The Nepali Outpost

Pro-monarchy protests are gaining traction in Nepal, but can they really undo the secular republic? In this episode, I sit down with Sajun Lawoti, spokesperson for the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), to discuss the movement’s goals, its chances of success, and why he believes Hindu Republicanism would be a mistake. I push him on the skepticism many Nepalis have toward his party, the RPP’s struggle to convert frustration into votes, and whether the political center-right has a future in Nepal. Tune in for a candid conversation about the country's shifting political landscape. Guest book recommendations: 📖 Seto Bagh by Diamond Shumsher Rana 📖 Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson 📖 Mero Desh Mero Parivesh by Padma Sundar Lawoti

In this episode of The Nepali Outpost, we sit down with acclaimed Chef Bikram Vaidya to discuss his newly released book, The Mystic Kitchens of Nepal. Join us as we explore his inspiring journey from Aasan Tol to the USA, delving into the challenges he faced while mastering French cooking and how his experiences have shaped his perspective on Nepali cuisine. Chef Bikram shares his insights into the evolving food culture of Nepal, highlighting how traditions blend and adapt over time. His book, a fusion of culinary art and travel narrative, celebrates the intricate Nepali culinary heritage with over 140 recipes and engaging anecdotes that transport readers through Nepal's breathtaking landscapes. Reflecting on the essence of food, Chef Bikram emphasizes that it is deeply intertwined with one's identity—nationally, ethnically, and personally. He discusses the philosophy behind cooking as a form of medicine, presenting Ayurvedic recipes that focus on seasonal eating for optimal health. Listeners (& readers) will gain insights into the multiple facets of Nepali cuisine, regional specialties, cooking techniques, and the integral role of herbs and spices. With a rich blend of practical tips and captivating stories, The Mystic Kitchens of Nepal is more than just a cookbook; it’s an invitation to experience Nepali food culture. Tune in to learn about how Chef Bikram is reconnecting us to the roots of these culinary traditions! Find out more about Chef Bikram Vaidya and his work at bikramvaidya.com. Link to buy The Mystic Kitchens of Nepal:

Our latest episode features the insightful Dr. Bipin Ghimire, an expert on South Asian geopolitics and border dynamics. In this episode, we take a look into the complexities surrounding Nepal's borders, both colonial and non-colonial, highlighting the historical implications and current challenges.  Dr. Ghimire discusses how Nepal's borders were shaped during colonial rule and the impact that legacy has on its present-day political landscape. We also discuss the "Chuche Naksha" and explore what it means for Nepal in the context of national identity and territorial integrity. Dr. Ghimire shares insights on how China's security concerns affect Nepal’s policies, regional dynamics, and people-centric border policy. Book Recommendations: "Money: A Story of Humanity" by David McWilliams  ‘Bhikshu, Byapar ra Bidroha & "Himal Pari Ko Huri" by Sudheer Sharma  Join us for this conversation that uncovers the intersections of history, geography, and contemporary global politics. #Nepal #Geopolitics #DrBipinGhimire #Podcast #ChucheNaksha #China #Borders #BookRecommendations

🎙️ New episode out now with Dr. Anil Sigdel! We cover: What Trump’s re-election might mean for the Ukraine war, Changes in Indo-Pacific security, How New Delhi sees the election, And why Nepali-Americans may have voted differently from Indian-Americans. Plus, Dr. Sigdel shares some thought-provoking book recommendations: 📚 How Democracies Die – Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt 📚 Why I Am a Hindu – Shashi Tharoor 📚 The Rise and Fall of Great Nations – Paul Kennedy A mix of global insights and great reads—don’t miss it! 🎧 Listen now!#GlobalPolitics #UkraineWar #BookRecommendations #IndoPacific #Trump2024 #Podcast

