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Facing growing demand for his resignation, Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that the ruling communist party is facing a grave crisis, indicating that it may split soon, according to a media report on Sunday. Oli, at an emergency meeting of the Cabinet at his official residence, told the Cabinet ministers that "some of our party members are also trying to remove President Bidya Devi Bhandari from the power," My Republica newspaper quoted a senior leader as saying. "Now, conspiracies are being hatched to remove me from the post of prime minister and party chairman," the prime minister said on Saturday, adding that he will not let it happen. The ruling party is facing a grave crisis, Oli said. After Oli's remarks about the conspiracy to impeach the president, three former prime ministers -- Pushpa Kamal Dahal '<keyword id="12695" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prachanda">Prachanda</keyword>', Madhav Nepal and Jhanalanth Khanal -- met Bhandari and clarified that the rumour about <keyword id="9401461" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-nepal-communist-party">the Nepal Communist Party</keyword> (NCP) leaders trying to remove her from office were untrue, The Kathmandu Post reported. On Saturday, a crucial meeting of the NCP's 45-member powerful Standing Committee to decide the political future of Oli was postponed until Monday to allow more time for the top leadership to iron out their differences over his style of functioning and anti-India statements. During the Cabinet meeting, a defiant Oli said that he will not be forced to accept the party's Standing Committee decision. He also urged the ministers to make their position clear whether they support him or not. "I had to make a quick decision to prorogue the budget session of Parliament last week after coming to know that some of our party members were hatching conspiracy to register an impeachment motion against the President at Parliament," Oli told the ministers. Surya Thapa, the prime minister's press aide, said that the prime minister invited the ministers to share the latest political developments in the country. Prior to the meeting, Oli held a one-on-one meeting with President Bhandari at her office in Maharajgunj. Oli's statement comes at a time when the intra-party rift in the NCP is at its peak after majority of the party's Standing Committee members and Central Secretariat members demanded his immediate resignation from the post of Prime Minister and party chairman, accusing the government of failing to live up to the people's expectations. He has accused NCP executive chairman Prachanda of non-cooperation in running the government while Prachanda is accusing Oli of imposing hegemony in the party. Prime Minister Oli, 68, last week claimed that there have been various kinds of activities in the "embassies and hotels" to remove him from power. He said some Nepalese leaders were also involved in the plot after his government redrew the country's political map by incorporating three strategically key Indian territories -- Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. Raising baseless accusations against India and leaders of his own party by the Prime Minister was not appropriate, a senior leader of the party quoted Prachanda as saying during the Standing Committee meeting last week. Prachanda has time and again spoken about the lack of coordination between the government and the party and he was pressing for a one-man one position system to be followed by the NCP. The differences between the two factions of the NCP -- one led by Oli and the other led by Prachanda -- intensified after the prime minister unilaterally decided to prorogue the budget session of Parliament last week. In May 2018, when Oli and Dahal announced formation of the Nepal Communist Party, they had reached a gentleman's agreement to lead the government in turn, two-and-a-half years each. But according to the November 2019 agreement, Oli would lead the government for the full five-year term and Dahal would run the party as "executive chairman". Dahal has maintained that Oli failed to uphold the spirit of the November 2019 agreement, hence he should abide by the May 2018 gentleman's agreement, making way for him to lead the government. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/go-air-has-filed-for-a-3600-crore-ipo-at-a-very-desperate-time/articleshow/82626097.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Go Air has filed for a ₹3,600 crore IPO at a very desperate time</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/heres-why-the-spike-in-inflation-in-the-us-may-worry-markets-in-india/articleshow/82597218.cms">Here's why the spike in inflation in the US may worry markets in India ⁠— but experts say don’t panic yet</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-responds-to-privacy-criticism-by-alleging-other-apps-like-zomato-ola-aarogya-setu-zoom-google-and-other-apps/articleshow/82570897.cms">WhatsApp responds to privacy criticism by alleging that other apps and tech companies also show disdain for user privacy</a>

Oli smells a conspiracy against the communist party ahead of being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal again

