A courteous question to the sky
Summary
The article argues that Nepal has delayed adopting Starlink because of concerns about displeasing a northern neighbour, despite the service’s value as critical civilian infrastructure. It also says Nepal should pursue a more confident foreign policy on connectivity, Russia recruitment, Israel, Ukraine and relations with major powers.
Key Points
- The author argues that Starlink is a civilian connectivity lifeline for Nepal, not a militarised vehicle, and says official hesitation has been driven by fear of a neighbour’s reaction.
- The article says SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Starlink business lead Lauren Dreyer engaged with then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, but the opportunity did not become a partnership.
- It says the author first raised the issue of Nepali youths being recruited into the Russian army in Parliament before it reached the UN General Assembly, where President Zelensky later named Nepal among affected countries.
- The piece also calls for stronger, more open diplomacy with India, the United States, Israel and Ukraine, and frames connectivity as a strategic national interest.
