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India’s foreign policy has come under criticism recently for losing neighbours to China. The criticism is made most often with respect to India’s ties with Nepal. But Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Oli’s official visit to India this week, starting April 6, offers an opportunity to set right that perception. It may be recalled that Oli’s latest stint as PM had seen New Delhi-Kathmandu ties go through a difficult phase.
Despite Narendra Modi making various PR visits to nations, India’s foreign policy has come under criticism recently for losing neighbours to China. The criticism is made most often with respect to India’s ties with Nepal. But Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Oli’s official visit to India this week, starting April 6, offers an opportunity to set right that perception. It may be recalled that Oli’s latest stint as PM had seen New Delhi-Kathmandu ties go through a difficult phase. This in part was due to miscalculations by the Indian leadership. An impression came to take hold that India was unduly interfering in Nepal’s internal politics – further exacerbated by the 2015 Madhesi blockade for which Kathmandu blamed New Delhi.
Oli today is back in power after a near-sweep by the leftist coalition comprising his CPN (UML) party and Prachanda’s Maoists in last year’s parliamentary and provincial polls. New Delhi thus needs to make a fresh beginning with the new Oli government. As some Indian officials have indicated, the days of carving out separate ‘spheres of influence’ are over. New Delhi should not be tempted by this, even if Beijing sometimes shows a penchant for such old-fashioned geopolitics.
A good example of this would be European airlines contemplating suspending their operations to the Maldives this summer in order to pressure the archipelago nation to restore democratic functioning. This is a move that India should support with Western partners. With Nepal, India has always had a special relationship. We must continue to do what we can to help the Himalayan republic but without overt political strings attached. New Delhi can stress, for example, that it offers Nepal something that Beijing can never even remotely contemplate; unrestricted access to its citizens.
However, Nepal’s proximity to China has been a reason for India to stay vigilant. India now wants to get an idea of what this government has in store for the country. At SAARC Summit, Nepal’s cordial altered
Meanwhile, even though there have been ups and downs in the implementation of the Mahakali Treaty regarding sharing of river water between India and Nepal, it is now in its implementation stage. The scope of the Treaty covers the Sarada Barrage, the Tanakpur Barrage, and the proposed Pancheshwar project. The Treaty is not without flaws and Nepali politicians are mounting pressure on PM Oli to get the
While Nepal’s Foreign Minister said that Nepal would want to maintain a policy of equal distance between ‘India and China’, a European Union observation is indicating early signs of ethnic polarisation in Nepali society, with some groups funded by the EU. China expects that Oli will not back off from Nepal’s commitment to be part of the Belt and Road initiative, and allow China a greater involvement in Nepal’s development sector. But there are a lot of snags that the PM needs to get rid of.
This visit will be a crucial one for India and Nepal and decide the future course of events that may augur well for both the countries.
©Navodita Pande
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