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lhakpa Sherpa is a climber who holds the female record for the most Mount Everest summits.</li><li>A new Netflix documentary reveals how Sherpa battled abuse while pursuing her climbing dreams.</li></ul>Lhakpa Sherpa was smiling. But inside, she was a bundle of nerves.On July 30, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/single-mom-dating-men-without-kids-no-fathers-less-complicated-2024-4">single mom</a> of three was hours away from seeing the most triumphant and painful moments of her life become irreversibly public.The 50-year-old is the subject of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/7m-tiktok-cult-documentary-netflix-tim-milgram-wilking-family-2024-6">a Netflix documentary</a>, "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa," out July 31. Directed by Lucy Walker, the film traces Sherpa's journey to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mount-everest-sherpas-mountain-guide-jobs-not-worth-it-2024-6">summit Mount Everest</a> a record-setting 10 times.Sherpa said in the film that she isn't humble — but the woman who insisted to Business Insider via video call that she isn't a "queen" like the movie's title suggests seems to be the very definition of the word.<div type="image" title="Lhakpa Sherpa, dressed in staff uniform, at Whole Foods." height="720" width="1280" msid="112202422" hostid="261" sizebytes="40552"></div>Now based in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her two daughters, Sherpa has lived a double life of sorts since she moved to the US at 28.Whenever she could go back to Nepal, she guided expeditions alongside her brother and then-husband.But it wasn't enough to make ends meet. As a Nepalese citizen, Sherpa has to pay only a fraction of the $11,000 foreigners are required to spend on Everest climbing permits. Even though she thinks mountain guides are compensated fairly, Sherpa said that income had never been enough to sustain her and her kids. She always had additional jobs, like working at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stopped-shopping-at-whole-foods-why-i-still-wont-go-2024-5">Whole Foods</a>. All along, the documentary reveals, she was battling abuse by her ex-husband.These days, Sherpa told BI, she cleans houses for "rich people," some of whom may only now realize what the woman mopping their floors is capable of.But Sherpa said she doesn't mind when people don't recognize her for her climbing feats. She didn't summit Everest for fame, but to challenge herself and others not to give up."Follow the dream," she said. "You can reach your mountain."<h2 id="8d35b21f-5172-48a2-9a36-938c2b19a1c4">Sherpa defied the odds to climb Everest 10 times</h2>Sherpa was born in a Nepalese village in the 1970s, when the idea of a woman climbing Everest was unheard of. (Most Sherpas have the last name Sherpa.)She got her first mountaineering job — as a porter carrying hundreds of pounds of climbing equipment to base camp — because she chopped off her hair and pretended to be a boy.Her family didn't approve, but Sherpa fell in love with the mountain.<div type="image" title="Lhakpa Sherpa wearing a pink jacket and a hat in front and smiling in front of a snowy backdrop." height="818" width="1221" msid="112202423" hostid="261" sizebytes="45982"></div>She worked her way up through different climbing support jobs, even spending time as a "kitchen boy," making meals for climbers and guides. The opportunity to make it to the top of Mount Everest only came years later, after she happened to meet Nepal's prime minister in a chance encounter.When Sherpa told him she wanted to summit the mountain to prove that women can do it and survive, he tasked her with leading an all-woman Nepalese expedition in 2000.Sherpa was the only member of the group to successfully reach Everest's summit, and she returned as a national hero.<h2 id="6b95ba5b-e5ad-4a69-9c6e-0af24c67e48c">Everest was her refuge from a turbulent marriage</h2>The Himalayan Database reported that Mount Everest has claimed the lives of more than 330 people since the early 1900s. But the deadly dangers have never terrified Sherpa."I know this mountain very well," she said, likening it to her childhood "best friend."As the documentary shows, the real tragedies in Sherpa's life took place at the hands of her ex-husband, George Dijmarescu.<div type="image" title="Lhakpa Sherpa carrying one of her children when they were young." height="720" width="1280" msid="112202426" hostid="261" sizebytes="47760"></div>Sherpa and Dijmarescu, who was also a climber, met in Kathmandu in 2000. When the relationship became romantic, she moved to Connecticut, where they married and had daughters Sunny, now 22, and Shiny, 17.In the film, Sherpa said Dijmarescu became physically aggressive during their marriage, making her feel like a "house sherpa" who only cooked, cleaned, and looked after the kids.After a particularly violent episode in 2011, when Dijmarescu beat Sherpa to the point she needed to be taken to the hospital, she gathered the courage to leave him for good.<div type="image" title="Lhakpa Sherpa crosses a metal ladder over a crevasse on Mount Everest." height="720" width="1280" msid="112202425" hostid="261" sizebytes="56114"></div>She gained sole custody of her children, and they spent eight months together at a shelter before eventually relocating to West Hartford.Dijmarescu died from cancer in 2020.Reflecting on the decision to leave Dijmarescu in the film, Sherpa said she didn't "want to die at this man's hand.""I want to die with peace in the mountain," she said.<h2 id="3476dc28-9c9a-4c32-add4-3f42a6839994">Sherpa kept chasing mountain-climbing dreams</h2>After her 10th Everest summit in 2022, Sherpa secured funding to climb K2, a longtime goal of hers.Despite being 800 feet shorter, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/death-k2-real-story-climbers-stepped-dying-man-kristin-harila-2023-8">"The Savage Mountain"</a> in Pakistan is considered <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-k2-is-more-deadly-than-mount-everest-2023-8">even deadlier than Everest</a> because of its steepness.Even though she'd conquered Everest, Sherpa tells BI that she only felt like a professional mountain climber after tackling K2.To her, it's proof to any naysayers that women can "climb any kind of mountain," no matter how "technical."<div type="image" title="Lhakpa Sherpa in the mountains of Nepal." height="960" width="1280" msid="112202428" hostid="261" sizebytes="60972"></div>A year later, Sherpa's goals have changed again.While she isn't ruling out returning to Everest — perhaps accompanied by her daughters — she's keen to explore mountains within the US.She dreams of being a full-time climbing guide and working with kids, who she believes would benefit from less time on their phones and more time outdoors.But doing that, on top of rent and saving to put her girls through college, requires money.The documentary about her on the world's largest streaming platform will, Sherpa thinks, help with that part.Just as she's helped people avoid death on Everest, Sherpa said, she hopes her story will reach people who might be able to assist during her own time of need.

