The left-wing coalition formed by the two Communist factions in Nepal this month comes as the end-result of a stunning upset in the country’s parliamentary elections, in which the incumbent Nepali Congress party was cast out of power.
The coalition, formed between the Unified Marxist–Leninist and Maoist Centre factions of the Communist Party of Nepal, took two-thirds of the vote and is set to be at the helm of the landlocked Himalayan nation for the next five years.
Headlines such as “Nepal turning red” and “Nepal a vessel state of China” were soon plastered across the front pages of newspapers in India, as New Delhi began brooding over the prospect of losing its “buffer” zone on its old foe in Beijing.
It’s believed that Khadga Prasad Oli, whose premiership was cut short by cracks within a previous leftist alliance, will head the new government in a dramatic comeback. Never liked by New Delhi, Oli’s brief tenure between 2015 and 2016 was beset by conflicts with New Delhi. In particular, the latter’s curtailing of petroleum and gas supplies, in a punitive blockade, resulted in a cascading humanitarian crisis.
Now analysts fear that Kathmandu, under the resurgent Oli, may add more fuel to New Delhi’s feuds with Beijing, at a time when the Chinese army’s purported militarization of the Doklam Plateau in the summer still rankles with Indians.
Chinese party mouthpieces including The People’s Daily and its sister paper The Global Times have been quick to insist that Beijing does not intend to turn Nepal into a pawn, and urged New Delhi not to view its regional relationships through a hidebound, zero-sum prism.
It would, the papers said, be wise for India to make conciliatory overtures toward Nepal, given the hefty backlash that met New Delhi’s attempts to oust the unpliable Oli in 2015.
“Any sharp-elbow tactics from India will only boomerang and push Nepal further closer to China… And it’s wishful thinking to make Nepal another ‘sentry’ country to fend off China, when our nation’s economic and political clout is more intimately felt in Nepal than ever,” noted a Global Times editorial.
With India-Nepal relations in turmoil, Beijing has revved up a slew of reconstruction projects announced in the wake of the 2015 Nepali quakes.
A new campus for the Nepali National Armed Police Academy was commissioned in July, and a modern airport is being built in the nation’s second largest city, Pokhara, aimed at spurring connectivity and trade, not to mention tourism in the scenic nation. The road connecting Pokhara and Katmandu was also built with Chinese capital.
Heisenberg White this is correct and Nepal will lose big time, like Tibet, if China gets its greedy mits on Nepal.
Ken Nguyen, no I am not confused. China is wanting to expand its influence, look at the South China Sea, Spratley Islands. This is not historic, this is aggression. Be aware Ken.
Dude I thought Aaj Tak, Zee News etc etc were Indian news Networks.
Thank for the support. Bangladesh was the 1st country to speak against the Blockade.
Does Atimes talk on behalf of Indian Chauvists ?
Hello india..you r too late the hero
.
Heisenberg White and let me tell you there is a saying in hindi "Chane ke jhad par chadna" means you guys came to the power so fast that you think you are the boss of every where. And the attitude of yours is the problem of India and Indians every where. You guys follow the foreign policiy of 15th century i.e. land hungry foreign policy.. and this wont work in this era. Thus India is not liked by any country in the region.
Heisenberg White Yeah we are small and our politics should not matter to any one. And as you said oli is a old fox. Let me remind you one thing about modi’s India, the biggest diplomatic mistake he eventually made was to implement the blockade of 2015.. we know how much we suffered but it was Oli who went to china to sign the trade treaty and eventually India was afraid that what if nepal turns to china! He was our hero Oli. About small and insignificant counrty Nepal.. let me bet with you that with in 20 years of time power hungry India will ask for our uranium and electricity and then we will see, who becomes signifiacnt..
Falcon Dave,
India has colonial mindset learnt from her own experiences. That mindset and behaviours are the main problems to her neighbour countries.
India has now realized that Nepal was not alone and so lesson is being learnt how to behave with his neighbours. China should also know the historical relationship between Nepal and India. So that neither India can afford losing Nepal nor China can return Nepal to Communist power so easily. It is only a beginning signs of Communist power but it is still a long way to prof and win public hearts & mines in Nepal by the UML and Maoist Centre factions of the Communist Party of Nepal.
