In Nepal, a country that is moving toward political stability, Bidya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday was re-elected president for a second term.
On October 28, 2015, Bhandari was elected as the first female president of Nepal, as a candidate from the left alliance. Very soon, the country will elect a new vice-president, but it is most likely that the left alliance has already chosen its preference for that post.
Last Sunday, Nepal’s newly elected Prime Minister K P Oli gained a remarkable vote of confidence with a two-thirds majority in Parliament, or 208 votes out of the total of 268 members present in the House of Representatives.
Oli received votes from the left alliance and other parties including Rastriya Janata.
Most people believe that under the leadership of Prime Minister K P Oli, now Nepal will take the right track for its economic growth and prosperity, but there are a lot of challenges ahead in coming days. On one side he has an enormous opportunity to become a statesman for the nation, but at the same time on another side Oli and his regime will face geo-strategic games. For the past three decades, Nepal’s foreign policy has fallen into the complexity of geopolitics.
Indian hegemony
Can Prime Minister K P Oli adopt a balanced foreign policy? Or can he break away from Indian hegemony? These are major questions being asked by the public.
During the Indian blockade in 2015, Oli stood very strongly and raised his voice against the blockade, which was praiseworthy. But the people of Nepal want to see the collapse of Indian hegemony from Nepal forever, and they also want to reduce Nepal’s dependence on India in business.
Nepal and India are close neighbors; they share culture, land and many other things. Despite that, after the 2015 blockade, people in Nepal were upset with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. No matter how many times Modi and other high-level official visit Nepal, or no matter how much help they provide, it will be very difficult to improve bilateral relations.
Because of the Indian blockade, there was a big humanitarian crisis in Nepal – there was no cooking gas, no medicine in the hospitals, and schools were completely shut down. In 2015 when Nepal adopted a new constitution, India opposed it and started the blockade. India claims that it is the largest democratic country in the world, but how does that give it the right to reject Nepal’s constitution?
Actually, the new constitution was approved by more than 90% of the total strength of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal. The first thing India should not forget is that Nepal is a sovereign country and that it must maintain a policy of harmony with Nepal, not hegemony. India must correct its hegemonic attitude, otherwise relations become more complicated.
We Nepalis want harmony with India. Of course, we do have an open border system, and both countries’ people enjoy free movement through the border. But that does not mean Nepal is an Indian state, and that whatever India wants to do, it can. Indians must respect Nepal’s sovereignty.
After K P Oli and his left alliance won the majority of seats at the provincial level and in the national House of Representatives, Modi had a conversation with him and congratulated him. In the first week of February, Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj made a surprise visit to Kathmandu. That was the first step toward reconciliation. Swaraj was the first high-level visitor to Nepal after the election, and it was just before the formation of the new government of the left alliance.
Is K P Oli pro-China?
We Nepalis are neither pro-China nor pro-India. First of all, we are Nepali and we are citizens of a sovereignty country. Both India and China are good neighbors.
Nepal is a landlocked country, and as such has a natural right to access to the nearest seaport. So far Nepal has used only Indian seaports despite various obstacles. Now it wants to open another door toward China for trade and business. Maybe in the future, if Nepal and China establish a rail connection, then Nepal can use Chinese seaports as well.
In diplomatic affairs, India and China have an enormous engagement and bigger interests than Nepal. We know that India and China have border issues and recently had a military standoff, but on another side they are huge business partners as well. But no one is telling them they are playing the China card or the India card or are pro-China or for India. When Nepal maintains relations with China, why is it blamed as pro-China or for playing the China card?
These are baseless statements from a poor mind. Nepal needs economically sustainable development, not any “cards.”
Modi govt made 3 blunders when it comes to Nepal. Indian Media was let loose during the earthquake and then when constitution of nepal did not give guarantees to minorities (madhesis) a blockade was initiated and then it toppled KP Oli govt.
Nepalis are proud people and yes Nepal is a sovereign country and India needs to reconcile with Nepal and address the issues sensitively.
However Nepalese need to understand the Indian dilemma too and balance out the relationship between India and China. Srilanka and Bangladesh and now even Maldives have endorsed India first approach and said no to Military interactions with China. Yes china is still trying to build observation posts in the garb of oceanographic research and what not and India will react accordingly. Its all the new grate game, unfortunately and will continue.
China entering Nepal first economically and then politically means India is left venerable against China Militarily and Strategically in Indian Subcontinent. Will China let India do what it is doing in Maldives or Nepal or or in Srilanka or in POK with Taiwan or South China Sea. The super sensitive over reactive hyper nationalist CPC will react as all hell broke loose on it.