She's climbed Mount Everest a record-setting 10 times. But her most terrifying moments weren't on the deadly mountain. 

Kathmandu [Nepal], June 27 (ANI): Chinese billionaire <keyword id="424838" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jack-Ma" source="Orion">Jack Ma</keyword> arrived in Nepal's capital Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon, confirmed officials. The co-founder of the Chinese online trade platform, Alibaba, landed at Tribhuwan International Airport at around 2 pm (local time) today in his private Boeing 747 Max aircraft. "He landed in Kathmandu today in his private plane. He said that he flew from China to Nepal in the immigration form," Chief of Nepal's Immigration Department Jhalakram Adhikari told over phone. The Chinese billionaire who arrived with a seven-member team is staying at a hotel in Kathmandu. According to Adhikari, the Director General of the Department of Immigration, Jack Ma has been granted 15 days tourist visa and is scheduled to call on Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. No official announcement has been made about the Chinese entrepreneur's arrival in Kathmandu and he hasn't demanded any security during his stay in the country. The reasons for his visit to Nepal also haven't been made public. Earlier this March, the Chinese magnate returned to mainland China after spending roughly a year overseas, according to people familiar with the matter as cited in The Wall Street Journal. Jack Ma, who spent the majority of the previous year in Japan, made a trip back to China, according to the sources quoted by WSJ. He had also visited Singapore and Australia and spent the most recent Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. According to a report in the Voice of America (VOA), after returning to China, Jack Ma visited the Yungu School, a private academy in Hangzhou funded by his Alibaba Group, which includes one of the world's biggest online commerce companies. At the school, he talked about "the future of education with the campus directors" and "the challenges and opportunities" that "new technological change brings to education," according to the school's WeChat account, the VOA report said. Jack Ma has maintained a low profile after Ant Group Co. cancelled initial public offerings in Hong Kong and Shanghai that were expected to raise more than USD 34 billion in November 2020, according to Wall Street Journal. The cancellations took place as authorities were angered over Jack Ma's remarks at a financial forum. Authorities then opened an investigation against Alibaba for allegedly engaging in anticompetitive activities on its e-commerce platform, and the company was ultimately slammed with a record-breaking USD 2.8 billion fine, the WSJ reported. Soon after, China began a broad regulatory crackdown on other private companies, increasing regulations on everything from video games and education to real estate. Jack Ma relinquished leadership of Ant Group in January this year after the company's shareholders approved a restructuring of business. The crackdown on the fintech operations of more than a dozen internet companies was "basically" over, according to the party chief at China's central bank, who made the statement on the same day, the WSJ report said. The American daily said that Jack Ma mostly disappeared from public view since giving a speech that criticised regulators on the eve of the cancelled Ant listing in 2020. (ANI)

