By Col Bhaskar Bharti (Retd)
Introduction
Recent incidents in Nepal echo with anger — protests, burning party offices, and renewed cries for monarchy. Yet Nepal is not an isolated case. From the war-ravaged plains of Ukraine to the bomb-scorched alleys of Gaza, from Sri Lanka’s economic collapse to Pakistan’s political paralysis, the world seems to be unraveling along familiar fault lines. Beneath the different flags and slogans lies a shared anatomy of unrest: crumbling institutions, unchecked corruption, leaders ‘deaf to citizens’ cries and economies sinking under debt and inequality. The rise of artificial intelligence has only sharpened the edges — disinformation spreads faster, repression grows smarter, and trust collapses deeper. Nepal’s turmoil is thus a mirror reflecting a global malaise.
The Shared Anatomy of Crises
Tangible Drivers
- Economic collapse and unsustainable debt
- Capture of state institutions by elites
- AI amplified disinformation
- Influx of fanatical ideologies
- External interference and proxy rivalries
- Coercive policing and militarisation
Intangible Drivers
- Loss of faith in political institutions
- Historical and identity-based grievances
- Agenda/ narrative-based misinformation
- Leadership vacuums exploited by populists
Why Nepal matters regionally and globally
- Nepal sits between two large powers and has strategic, economic and diaspora links across South Asia. A breakdown there does not stay local: refugee flows, cross-border crime, energy and trade disruption, and political contagion are realistic. Recent violent episodes — torching political buildings, mass street confrontations — show how quickly local fault lines can become national crises.
AI: A New Threat Multiplier
Unlike past decades, 2025 brings artificial intelligence as a conflict accelerator. Deep fakes and automated propaganda inflame unrest faster than truth can catch up. Surveillance AI risks normalising repression. Cyber attacks threaten infrastructure, while humanitarian agencies are stretched thin by multiple, simultaneous crises. Technology magnifies institutional failure.
Way Ahead for Democracies
Stabilize the Present
- Enforce checks on emergency powers and surveillance
- Launch transparent, high-visibility anti-corruption drives
- Prepare humanitarian protocols for sudden loss of life and limb
- Establish rapid-response fact-checking networks
Secure the Future
- Eradicate corrupt systems and processes
- Strengthen judiciary, civil services, and electoral systems
- Build social safety nets to shield citizens from shocks
- Scale civic education and media literacy
- Forge regional pacts on ethical AI use in politics and policing
Conclusion
What ties Kathmandu to Kyiv, Colombo to Gaza, or Dhaka to Damascus is not merely geography of crisis but the politics of betrayal. When corruption becomes routine, when public liberties are curbed in the name of stability, and when institutions are captured by elites, societies combust. The reasons for unrest are stark: economic despair, inequitable systems, politicised identities, and a leadership vacuum that leaves citizens with no voice but the street. In the age of AI, these cracks widen faster, with misinformation and digital authoritarianism pulling nations backwards by decades. The lesson is clear: countries must guard against the corrosion of institutions and liberties with as much urgency as they guard their borders. For only transparency, inclusion, and justice can hold back the tide of unrest that is sweeping across nations.
(The author is an army veteran and a social commentator. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy. He is a Postgraduate in HRM and Journalism and Mass Communication. He is based in Dehradun.)
