reported.

The Russian president was responding to a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week after talks with the US.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Putin's response to the plan as "manipulative" and called for more sanctions on Russia.

Meanwhile, the US placed further sanctions on Russian oil, gas and banking sectors.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said of the ceasefire proposal: "The idea is right - and we support it - but there are questions that we need to discuss."

A ceasefire should lead to "an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis", Putin said.

"We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners," he said. "Maybe I'll have a call with Donald Trump."

Putin added: "It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire.

"We are in favour of it, but there are nuances."

One of the areas of contention is Russia's Kursk region, Putin said, where Ukraine launched a military incursion last year and captured some territory, according to BBC.

He claimed Russia was fully back in control of Kursk, and said Ukrainian troops there "have been isolated".

"They are trying to leave, but we are in control. Their equipment has been abandoned."

"There are two options for Ukrainians in Kursk - surrender or die."

Outlining some of his questions over how a ceasefire would work, Putin asked: "How will those 30 days be used? For Ukraine to mobilise? Rearm? Train people? Or none of that? Then a question – how will that be controlled?"

"Who will give the order to end the fighting? At what cost? Who decides who has broken any possible ceasefire, over 2,000km? All those questions need meticulous work from both sides. Who polices it?"

Putin "doesn't say no directly", Zelensky said in his nightly video address, but "in practice, he's preparing a rejection".

"Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians."

The Russian leader had set so many pre-conditions "that nothing will work out at all", Zelensky said.

After Putin's remarks and Zelensky's response, there is now a clear divide between both sides' positions.

Ukraine wants a two-stage process: a quick ceasefire and then talks about a longer-term settlement.

Russia believes you cannot separate the two processes and all the issues should be decided in a single deal. Both sides seem content to argue their differences.

Ukraine believes it can put pressure on Russia, painting it as a reluctant peacemaker, playing for time. Russia, equally, believes it has a chance now to raise its fundamental concerns, about Nato expansion and Ukraine's sovereignty.

But this presents a problem for Donald Trump. He has made it clear he wants a quick result, ending the fighting in days.

And right now, Putin does not appear to want to play ball.

Speaking at the White House following Putin's remarks, Trump said he would "love" to meet the Russian leader and that he hoped Russia would "do the right thing" and agree to the proposed 30-day truce, BBC reported.

"We'd like to see a ceasefire from Russia," he said.

Speaking earlier at a meeting in the Oval Office with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had already discussed specifics with Ukraine.

"We've been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all of the other elements of a final agreement," Trump said.

 "A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed."

 On the subject of Ukraine joining the Nato military alliance, Trump said "everybody knows what the answer to that is".

The fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas came as the Trump administration further restricted access to US payment systems, making it harder for other countries to buy Russian oil.

Meanwhile, Putin met US special envoy Steve Witkoff behind closed doors in Moscow.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov rejected the ceasefire proposal put forward by the US.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin released a video it said showed Putin visiting Russia's Kursk region, symbolically dressed in military fatigues. Russia later said it recaptured the key town of Sudzha.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and now controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

More than 95,000 people fighting for Russia's military have died in the war.

Ukraine last updated its casualty figures in December 2024, when President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged 43,000 Ukrainian deaths among soldiers and officers. Western analysts believe this figure to be underestimated.

How effective, innovative and imaginative is our diplomacy, in this day and age of a rapidly changing world?

Let us do a fact check on the basis of a key test case. 

On 07 Oct 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Gaza Strip, killing more than 1100 people, including 10 Nepali students, and capturing 250, including a young Nepali student from Kanchanpur, Bipin Joshi, who was studying agriculture in Israel along with his friends.

It will be wrong to say that the government has been doing nothing to secure the release of the youth, bring him home and bring cheers to his family and the country. It has been making frantic efforts that have failed to yield a result.

Let’s revisit some of those efforts.    

On 24 Sept 2024, for instance, Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba, addressing the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement during the 79th United Nations General Assembly, urged the global community to take initiatives for the safe release of Joshi.

On 08 Jan 2025, Minister Deuba requested the Israeli government, through Ambassador Shmulik Arie Bass, to secure the release of Joshi.

On Jan 15, in the wake of reports that Hamas was releasing some hostages, Minister Deuba called up Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, who serves as Qatar’s chief negotiator and mediator in peace talks with Hamas, and appealed for special intervention to secure Joshi’s release.

During a meeting with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi in Doha on Feb 16. Minister Deuba sought the latter’s good offices in securing Joshi’s release.

Adding to these efforts, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli recently called upon Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi,  the president of Egypt, which played a key role in mediating the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, renewing Nepal’s request for Egypt’s assistance in securing the release of Joshi.

Nepal has been playing a key role in the UN peacekeeping missions around the world for about 70 years and its involvement in securing peace in the Mideast is as long. It has served twice in the UN Security Council as an elected non-permanent member, in 1969-70 and in 1988-1989. In 2018-20, Nepal served as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Nepal was the first country in South Asia to recognize Israel after its birth as a state on 14 May 1948. The country has excellent relations with Qatar, which is a popular employment destination for Nepali workers. And the enduring ties between Nepal and Egypt, a key NAM member, go a long time back.

Despite these positives and efforts from our side, the release of Joshi has not materialized even as freedom comes calling for many of the hostages.

This debacle reminds one of Henry Kissinger’s famous quote: Behind the slogans lay an intellectual vacuum.

And a razor-sharp Chanakya goes: In diplomacy, the tongue is mightier than the sword. 

In the words of Chanakya, diplomacy is the art of winning the war without bloodshed.

Delays in securing the release of Joshi perhaps call for learning lessons from past failures and adopting a subtler, quieter approach, keeping in mind that this is an acid test for our “art of the impossible”.

Holi, the festival of colors, is being celebrated Thursday across the hilly regions of Nepal, while the Tarai region will mark the festival on Friday. A massive crowd has gathered at Kathmandu’s historic Basantapur Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to celebrate the Holi festival here.

The festival is also known as Fagu Purnima here. The Holi festival, symbolizing the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring, was marked with enthusiasm, bringing people together in a colorful embrace of harmony. Revelers and foreign tourists, smeared with bright hues, danced to music, exchanged festive greetings, and soaked in the vibrant atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the District Police Range, Kathmandu, has deployed over 300 security personnel to maintain order and prevent any unwanted incidents during the celebrations.