Co-founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma arrives in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Jul 12 () Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Sunday wished megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan a speedy recovery after they tested positive for the COVID-19. The Bachchan duo were admitted to the isolation ward of the Nanavati hospital after they tested positive for the virus on Saturday. "Wishing legendary actor of India @SrBachchan and his son actor @juniorbachchan good health and speedy recovery!" Oli tweeted. The Bachchans shared their health update on Twitter. Abhishek, 44, said both his father and he had mild symptoms and requested everybody to be calm and not panic. "I have tested COVID positive. Shifted to Hospital. Hospital informing authorities, family and staff undergone tests, results awaited," Amitabh, 77, tweeted. Abhishek on Sunday tweeted that his wife and actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya have also tested positive for the virus and will be "self quarantining at home". RS RS

Nepal PM wishes Amitabh Bachchan, son speedy recovery from COVID-19

Senior diplomats of India and Nepal on Monday held a virtual meeting to review the progress made on various India-aided developmental projects being implemented in the Himalayan nation. The meeting came days after Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli telephoned his Indian counterpart <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> to greet him on India's 74th Independence Day, in the first high-level contact after bilateral ties came under severe strain following issuance of a new political map by Nepal in May. Nepalese Foreign Secretary <keyword id="2609598" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shanker-Das-Bairagi">Shanker Das Bairagi</keyword> and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra are leading the delegations representing their respective countries during the oversight mechanism meeting, according to Nepal Foreign Ministry sources here. The meeting, being held virtually due to the coronavirus outbreak, will assess the progress made on various India aided development projects being implemented in Nepal, the sources said. No further details of the meeting were available. The ties between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. In June, Nepal's Parliament approved the new political map of the country featuring areas which India maintains belong to it. In its reaction, after Nepal's lower house of parliament approved the bill, India termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by the neighbouring country. India said Nepal's action violates an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks. Prime Minister Oli has been asserting that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to "reclaim" them from India. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tech-mahindra-hcl-tech-wipro-and-likes-are-hoping-global-5g-race-resumes-next-year-bringing-some-large-deals-before-that/articleshow/77583638.cms">Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Wipro and likes are hoping global 5G race resumes next year⁠ — bringing some large deals before that</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/gaza-strips-only-power-plant-may-run-out-fuel-in-the-next-24-hours-following-israel-border-shut-warns-expert/articleshow/77584765.cms">Gaza Strip's only power plant may run out fuel in the next 24 hours following Israel border shut, warns expert</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/the-heat-is-on-mark-zuckerberg-in-india-as-facebook-and-whatsapp-incur-the-ire-of-modis-rivals/articleshow/77575358.cms">The heat is on Mark Zuckerberg in India as Facebook and WhatsApp incur the ire of Modi's rivals</a>

Nepal and India meet to discuss development projects amid border tensions

Army chief Gen MM Naravane will arrive in Nepal on Wednesday on a three-day crucial visit, which Indian officials here say will deepen the long-standing bonds of friendship between the two armies and provide an opportunity for both sides to explore avenues to further strengthen bilateral defence partnership for mutual benefit. Naravane's visit is largely aimed at resetting relations with the Himalayan nation after the ties came under severe strain following a bitter border row. Gen Naravane is visiting Nepal at the official invitation of Nepal Army chief Gen Purnachandra Thapa. Indian Embassy spokesperson Naveen Kumar said that Gen Naravane's visit "will deepen the long-standing and customary bonds of friendship between the two armies." "His visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to discuss the bilateral defence partnership and explore avenues to further strengthen it for mutual benefit." Gen Naravane will pay homage at the martyrs' memorial at the Army Pavilion on Thursday morning and receive a guard of honour at the Nepal Army headquarters, according to Nepal Army sources. He will hold formal talks with his Nepalese counterpart at the Nepal Army headquarters on Thursday. Mutual interests between the two armies and bilateral relations will mainly feature during the talk, Nepal Army sources said. The <keyword id="78682" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-army-chief">Indian Army chief</keyword> will also gift an ambulance and medical equipment for a mobile field hospital to be operated by the Nepal Army. He will also hold interaction with senior officials at the Nepal Army headquarters. In the afternoon, the <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> chief will be conferred with the honorary rank of General of Nepal Army by President Bidya Devi Bhandari amidst a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will also pay a courtesy call on President Bhandari after the ceremony. Gen Naravane will attend a dinner reception hosted by Nepal Army chief at Nepal Army headquarters. Gen Naravane will address the student officers at the Army Command and Staff College at Shivapuri, in the outskirts of Kathmandu on Friday morning. In the afternoon, Gen Naravane will meet Prime Minister and Defence Minister K.P Sharma Oli at the Prime Minister's Official Residence at Baluwatar before wrapping up his visit. "I am delighted to be visiting Nepal on their kind invitation and to meet my counterpart Gen Purna Chandra Thapa, Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepali Army. I am sure this visit will go a long way in strengthening the bonds of friendship that the two armies cherish," Gen Naravane said in New Delhi ahead of the visit. The Chief of Army Staff said he was also grateful for the opportunity to call on Prime Minister Oli. India's decision to send the Army Chief to Nepal to reset the ties is seen as part of a larger exercise by New Delhi to rejuvenate relations with Myanmar, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan in the wake of greater efforts by China to expand its influence in the region. The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. After Nepal released the map, India reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioning Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. In June, Nepal's Parliament approved the new political map of the country featuring areas which India maintains belong to it. In its reaction after Nepal's lower house of parliament approved the bill, India termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by the neighbouring country. India said Nepal's action violates an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks. Nepal Prime Minister Oli has been asserting that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to "reclaim" them from India. The Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India. Both India and Nepal claim Kalapani as an integral part of their territory - India as part of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of Dharchula district.

Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane to begin three day Nepal visit today amid border tensions with China

<ul><li>India has invited leaders of <keyword id="6391789" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bimstec">BIMSTEC</keyword> for the swearing-in ceremony of PM <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> </li><li>India is reportedly not going to invite <keyword id="14676" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imran-Khan">Imran Khan</keyword> in the swearing-in ceremony </li><li>The invites were sent keeping in mind the government’s plan to focus on 'neighbourhood first' policy, said Ministry of External Affairs </li></ul>India has invited leaders of BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member states for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his second term on 30 May. However, India is reportedly not going to invite Imran Khan in the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi. Recently both PM Narendra Modi and Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation after the victory of BJP in India where they talked about creating trust and an environment free of terrorism were a must to foster peace and prosperity in the region. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/kyrgyz-president-mauritius-pm-bimstec-leaders-invited-for-narendra-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-says-mea-6710821.html">government has also invited</a> Kyrgyzstan president Sooronbay Jeenbekov and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth to the ceremony. In addition, Sri Lankan president Maihtr Maithripala Sirisena, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli are reportedly going to attend the ceremony. Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid is also likely to attend the ceremony. However, Myanmar state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is yet to make a decision. The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius -- the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, had also been invited, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said here on Monday. The members of Bimstec (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan, which are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal. The invites were sent keeping in mind the government’s plan to focus on 'neighbourhood first' policy, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

