INDIA - NEPAL RELATIONS – INTERNATIONAL
News: Stabilising
ties with Nepal in uncertain times
What's in the news?
● The
electoral verdict in Nepal’s recent elections was credible. It reflected a
clear emergence of voter preference for more responsive governance and an
impatience with traditional political power games that ignore the aspirations
of the youth and the disadvantaged.
● It
also reconfirmed the successful ‘taking root’ of democracy in the Himalayan
country whose transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular republic happened
after great struggle, sacrifices and ideological adjustments across the
political spectrum.
● India
will be able to take the unexpected recent developments and prospect of
instability in Nepal in its stride, and even find ways to scale up bilateral
cooperation.
India-Nepal Ties:
Founded on the age-old connection of history, culture, tradition and religion,
these relations are close, comprehensive, and multidimensional and are
pronounced more in political, social, cultural, religious, and economic
engagements with each other.
1. Historical backdrop:
● India
and Nepal share similar ties in terms of Hinduism
and Buddhism with Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini located in present day Nepal.
● The
two countries not only share an open border and unhindered movement of people,
but they also have close bonds through marriages and familial ties, popularly
known as Roti-Beti ka Rishta.
● The
India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and
Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations that exist
between India and Nepal.
2. Trade and Economy:
● India
is Nepal’s largest trade partner and the
largest source of foreign investments, besides providing transit for almost
the entire third country trade of Nepal.
● Himalayan
rivers flowing through Nepal can be used for Hydroelectric power projects which will benefit border states of
UP, Bihar and other adjacent areas.
● There
are three major water deals between Nepal and India, namely the Kosi Agreement, the Gandak Treaty and the
Mahakali Treaty. India also exports Power to Nepal.
● Also,
Nepal is the largest borrower of Indian
Currency in South Asia.
● Nepal
has an escalating trade deficit with
India. Nepal and India have concluded bilateral
Treaty of Transit, Treaty of Trade and the Agreement of Cooperation to Control
Unauthorized Trade.
3. Connectivity:
● Nepal
shares a border with 5 Indian states
- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Bihar. Hence an
important point of cultural and economic exchange.
● Nepal
being a landlocked country many MOUs
have been signed between both governments for better connectivity. For
instance, laying an electric rail track linking Kathmandu with Raxaul in India.
4. Defence Cooperation:
● Nepal
is a buffer state between India and
China.
● The
Gorkha Regiments of the Indian Army
are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal.
● India
from 2011, every year undertakes a joint military exercise with Nepal known as Surya Kiran.
5. Cultural:
● There
have been initiatives to promote people-to-people
contacts in the area of art & culture, academics, and media with
different local bodies of Nepal.
● Religion
is perhaps the most important factor and plays a predominant role in shaping
the cultural relations between these two countries, marked by a cross country
pilgrimage on Char Dham Yatra,
Pashupatinath Temple and some Buddhist sites.
● India
has signed three sister-city agreements
for the twinning of Kathmandu-Varanasi,
Lumbini-Bodhgaya and Janakpur-Ayodhya.
● A
considerable section of Nepalese comprises Madhesi population which has
familial & ethnic ties with states of Bihar, UP.
6. Humanitarian Assistance:
● Nepal
lies in the sensitive ecological fragile
zone which is prone to earthquakes and floods causing massive damage to
both life and money, whereby it remains the biggest recipient of India’s humanitarian assistance.
7. Multilateral Partnership:
● India
and Nepal share multiple multilateral forums such as BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation), Non-Aligned Movement, and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) etc.
Why is Nepal Important to India?
1.
It acts as a strategic buffer
against the aggression of China.
2.
The Pakistan factor - Peddling of
FICN, drugs and terrorism through the Indo-Nepal border. It makes the
cooperation of Nepal important.
3. India and Nepal share common culture - There
are huge Nepali communities in Darjeeling and Sikkim. Many marital relations
across the border exist.
4. National Security - There
is a lot of interdependence. Gurkha Regiment in the Indian Army is known for
its valiance.
5.
Nepal could play in the hands of China
which could be detrimental to Indian interests. Hence they need to be kept as
close as possible.
6.
Ministry of External Affairs term India-Nepal Relation as “Roti-Beti ka Rishta” (Relation of food and marriage)
7. Energy Security:
Nepal has the potential of 80 GW of hydroelectricity. But only 600 MW potential
has been realized so far. Nepal’s lack of cooperation in this regard has
hindered development. The surplus could be used for Indian border states.