As the dust begins to settle after the "July Protests" in Bangladesh, we speak with political scientist Md Mizanur Rahman about what politics and society look like post-Sheikh Hasina. Mizanur guides us through the reasons for the protests and the key characters. We also speak about what these changes mean for the "spirit of Bangladesh", the state, and the future of secularism. Happy Listening!  Show recommendations include: Laurence Gautier: Between Nation and ‘Community' William Dalrymple: The Golden Road  Ashfaque Nipun: Mohanagar Mejbaur Rahman Sumon: Hawa ( হাওয়া )

Welcome to Season 2 of The Nepali Outpost! The first few episodes of Season 2 are part of a mini-series The Nation and the Civilization. In Episode 1, we talk with Dr. Nirmala Mani Adhikary, author and communication theorist, about the fractional nature of identity politics, how the Hindu community should respond to cow killing, and why Nepal has to look at its knowledge system to resolve social conflict. The discussion then moves on to how Nepal's indigenous civilizational conception of the state and the nation is different from the Western understanding of the nation and state. Dr. Adhikary talks about why "dharma" ( not religion) is central to statecraft, and the "incommensurability between how people are living and how people are perceiving". I also ask him how he plans to win over "Kathmandu liberals" who do not subscribe to his approach to decolonization. And how the Nepali diaspora can help ongoing punarjagaran. He speaks about Mitra-bodh and Satru-Bodh, and what the "most foolish" thing a person in the Nepali diaspora can do. We end with why he thinks Hindutva works for India but not for Nepal, where Sanatana Dharma should be the guiding principle. And why BJP and RSS need reorientation towards indigenous worldview. Show Recommendations: Role of the Diaspora ब्राह्मणवाद विरुद्ध घृणावाद : नेपालमा जातीय, भाषिक र साम्प्रदायिक सवाल आस्थाको शान्ति युद्ध India: A Million Mutinies Now- VS Naipaul

In the final episode of Season 1 of The Nepali Outpost, we speak with filmmaker Kirtana Banskota. Kirtana speaks to us about her creative journey, why representation is important, and what it means to be one of the few Nepali-American filmmakers and producers. We dive deeper into the cultural changers in Nepali diaspora, and why Nepal's filmmakers are underappreciated and how some of its best films go unrecognized. She also speaks about her new projects; highs (and lows) of working with the Nepali community; and what the American in "Nepali-American" might mean. Find out more about here work here: Banskota Production Kirtana's upcoming feature film: Where The Stars Are- Official Teaser Show recommendations include: BEEF | Official Trailer | Netflix  Trial By Fire | Official Trailer | Netflix India Ted Lasso Limitless

In this episode, Kosh Raj Koirala, Editor, of Republica talks with us about what he thinks is Nepal's most pressing national security challenge and why we are ill-equipped to face it. We talk about the growing distrust of the media, and misinformation in light of the infamous Rabi Lamichanne press conference. Kosh Raj also speaks to us about the opportunity he sees for English language media in Nepal. Show recommendations include:  Nepal: Strategy for Survival, Leo E. Rose Pashtuns: A Contested History, Tilak Devasher

This last week has people questioning ideas that this episode speaks directly to. First, what role can (and should) Non-Residential Nepalis and the Nepali Diaspora play in Nepal's growth story? Second, the struggle of Nepali entrepreneurs and the realities of doing business in Nepal.  In this episode, we speak with Preeti Adhikary, founder of The Great Nepali Diaspora, about why creating a platform for professionals in the diaspora, to share their expertise and lift each other up, is an idea whose time has truly come. Preeti talks about why the diaspora needs to take ownership of its own narrative and "at least give ourselves a chance if we are to succeed as a community". We talk about what intentional collective success looks like and why she continues to be an optimist.  Show recommendations include:  Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know, Malcolm Gladwell Boju Bajai The Legend of Vox Machina