India feels rather shy to show off her enormous string of Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan pearls to her IndoPacific partners.
It’s now nearly clear that India’s monopoly in Nepal domestic affairs. The question is: Is it China behind?
Realistic, strategic analysis indicates ootherwise
China and Nepal friendship barrier was great himalayas to go either side for trade culture or tourism that’s why Nepalese people at that time having lack of knowledge chinese language. However the time is changed…..if the china will allow nepalese people free movement like india and Nepal it will creat deep friendship between Nepal and china. Learning korean, hibru, japanese, english , hindi , urdu , arabic is not difficult for nepalese so they can learn chinese easily. Nepalese politics need to learn chinese as well for better communication and 28 million population is nothing great infront of chinese population. Hope new government and connectivity by rail, air, fiber optics, tunnel will gear up between china and nepal that will ultimately helps to the development of india as well.
We are a small nation, but a proud nation, that was always independent since times immemorial. We have one of finest people known the world over for their valour and integrity. We have a special relation with one of our large neighbours. We even defend it’s borders with some our finest men. In return we were repeated blockaded, this time for 5 months in the height of our festival season and winter months, that too after a series of crippling earthquakes. Food, fuel, life saving medicines were scarce, and the general public suffering was immense. And many lies were spread about the situation. The whole world ignored our peril. We were treated as a vassal state. This makes us reconsider our position. We have all respects for their people. But even a child here hates them for the extreme hardships we had to undergo. That is all…
Nepal should be exactly where we should be, on top of Himalaya. We are friends of all, especially to the neighbors. Our interests are diversifying our trade and transit, and creating jobs within with domestic and foreign investments. It is not our concern nor we are in any capacity to affect if India moves up, down, left or right. Only thing we may suggest India is to visit Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha, and meditate.
Yes, I have heard likes of SD Muni or Ranjit Ray arguing about Indian security concerns in Nepal. Let them dwell on these facts. There is the long border between India and China, no need for China to use Nepal to attack India. On the contrary, China is investing almost 50 billion dollars in India. On the other hand, our concern remains another Indian blockade and meddling with our internal issues. Indian assurances against for the starter are most welcome.
I live in Nepal as I am married to a Nepali citizen. I have lived here for a number of years so do understand the political scenario a little. Nepal is a poor impoverished country that requires help from both China and India to improve its peoples lives and is not in a position to antagonize either powerful neighbour. The ‘historic’ relationships of religion, family, customs and cultures with India in my opinion have only benefitted Nepal where and when it suited India.India have treated Nepal as a naughty child cutting off essential supplies when they want to punish the unruly child. Greedy Nepali politicians in the past have signed agreements giving India total control over Nepal. Typically the standing petroleum agreement does not allow Nepal to buy petroleum products from any country but India. By stablishing closer ties with China maybe India will have to rethink it’s stance which will only help Nepal.But safer to maintain cordial relationships with both countries if possible.
Shuami Bev China hasn’t made high-interest loans to Nepal, then? I think they have, but that also gives them a stake in Nepal.
India is unstable. Better to deal with China.
Nepal has huge trade imbalance with neighbouring India. The country had trade deficit worth Rs 52 billion with India. Nepal’s major exports to India are the locally produced goods of INDIAN multinationals, like juice (production of Dabur), yarn, jute and other primary products.
Falcon Dave
Nepal a brother country of India is incline towards china due to blocked impose by them . The leaders of India also divided Nepalise people as a name of Pahadiya and Madhesia.
Nepal was very needful of help from big brother India at that time due to heavily heat by Earthquek, but they impose the blocked.
So India lost the title of big brotherhood from Nepal.
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Nepal a brother country of India is incline towards china due to blocked impose by them . The leaders of India also divided Nepalise people as a name of Pahadiya and Madhesia.
Nepal was very needful of help from big brother India at that time due to heavily heat by Earthquek, but they impose the blocked.
So India lost the title of big brotherhood from Nepal.