India will react based on its strategic core interests and if this constant needling by China will continue which i guess it will, there will be a larger conflict between India and China in the near future.
sadsdsad
Friends I think we should stop the same old quarrel which we have been doing since long time among neighbors countries. We need to think from an entirely different perspective coz the world’s political scenarios has totally changed with the emergence of China as a new world power
Nepal soon will be a vassal sate of China.!
Yes yes just like Pakistan ran over India in various wars
China can be whatever power it wants to be, but if it comes to Indian Peripheral region militarily and expect no pushback, just cannot happen.
"Balance." Said easier than practiced. Nepal does not need to go this "balance" way-which is misleading, only sounding nice and delivering not much.
Nepal holds unique relations with China and India. China-Nepal relations are ancient. The Republic of India (RoI) and Nepal relations are relatively new. Nepal’s relations with the British India is a diffrent matter.
Nepal should not mix its China and the RoI relations.
Secularism, Republic and federalism is not the issue of Nepal. In the context of Nepal, this will be a suicidal task. It will break the unity of the Nepalese people. Actually, federalism means feudalism which can’t give the solution for the lower castes and poor. Similarly, secularism also encourages religious terrorism. Due to secularism and federalism, the Constituent Assembly could not do anything; it became only be a missile to destroy democratic sense in Nepal. The Maoist model of federalism which is based on ethnicity can disintegrate the country. Racial federalism can never develop the norms of democracy.Ethnic and Language Based federalism is the suicidal agenda of Nepal.
Due to the culprits party leaders who are the agents of RAW, EU and CIA, who are in regime since 2006, all events and activities are changeling to the unified sovereign Nepal. In Nepal, if monarchy the permanent head of the state in not in Nepal, there will never maintain the balance relation between China and India. In such republic system the One Belt, one Road will be the bone of confrontation between China and India.
Now the situation has changed. The Nepalese people and Indian BJP Govt. and all Hindu of Indian, want the existence of Nepal’s monarchy and Hindu kingdom. The visit of king Gyanendra in Orissa is also the prestigious example now. King has welcomed with respect as a existing monarch.
Some days ago, King Gyanendra said- ‘ The political situation in the country is not satisfactory and it caused the worry. All are not happy with the political situation in the country. We need to improve the situation in the country.’ In the context of religion, King Gynendra says- ‘ The ancient religion is a solemn ideology and belief to be embraced in human life. Our religion, culture, ritual and tradition propel us towards the righteous path and guide us to stable continuity. Gorachynath Baba is not only of Gorkha, but a divine power of entire Nepal.No one should forget the historical fact that due to his motivation and power, our ancestors successfully unified Nepal as a Nation. If a state mechanism does not have a base the state system falls to devastation. So, all should be alert to improvement policy and decisions.’
The king did not want to get involved in a bloody politics and handed over the government. Now the king is frustrated and wants to speak. King Gyanendra has been opting- ‘One must always be mindful that the bravery and sense of national pride of our ancestors’, has enabled this beautiful nation to remain independent and sovereign. The time has come for us to ensure that this great legacy remains intact and the country’s existence is in no way jeopardized. So, to save Hinduism in Nepal and India, King Gyanendra should be throne for the existences of world Hindu Kingdom Nepal.
Thank you
Dirgha Raj Prasai
Kathmandu
I just want an answer from my Indian friends here. India even though their rivalry with China has maintained their economic and political relationship with China specially where they thought it could financially or in other ways benefit them.
Why does it matter to them if another sovereign nation does the same? Specially when we have been betrayed and hence cannot trust your country to stand for us when we are down. Consider blockade right after the earthquake.. Or the Koshi flood.
Besides we are situated between India AND China .. We need to maintain a friendly relation with both the countries whether either country likes it or not!
No we can’t. We don’ t have the resources (Finance or Weapons). And we don’t want to. All we want is for India and Indians to stop using Divide & Rule policy with our Madhesi brothers and stay away from our politics. We want to maintain a friendly relationship with our neighbours and that’s it
India must return back all nepalese teritory occupied since britsh left india…
It should give excess right to nearest sea port throuh bangladesh to chitagaon and culcutta unconditionally…
if india behaves like big brother and continue to act like this saarc must cancell the membership of india with majority vote six againt 2.
It’s really true what article says. Our diplomats should develop an equilibrium stance between two.