In a much delayed, but highly relevant episode*, The Nepali Outpost speaks to Dipak Gyawali about the recent elections in Nepal and why he remains pessimistic about the health of Nepal's democracy. Dipak Gyawali shares his experiences of asking the US to arm-twist the Indians into allowing the Maoists to negotiate with the King's Government; his thoughts on the growth of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and why he calls himself a Green Democratic Socialist - a one-man party of which he is both the party chairman and the only cadre! We speak of the need to rethink development and the importance of weighing societal rights against individual freedoms.  We also delve into why Prithivi Narayan Shah's "fulbari rashtriyata" remains relevant and why India's BJP-style Hindutva will not work in Nepal.  Podcast recommendations:  Aneko ka Drishti ma Rashtra-Nirmata Prtithvi Narayan Shah - Hari Prasad Sodari  What's Left of the Jungle: A Conservation Story- Nitin Sekar   The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive or Liberating, Dead or Alive?- Rajiv Malhotra  *Please note: This podcast was recorded on December 24, 2022, before Pushpa Kamal Dahal " Prachanda" was sworn in as Prime Minister on December 26, 2022. 

What does it mean that a civilisation is sleeping? In this episode, The Nepali Outpost talks to Raghava Krishan, Founder of Bṛhat- Culture Engine, about what it takes to wake up a sleeping civilisation. Raghava shares his personal journey and how Bṛhat is bridging the gap between yearning and realization. Raghava also shares the importance of indigenous aesthetics in the design of a culture engine. In this first of many sessions, we try to lay the foundation for continual conversations on the civilisational ties that bind Nepal and India.  Show Recommendations Include:  Kantara Official Trailer- Rishab Shetty, Vijay Kiragandur ;  Hombale Films Our Deities are Waking Us Up – What Kantara Means to Hindus, Shri Ramachandra Roddam; Bṛhat- Culture Engine The only way to strengthen Indo-Nepal relations - Nirmal Mani Adhikary  Bhagavan Parasurama: Kartavirya Arjuna, kathāmṛta  Introduction to Yogi Naraharinath

Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari on why Nepal and China still find each other hard to decipher. We also discuss why Nepal’s China-watchers must pay attention to the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) ideology. And why China’s Nepal experts need to talk to a diverse array of stakeholders in Nepal. We talk about her work with The Arniko Project and the importance of language. Show Recommendations include: All Roads Lead North, Amish Raj Mulmi China in Ten Words, Yu Hua, Allan H. Barr (Translator) The Chinese who are learning Nepali,  Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari The Sandman, Neil Gaiman(Writer), Allan Heinberg, and David S. Goyer

What makes a food "Nepali"? What makes food "authentic"? Do Western cooking standards hamper how we engage with Nepali food? We talk about it all in this episode of The Nepali Outpost with guest Prashanta Khanal, whose new book Timmur – Stories and Flavours from Nepal is available in fine book stores near you. We also talk about the politics of food, question Nepal's inferiority complex, and wonder about the future of Kathmandu's foodscape. Prashanta and Slok also share their one controversial take on Nepali food -- it involves vegetable momos and Dalle Khursani. Happy Listening! Show recommendations and notes  Kathmandu Post- Prashanta Khanal  The Gandruk  Anthony Bourdain - Parts Unknown Street Food USA  Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking

Technology is changing Nepal. And quicky. Thankfully, Jaya Mahat and NiPoRe have their eyes on it. Hear Jaya talk about the newly released Nepal Competitiveness Index (NCI) and the Nepal Risk Outlook. We talk about how COVID-19 might change the government's policy towards the health sector, what he makes of the Sri Lanka crisis, how climate change will impact policy priorities, and why @Nepalipotpost is his favourite podcast. The last officially making him The First Outposter! :-) We also talk about NRN’s role (if any) in Nepal’s future, The Kashmir Files, and the Sri Lankan crisis. Show recommendations include: Kashmir Files, Vivek Agnihotri The Economist Podcast Serial, Sarah Koenig The Code Breaker, Walter Isaacson The Ages of Globalization, Jeffery Sachs

