By Rabi Raj Thapa
Recently, two incidents that have rocked the Nepali psyche in two different ways. The first is the musical dance performances by foreign cadets and military bands that attracted hyped media attention and so-called security-sensitive commentators. On the other hand, there has been an article by an equally unfamiliar so-called geopolitical and security expert.
On 16 February, a geopolitical and security expert of the Asia-Pacific intentionally vilified the Nepali monarch in a well-read daily newspaper (see: https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/nepals-crisis-demands-democratic-renewal-accountable-leadership-not-romanticised-monarchy).
As a matter of fact, both of these issues are hyped and biased.
The first issue concerns the Nepal Army’s 263rd Army Day celebration on February 15, 2026, in which some foreign military bands and cadets participated. Those military personnel carried no weapons—only musical instruments. They displayed happy and friendly gestures, which were well received by spectators and the Nepali people watching them.
However, the way private and public media carried the message was highly distorted, as if Nepal had come under foreign invasion, similar to Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela in January 2026.
There was a clear indication that the people commenting on the band display were either totally unfamiliar with or ignorant of the values, ethos, friendship, and camaraderie of people in uniform all over the world.
First of all, it is a common practice for military and security agencies of any country to invite foreign military, paramilitary, and cadet forces to attend and participate in military programs, games, and celebrations of various kinds. Military agencies and personnel not only fight wars; they also engage in military and non-military activities and programs such as Nepal Army Day.
It should be clear to all interested media persons and media houses that foreign troops do not invade another country carrying musical instruments.
As a security professional, I participated in a three-month Company Commanders Course at the Border Security Force, Tekanpur, India, which enhanced my professional combat knowledge and understanding of India’s security system. Later, in 1988, I spent almost one year with the West German Federal Police (Bundeskriminalamt), where I gained insights into German policing, law enforcement investigation, and crime control.
During the mega earthquake in Nepal in 2015, uniformed military personnel from many countries rushed to Nepal to save lives and assist the Nepali people.
People and the media must understand the camaraderie and fellowship of uniformed forces irrespective of nationality, continent, shape, or size. There can be multiple forms of relationships among military professionals beyond loading rifles and shooting at each other on the battlefield. As a security professional, I can guarantee that such friendly gestures never pose any national security threat to Nepal.
On the contrary, a penholder can be far more vicious and venomous in dividing and destroying a sense of national unity and security. Compare a foreign soldier’s musical performance with the malicious write-up of a foreign writer’s derogatory article on Nepal and its institutions.
A recent article published in an English daily, The Himalayan Times, by Prof. C. K. Peela on 16 February 2026 (see link above) intentionally presents divisive, derogatory, and objectionable narratives that are more harmful and dangerous than foreign armed intervention.
Today, Nepali people need to be more cautious and vigilant about covert agents of the deep state than about overt uniformed personnel who danced on Nepal Army Day.
Thanks are due to some bold and unbiased media personalities, such as Bhushan Dahal, who dissected and criticized such venomous write-ups that attempt to poison the Nepali mind with evil and conspiratorial narratives (see: https://share.google/LoVpwFlbcrDKuMRWJ).
Today, it is not only uniformed personnel who matter; more often, there are greedy and power-hungry journalists in Nepal and abroad who cause more harm through their writing than a dancing foreigner in the heart of Kathmandu.
The writer, a former Additional Inspector General of the Armed Police Force, Nepal, is widely regarded as a scholar of global security issues-Ed.
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