Concerns in India-Nepal Relations:
1. Nepali nationalism and Anti-India sentiments:
● Anti-India
Sentiment in Nepal is largely politically motivated as it is wrongly perceived
as India’s backing to Monarchy.
● The
widening gap in understanding each
other’s concerns has helped feed Nepali nationalism and create a dense
cloud of distrust and suspicion between the two countries.
● The
gap widened after India chose to impose
an economic blockade in response to Nepal’s sovereign decision to
promulgate a democratic constitution.
2. China factor:
● Increasing
Chinese presence in Nepal is one of the major concerns for India. China’s move
to extend the rail link to its
border with Nepal can reduce its dependence on India.
● Fundamentally
these Chinese agencies are building up anti-India
sentiments in Nepal.
● Nepal’s
assent for the ‘One Belt One Region’ (OBOR)
initiative of China is viewed by India with suspicion.
● Nepal
has been slowly falling prey to China’s inroad debt trap policy.
3. India has ignored the changing political narrative
for long:
● The
reality is that India has ignored the changing political narrative in Nepal for
far too long.
● For
too long India has invoked a “special relationship”, based on shared culture,
language and religion, to anchor its ties with Nepal.
● The
1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship which was sought by the Nepali authorities
in 1949 is viewed as a sign of an unequal relationship, and an Indian
imposition.
4. Internal Security:
● The
issue of open borders has also been a point of debate in Nepal in recent years-
Nepalese people argue that India is benefiting more from it than Nepal.
● It
has an open border with India which leads to problems such as illegal migrants,
counterfeit currency entry, drug and human trafficking.
5. Madhesis Issue:
● Madhesis
share extensive cross-border ethnic and linguistic links with India. India’s
involvement in Nepali politics and the upsurge in Madhesi have deep roots in
history and unless resolved.
● Madhesis
protest and India’s blockade soured the relations for the worst.
6. Border issues:
● Nepal
and India have some contentious issues relating to the border, including the
two major areas of dispute at Susta and
Kalapani (India-China-Nepal tri-junction).
● Countries
agreed to start talks at the foreign secretary-level in order to resolve the
problem however, only a single talk has taken place in 2015.
7. Big Brother attitude:
● There
is a widespread perception in Nepal that India does not respect the country’s
sovereignty and that it often intervenes in Nepal’s domestic affairs.
● India
has been perceived to be playing a role of big brother in the region.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Dialogues for Territorial Disputes:
● In
the best spirit of friendship, Nepal and India should restart the water
dialogue and come up with policies to safeguard the interests of all those who
have been affected on both sides of the border.
● India
needs to be a sensitive and generous partner for the neighbourhood first policy
to take root.
● The
dispute shall be negotiated diplomatically under the aegis of International law on Trans-boundary Water Disputes.
2. Sensitising Towards Nepal:
● The
onus is on India to rethink on a long-term basis how to recalibrate its
relationship with Nepal provided Nepal should not ignore its relations with
India.
● It
should maintain the policy of keeping
away from the internal affairs of Nepal, meanwhile, in the spirit of
friendship, India should guide the nation towards more inclusive rhetoric.
3. Strengthening Economic Ties:
● The
power trade agreement needs to be such that India can build trust in Nepal.
Despite more renewable energy projects (solar) coming up in India, hydropower
is the only source that can manage peak demand in India.
● For
India, buying power from Nepal would mean managing peak demand and also saving
the billions of dollars of investments that would have to be invested in
building new power plants, many of which would cause pollution.
4. Investments from India:
● The
Bilateral Investment Promotion and
Protection Agreement (BIPPA) signed between India and Nepal needs more
attention from Nepal’s side.
● The
private sector in Nepal, especially the cartels in the garb of trade
associations, are fighting tooth and nail against foreign investments.
● It
is important that Nepal conveys this message that it welcomes Indian
investments
5. Mutual Empathy:
● The
will of the political class across party lines, bureaucracies, and civil
society on either side of the border to understand what the world looks like
from the other side.
● Empathy
is an urgent necessity more than ever before, as a factor for sustainable
friendly ties.
Thus,
India should maintain the policy of keeping away from internal affairs of
Nepal, meanwhile in the spirit of friendship India should guide the nation
towards more inclusive rhetoric. With its immense strategic relevance in the
Indian context as Indian security concern, stable and secure Nepal is one
requisite which India can’t afford to overlook.