PM Narendra Modi invites BIMSTEC leaders to swearing-in ceremony

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Wolfgang RattayIndia's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017.</div></div></div>China and India have been locked in a military standoff in a remote section of the Himalayas for a couple of months. At first it appeared to be the latest of the minor clashes that have flared between the countries for decades. But this time it has lasted longer than usual. There are two questions to be answered. The first is what is the geopolitical interest, if any, that is driving the standoff? The second is why is it happening now?The geopolitical issue is that China and India are both heavily populated countries with substantial military forces, including nuclear weapons. They are both industrializing rapidly, and they can both theoretically challenge each other on multiple levels - militarily, politically and economically. In fact, these challenges are all merely theoretical, but geopolitics operates at the level of possibility, and the possibility of a challenge is present, however remote. But before their rivalry can turn into full-fledged war, there's one massive obstacle that would need to be overcome.<h2>The moderating power of mountains</h2>China and India are next to each other, but in a certain sense they don't really share a border. The Himalayas separate them almost as much as an ocean would. Getting over the mountains is difficult; roads are sparse and generally in poor condition. It is easier to trade with each other by sea than land. Sending and supplying major military forces into and across the Himalayas is almost impossible. The roads and passes won't permit the passage of enough supplies to sustain large numbers of troops in intense combat. In that sense, China and India are secure from each otherBoth countries have nuclear weapons, and obviously, anything is possible. But neither side has anything to gain from a nuclear exchange. The Soviets and Americans avoided a nuclear exchange during the Cold War, and the Indians and Chinese have far less to gain from an exchange than they did.China and India aren't exactly equals - they're close economically, but even that is a stretch. But the Himalayas are the equalizer, and the Himalayas aren't going away.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Geopolitical Futures</div></div></div><h2>Conflict by other means</h2>Their militaries may not be able to easily cross the Himalayas, but it takes little effort for them to attack each other politically. On the north side of the Himalayas lies Tibet. It is a plateau, consisting of a non-Chinese population, that was temporarily independent until it was reoccupied by China in the 1950s. In the chaos that followed the Chinese invasion, Tibet's leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India, where he was welcomed. The Dalai Lama continues to symbolize Tibetan independence, and Tibet continues to be restive under Chinese rule.What is most important about Tibet is that it lies on the other side of the Himalayas from India. If Tibet became independent by some means and allied with India, then theoretically an Indian force could be based there and, in time, could build up a logistical system that could support an attack into China itself. This is all far-fetched, but given history, a prudent state must take the preposterous into account. History is filled with examples of the inconceivable becoming reality.This, then, explains China's obsession with Tibet and its anger at India's support for the Dalai Lama. The Chinese core, Han China, is protected by buffers: Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Manchuria. The last two are not a problem. Xinjiang has a significant Islamist movement. But Tibet is hostile and has a foreign patron. Beijing is therefore, if not obsessed, extremely concerned about Tibet and India.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Geopolitical Futures</div></div></div>That is the Chinese issue. India's concern is the same in reverse. There are two other states on the southern side of the Himalayas: Bhutan and Nepal. Both are on plateaus. If China gained control of or a presence in either, it could also mass forces and logistical supplies and potentially threaten India with military force.Nepal in particular concerns India, because it has been politically unstable and has a Maoist movement. Nepal also values its independence and resents India's intrusions in its affairs. The Chinese have been solicitous of the independence of both countries, and just this week, China's vice premier visited Nepal for four days. Before that visit, India's foreign minister was in Nepal, and Nepal's prime minister will visit India on Aug. 25. Suspicion abounds. The Indians are as suspicious of China's intentions south of the Himalayas as China is of India's north of them.<h2>A political "solution"</h2>A large-scale invasion would be a logistical nightmare for either country to orchestrate, but technically not impossible. The two did conduct a war in Tibet in 1962 for about month. Yet the brevity of the war speaks to the high cost and complexity of waging battle at 14,000 feet, so much so that it strongly discourages war. But a political evolution in Tibet or Nepal could change the balance. If Tibet threw out the Chinese and invited the Indians in, China would actually be in danger. If Nepal created a pro-Chinese government and invited in the Chinese while the Indians weren't looking, the same could happen in reverse. And India is poking at Tibet and China at Nepal, the latter with some possibility of success.The likelihood of either Tibet or Nepal moving out of China's or India's sphere of influence is doubtful. It's hard to imagine that either could foment a sustainable uprising. If it were to happen, though, it could only be taken advantage of by one or the other having secured a road through the Himalayas that could support the movement of troops and supplies.It is the Chinese now who are trying half-heartedly to build such a road into Bhutan. But there is a long way to go, and India will resist all the way. If the road even made it through, it would be met with a blocking force. Of course, a pro-Chinese government installed in Nepal or Bhutan would complicate the matter. If the Chinese could rapidly insert some troops, causing the Indians to have to initiate combat against Chinese forces, there is an outside chance that it could work, just as under even more trying circumstances it might work for India in Tibet.India and China are separated by terrain. There is no military solution to that, but in this case, there might be a political solution. If that were to happen, then we could speak of a China-India rivalry in real terms, rather than in the vague, notional ways we speak now. And both sides are prepared to devote minor military force and major political power to prevent it from happening.It is unlikely in the extreme that any of this will come to bear. But in a world where the impossible is not an absolute, neither country is prepared to gamble. And so they skirmish in altitudes at the limits of human endurance for a far-fetched possibility. Nations do not take their national security lightly merely because the threat is preposterous.<h2><a href="https://geopoliticalfutures.com/">Check out more from Geopolitical Futures</a></h2> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/annoying-resume-mistakes-buzzwords-grammar-typos-experience-careers-strategy-jobs-interview-application-employer-2017-7">A former HR exec who reviewed over 40,000 résumés says these 7 résumé mistakes annoy her</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "NEPAL PRIME MINISTER" and got 8 results

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