| PYQ Relevance: Mains: Q) ‘The long-sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalised nations has disappeared on account of its new found role in the emerging global order.’ Elaborate. (UPSC IAS/2019) Prelims: Consider the following statements: (UPSC IAS/2020) 1) The value of Indo-Sri Lanka trade has consistently increased in the last decade. 2) “Textile and textile articles” constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh. 3) In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia.Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 2 only (d) 3 only |
Note4Students:
Prelims: India-Nepal Bilateral Ties;
Mains: Neighbourhood First Policy; Panchasheel Principles;
Mentor comment: India and Nepal share deep geographical, civilizational, historical, economic and cultural ties. They have an open border and close people-to-people connections. The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship forms the bedrock of their special relationship, granting citizens of both countries equal economic and educational opportunities. India is Nepal’s largest trade partner and source of foreign investment. The two countries have extensive cooperation in areas like defense, disaster management, infrastructure development, water resources, and education. During recent years, the Indian government has been observing some strains and gaps in this relationship, which needs urgent attention seeing the regional geopolitical situations.
Let’s learn!
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Why in the news?
India-Nepal relations have involved a significant decline in bilateral ties since 2015, which has now presented an opportunity for improvement.
| Key events and issues that contributed to the strain include: • New Constitution in Nepal: In 2015, Nepal’s Constituent Assembly adopted a new constitution, which India had wanted to be reworked. Despite promises made during visits to New Delhi, the draft was promulgated unamended, leading to tensions. • Economic Blockade: India imposed an economic blockade on Nepal, which lasted nearly six months. This blockade was seen as a response to the new constitution and was widely criticized for its impact on Nepal’s economy and relations with India. • Increased Chinese Influence: Nepal’s PM Khadga Prasad Oli reacted to the blockade by signing 10 agreements with China, covering areas such as trade, transit, power, and transport. This move further strained the India-Nepal relationship. • Political and Diplomatic Tensions: The Indian government became more involved in Nepali governance and politics, leading to accusations of interference. The RSS and the BJP were also accused of attempting to influence Nepal’s politics and culture to align with India’s image. • Border Disputes: The publication of an updated political map by India in October 2019, which included the disputed Limpiyadhura-Kalapani triangle, led Nepal to amend its constitution to include the same region on its map. This further exacerbated the border disputes between the two countries. |
The present context of Power and Prowess between both countries:
- Conjecture in Nepal: There is speculation in Nepal about what Narendra Modi’s third term as Prime Minister means, given the legacy of the blockade, Hindutva activism, economic stifling, and geopolitical coercion.
- Indian Exceptionalism: India’s long history of interfering in Nepal’s politics and governance goes against the principle of non-interference, as seen in the Panchsheel doctrine.
- India’s overbearing attitude towards Nepal seems to be based on power rather than prowess (skill or expertise), which could lead to a more stable and economically energized Nepal, benefiting India’s National Security and Economy.
- Legacy of India’s existing Policies: Modi’s foreign policy and national security teams remain unchanged, leading to questions about whether he will become more moderate or aggressive to compensate for the BJP’s domestic slowdown.
- Modi’s “Neighbourhood First“ initiative has been unsuccessful, and he may need to correct his policies on Nepal as the closest neighbor.
- Nepal is not just a basket-case neighbor but the seventh largest remittance-sending country to India, helping support livelihoods in India’s poorest regions.
Nepalian Viewpoint:
- Eroded Ability to Engage Equally
- Nepal’s political, civil society, bureaucratic, and security institutions have lost the ability to engage with their Indian counterparts as equals. This is due to the ongoing political turmoil in Nepal.
- Nepal’s political leadership has included both weak and subservient figures. The worst example was during the prime ministership of Pushpa Kamal Dahal (‘Prachanda’), the Maoist leader.
- Dahal’s Subservience to India
- During his 2023 visit to India, Nepali PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal avoided raising issues that could have upset Modi. He failed to discuss pending bilateral matters like air routes, the Limpiyadhura-Kalapani dispute, and the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) report.
- To please the RSS, Dahal and his team wore saffron robes at a temple in Madhya Pradesh.
- Dahal signed a power trade deal that let India refuse imports from Nepal’s Chinese-backed hydropower plants and allowed the Indian embassy to distribute grants in Nepal.
Considering the South Asian Region and India’s Peaceful Existence:
- Nepal’s Cordiality towards India: Presently, New Delhi is far from considering Nepal as the future connectivity gateway to the Chinese mainland via railways and roadways breaching the Himalayan rampart.
- A continuing ‘Himalayan paranoia’, with its origins in the 1962 debacle with China, fuels geo-strategic insecurity in New Delhi think-tanks.
- India’s Missed Opportunities: Indian economists fail to note the enormous savings in Military expenditure represented by Nepal’s presence as a ‘benign buffer’ along the central stretch of the Himalaya, especially after the concerns over the Indian exchequer’s inability to bear military costs and pensions (Agniveer Scheme).
- The open Nepal-India border is the prototype for a future South Asia at peace, but New Delhi analysts constantly harp on the insecurity it represents for India.
Nepal’s Suffering and India’s Misconceptions
- The Maoists used shelters across the unregulated border during their decade-long insurgency against the Nepali state.
- Every summer, the Indian media claims Nepal “releases” monsoon waters into the Ganga plain, but Nepal has no significant storage dams, and the Gandaki and Kosi barrages are controlled by India.
- ‘Nepal studies’ is not an academic discipline in India, which contributes to Indian citizens viewing Nepal as poor, ungrateful, and even malevolent.
Conclusion: Frustrated Nepalis want India to treat them as an equal partner, not a “big brother”. India’s policymakers should accept that Nepal is a separate country from India. Nepal should try to clear up misconceptions about itself and suggest ways to improve relations.
