PM Modi’s ongoing visit to Nepal signifies a turning point in bilateral relations as it aims to boost shared cultural heritage amid the peoples
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a brief visit to Nepal in the middle of this month to mark the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Buddha at His birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal. Modi’s travel plan included flying by helicopter to Lumbini in Nepal from the recently inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister’s helicopter ride will mark an important event in the history of shared Buddhist heritage between the two countries. Modi’s visit to Nepal comes in the backdrop of the recently concluded visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India in April.
It is noteworthy that lord Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, and he achieved Mahanirvana in Kushinagar, India. And Prime Minister Modi’s visit signifies the efforts made to promote religious tourism and connectivity between India and Nepal. Hence, the trip is important from the socio-cultural, religious, economic and connectivity perspectives. It is Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Nepal since his re-election in May 2019 and the fifth such trip in the last eight years where Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will welcome him. The bilateral talks between the two Prime Ministers will provide a big push to India’s ‘Neighborhood First Policy’ as well as the agreements that were signed during PM Deuba’s visit to Delhi in April.
Rejuvenating Cultural Bond: In recent years, strategic discussions around India-Nepal relations have been suggestive of building bilateral ties based on economic and development cooperation instead of focusing more on the cultural and
Roti-Beti narrative. There is also a sense among the Nepalese observers that mainstream issues often get ignored behind the veil of Roti-Beti ties. As a result, economic ties must be prioritised to facilitate shared development. Such discussions had become more prominent in the light of economic disruptions at the India-Nepal border in 2015. However, contrary to these observations on India’s Nepal policy, observers find China’s newfound love for cultural diplomacy with Nepal an impactful initiative.
It is also noteworthy that China is leaving no stone unturned to bring socio-cultural and religious elements in creating a cultural narrative around its ties with Nepal. While China inherited most of its socio-cultural and religious connections with Nepal after annexing Tibet in 1950, such bonds between Nepal and India have been ancient, effortless and natural. Also, the rise of the Chinese footprint in Nepal had led to a sudden downturn in India-Nepal relations. However, the people-to-people ties and the cultural exchanges were always firm.
China had overtaken the top spot in Foreign Direct Investment in Nepal in mid-2014, followed by the signing of the Belt and Road Initiative by Nepal in May 2017. However, within seven years, the China bubble has burst, considering no progress made on the agreements signed under the much-hyped Belt and Road Initiative.
In this light, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Lumbini where he is slated to visit the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers and lay the foundation of a Centre for Buddhist culture and heritage within the Lumbini Monastic Zone rejuvenates the Buddhist connection between India and Nepal. This bond is visible from the lakhs of Nepalese tourists visiting Buddhist sites in India, including Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath, and they also visit famous Hindu temples and go to Banaras to perform prayers for their ancestors. Similarly, Indian tourists visit Nepal in huge numbers every year to visit Pashupatinath and other sacred sites. Therefore, Prime Minister Modi’s visit is a welcome step in rejuvenating the cultural connection.
News vistas: From day one in office, PM Modi has emphasised putting ‘Neighborhood First’ and his early trips to Bhutan and Nepal are testimonies in this regard. In pursuing these foreign policy goals, India has struck a fine balance between ancient ties and present needs. While the current visit rejuvenates ancient cultural bonds, Nepalese Prime Minister Deuba’s visit to Delhi in April focused on the potential in two areas of cooperation.
Connectivity is on the top priority which includes improved cross-border land connectivity, modernisation of transit points for the import of goods from third countries to Nepal through Indian ports, and expanding railway connectivity to all important regions of Nepal from India. Second, the release of the Vision Statement on the Power Sector in April was among the most awaited diplomatic declarations. Nepal holding huge hydropower potential and India as a leading technical expert in the field, make the two countries ‘natural’ partners in mutual progress and growth. Also, India is a reliable market for Nepal to export excess power to India and other neighboring countries.
Hence, the hydropower cooperation is a win-win deal for the two countries.
Conclusion: After a strained period of seven years, the India-Nepal ties are moving towards normalcy. The recent high-level exchanges between the countries indicate a bonhomie based on the fundamentals of shared ancient socio-cultural, religious, philosophical and historical heritage. At the same time, these exchanges are in sync with the prospects and potential development cooperation.
(This is the concluding instalment of a two-part series on Indo-Nepal relations.)
(The author is a Research Associate with the Vivekananda International Foundation. The views expressed are personal.)
