Rebuilding Diplomatic Ties with Nepal

Even before assuming Prime Minister’s office, Narendra Modi’s stint of inviting the SAARC heads for the swearing in ceremony bedazzled the political circles. Certainly the winds of change seem to blow quite hard.  Firstly, Modi’s seminal address on the world-platform during the BRIC summit and his own friendly missions to Bhutan last month and the most recent visit to Himalayan neighbour, Nepal. The new government is intent on shoring up its influence against the burgeoning influence of the Asian giant China. After little more than two months of assuming power, he has been in the business of fostering diplomatic relationships with different nations. India witnessed surge in diplomatic activity in less than a month of Modi becoming prime minister, foreign minister of China arrived in India followed by John Kerry’s US foreign secretary last week.

With his first bilateral visit to tiny country of Bhutan, last month India sent out a message that strengthening ties with smaller neighbouring countries is of utmost priority in its foreign policy strategy. The visit to Nepal after a gap of 17 years and a joint commission meeting held after a gap of 23 years signalled the beginning of re-arrangement between the two nations. In an effort to enhance India’s ties strategically, a bilateral visit to Myanmar is on cards. Incidentally all the three nations share boundary with India and China and forging a bond of friendship and cooperation is strategically important.

India has long standing cultural, economic, linguistic, spiritual and religious ties with Nepal.  There were closer people to people relations as well. Nepalese partisans had participated in India’s independence movement and even their combat troops were recruited in India post independence and during the annexation of princely states. Cultural affinities and familial ties fostered the spirit of fraternity between the nations. Often, closeness and similarities breed contempt.

Nepal’s attitude towards India is twofold ranging from suspicion to excitement. A former bureaucrat in his article once quoted that: India- Nepal relationships are constantly being upset by insensitivity and blundering on the part of India and hypersensitivity and misunderstanding on the part of Nepal. Suspicion stems from the fact that India’s dubious interference in the political affairs of Nepal during the Maoist coup which ended after signing of 12-point Agreement by the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and Maoists in New Delhi in 2005. Another was the Constitutional Coup of 2008 led by King Gyanendra that pulled out monarchy triumphantly and rolled in democratic process under the comprehensive Peace Agreement. People of Nepal believed that India acted as bully. These were the periods when India’s ties with the Nepal began to fester. Excitement both among the people and political parties due to shared religious believes.

 

India- Nepal Treaty of Peace and Understanding of 1950 form the bed rock of the special relationship with Nepal wherein Nepalese nationals enjoy unparalleled advantages in India. It allows them to avail all the facilities and opportunities on par with Indian citizens. Nearly 6 million Nepalese work and live in India. To facilitate quicker and cheaper transfer of remittances, a robust Electronic Fund Transfer Mechanism (EFT) was introduced jointly by the Nepal SBI and State Bank of India in 2008. With the dragon power looming over the Himalayan Nation it is important for India to resurrect friendly ties. To lay ground work, Sushma Swaraj’s visited Nepal earlier to discuss the crucial hydropower development, an area where apprehensions are high.  Nepal has grave mistrust regarding India’s help in tapping the hydropower and fear India’s monopoly over its waters. Water policy is of paramount importance as Nepal has huge water resources Nepal but failed to tap less 1% of the potential. The Mahakali river projects was inked in 1997, under which Pancheswar project was planned to irrigate huge swathes of land and generate 6,400 MW of power. It was scheduled to be completed within 7 years; 17 years hence there is no sign of project report.

Indian investors constitute nearly 40% of foreign investments in Nepal but now Chinese investments have surpassed them. Chinese tourists to Nepal have almost doubled in the past three years and it has plans of extending the rail connection to the borders of Nepal. Nepal has started yielding to China by significantly checking the anti-Tibetan activities on its land. Nepal, a land locked country sandwiched between two Asian giants plays a pro-china card with India and pro-India card with China to avert any long term impending consequences. The porous 1850km long Indo-Nepalese border in the recent past has emerged as hub and safe passage for the anti-Indian elements. It is now a bone of contention since terrorists are barging into inner corridors of India via Nepal.

Nepal is an important strategic partner and India expressed its openness to revamp certain old treaties and promised investments in new sectors to rejuvenate ties. In an effort to woo Nepal, India offered credit line of $ 1 billion for development of infrastructure and extended solid support for development of Highways, Infoways and Transways or HIT, for improved connectivity. In his address to the Constitutent Assembly (CA), Modi accepted previous governments’ failure to forge a relationship of cooperation and trust building. He emphasised the fact that by helping Nepal, India is not doing charity but delivering its duty as a bigger power. Agreements were reached for bilateral cooperation in sectors like trade and industry, hydropower, agriculture and agro-processing, environment, tourism, education sports and culture. India expressed its resolve to launch the SAARC satellite which would help the SAARC nations in health, flood control, medicine and agriculture. Hope the emphatic diplomatic foreign policy adopted by the new government might help India to regain a stronghold in the South Asia region. 

 

 

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