The new Great Game played with stones

The recent four-hour meeting between Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) founding chair Rabi Lamichhane and Prime Minister Balendra Shah at Lamichhane's residence ignited intense speculation among political reporters. While the popular press speculated about the new administration's first 100 days, appointments, or the plight of squatters, the article posits a more significant underlying concern: the precariousness of their own political standing.

This anxiety is framed against the backdrop of subtle but unmistakable geopolitical shifts in South Asia. The catalyst for this discussion may have been an event marking the 91st birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama. Organizers adhered to official restrictions, avoiding Tibetan national anthems and official statements, presenting it as a subdued observance.

However, former Nepali ambassadors to the People's Republic of China issued a joint statement expressing concern over foreign mission participation in the Dalai Lama's birthday celebration. They reiterated Nepal's adherence to the "One China" policy, suggesting that private events could harm friendly nations' interests. This reaction is characterized as overly vigilant, carrying the "distinct chill of Beijing winter."

The article suggests these former diplomats might be exhibiting "muscle memory" from their time in China, projecting the anxieties of their former hosts onto the current situation. Their performative concerns, it implies, are a way to affirm their continued fidelity to Beijing's perspective, even when the events themselves were low-key.