The Nepali Outpost
Bi-weekly podcast exploring the ideas, events, and people shaping the Nepali mind both in Nepal and globally. Hosted by Slok Gyawali, it delves into cultural and intellectual currents within the Nepali diaspora.
Episodes
Sagun Lawoti: Crown, Crowd, and Crisis
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 strugg
Chef Bikram Vaidya: Aasan Tol, standardizing recipes, and demystifying the Nepali kitchen
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 th
Dr. Bipin Ghimire on Nepal's unique borders & managing the two neighbors.
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 lega
It's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future, with Dr Anil Sigdel
🎙️ 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
📚 Wh
Bangladesh: Spirit, State, Sharia with Md Mizanur Rahman
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.
S2E1 - Managing Million Mutinies: Dr. Nirmala Mani Adhikary on Identity, Punarjagaran, and Civilization
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
Directing Change with Kirtana Banskota
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
Trust but verify: National Security, "Angrezi" Media, & Foreign Funding with Kosh Raj Koirala,
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 Ne
The Great Nepali Diaspora: Goals, Guilt, and "Giving back" with Preeti Adhikary
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 pl
Cry, beloved Country: Party, Politics, and Pessimism with Dipak gyawali
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 Part
Civilisational Consciousness: Anubhuti, Aesthetics, and Awakening with Raghava Krishna
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 engin
Awkward Friends: Nepal, China, and the importance of language with Aneka R. Rajbhandari
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:
Tracing History through Food: Culture, Spices and Nepaliness with Prashanta Khanal
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 wonde
Know thyself! Data to know Nepal’s provinces better, the future of tech policy, and what Nepal can learn from Sri Lanka.
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 @Nepalipot
Is Geography Destiny? Urban Geography, ISI’s evolving relations with the Afghan Taliban and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
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
Lost and Found: Resilience, Trauma and Nepaliness in the Bhutanese-Nepali community in the US with Jhuma N Acharya
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 a
The Heritage Chronicler : Aashish Mishra on heritage, sacredness of Bagmati, and Guthis
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
A Pakistani drama -- Foreign hand, Abraham Accords and cricket with Dr. Khurram Abbas
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 Israe
Can Nepal Speak?: Shiva Tiwari on Great Power Politics and Knowledge Production in Nepal.
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, an
When friends drop by: Pandemic, Everest, and writing with Paavan Mathema
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:
The world on fire: Ukraine, MCC, and India with Dr. Anil Sigdel
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
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