Foreign hand in regime change: how much is real, and how much is myth?

Political instability across South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, stems from internal structural failures rather than foreign orchestration. While external powers often attempt to exploit regional unrest, attributing regime changes primarily to "foreign hands" or CIA intervention ignores the agency of local populations facing oppressive governance, rigged elections, and economic stagnation. In Bangladesh, the collapse was predictable months in advance due to closed civil society channels and the opposition's exclusion from the political process. Similarly, in Nepal, blatant corruption among the elite served as a primary catalyst for youth-led protests. Dismissing these movements as products of external manipulation mirrors colonial-era arguments that citizens are incapable of self-determination. Historical precedents of foreign influence in Indian and European politics exist, but these interventions typically play only marginal roles compared to the palpable domestic grievances that drive genuine revolutionary change.