Please note: This episode was taped before the recent earthquake in Eastern Afghanistan, to learn more about the earthquake please click here. The death toll from an earthquake that hit Afghanistan on June 22 has reached 1,000. The disaster barely made news in the West. The West seems to have moved on. And left behind it a trail of broken promises and lost opportunities. Taliban is back in Kabul, and there is a humanitarian crisis on our hands. In Episode 8, we talk to Chayanika Saxena about urban geography, ISI’s evolving relations with the Afghan Taliban, kebabs, and why we must not forget the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We also talk about India as a smart power in Afghanistan and how Taliban 2.0 is different from Taliban 1.0. Podcast recommendations include: The Meursault Investigation, Kamel Daoud The Stranger, Albert Camus The Book Thief, Markus Zusak Bunker: Building for the End Times, Bradley Garrett  

Jhuma N Acharya, Chairperson, Board of Directors of the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) on the ethnic cleansing of Nepali speakers from Bhutan in the 1990s, how he spent 19 years in refugee camps in Nepal, and his journey to the US. We talk about what it means to have multiple identities, what it means to be a refugee in the US, and why he identifies as Bhutanese-Nepali. Jhuma talks about how the Bhutanese-Nepali community is trying to make the best of the opportunities that the US provides, and how the community continues to grow and contribute to their new home. Show recommendations include:   The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After - Clemantine Wamariya, Elizabeth Weil The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini The Dragon Bites its Tail - Kanak Mani Dixit, Himal Southasian Bhutanese political prisoners have been languishing in jails for nearly 30 years - Devendra Bhattarai, CIJ, Nepal

Namaste and welcome to Episode 5! In this episode, we speak with Aashish Mishra, a reporter for The Rising Nepal about the sacred history (and secrets) of Bagmati, the state of heritage conservation outside of the Kathmandu Valley, caste, and cultural exclusivity in Nepal. We also talk about Spiderman and why he'd not do well in Kathmandu.  Show recommendations include: Stolen Image of Nepal - Lain Singh Bandel Spiderman: No Way Home - Jon Watts Vimarsha Foundation - Ācārya Dr. Sthaneshwar Timalsina Dune: Denis Villeneuve

Namaste everyone! Very often those of us from Nepal pay limited attention to the political conversations happening beyond India, China, and the West. To partially correct that, host Slok Gyawali speaks with Dr. Khurram Abbas, Research Fellow at Islamabad Policy Research Insititute (IPRI) about Imran Khan's innings as prime minister, why Pakistan has shied away from normalizing relations with Israel, and the different approaches India and Pakistan take in their relations to Gulf countries. We also talk about why some Pakistanis cheered the Taliban victory in Afghanistan and the return of cricket to Pakistan. Show recommendations: Sinica Podcast, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Noah Harari

Shiva P. Tiwari, the managing editor of the Nepali Journal of Contemporary Studies, speaks to The Nepali Post about Nepali political elites' tendency to drag great powers into Nepal's internal politics and the state of knowledge production in Nepal. We also talk about why China prefers to engage with the Nepali Communists and not the Nepali Congress, the tragedy depicted in Prakash Saput's Pir, and Hindu politics in India and Nepal.    Show recommendation  The Rise and Fall of Communism, by Archie Brown; Chha Maya Chhapakkai, by Dipendra Lama; India that is Bharat, by Jai Sai Deepak;  Sati, by Sujit Mainali

In this episode of The Nepali Outpost, I speak with Paavan Mathema, Chief correspondent AFP Kathmandu Bureau, about the pandemic, upcoming Everest season, Paul Shah, and her career as a journalist. She also shares her book/movie/show/podcast recommendation (see below): Show: After life- Ricky Gervais Movie: Turning Red -  Domee Shi Podcast: Boju Bajai - Bhrikuti Rai,  Itisha Giri Book: All Roads Lead North- Amish Raj Mulmi Graphic Novel: The Many Deaths of Laila Starr - Ram V

In the inaugural episode of The Nepali Outpost, host Slok Gyawali talks with Dr. Anil Sigdel, author of India in the era of China's BRI: How Modi Responds to Xi about NATO's reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, MCC, and the future of India-China relations. We also bring up dragons and Bride and Prejudice. India in the era of China's BRI: How Modi Responds to Xi