India, Nepal are back to meaningful dialogue
Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's trip to India seems to have achieved its primary goal: To resolve recent misunderstandings between the Governments in Kathmandu and New Delhi over the Madhesi issue, and move ahead. However, this must not be mistaken as a resolution of the Madhesi crisis itself. Though the worst is seemingly over, with the Government in Kathmandu making constitutional amendments and the Madhesi protesters lifting their five-month long blockade that had crippled life in Nepal, there are still concerns and mutual mistrust. For Nepal, the Madhesi crisis has been a learning experience in its long and arduous journey towards parliamentary democracy. The Constitution itself was delayed by several years, and when it was finally promulgated in 2015, it was so controversial that it almost threatened a new civil war. Though Kathmandu's initial reaction was one of defiance and indifference, it has since made efforts (though still not comprehensive enough) to put together a Constitution that represents the will and aspirations of a diverse nation. For India, the Madhesi crisis was another example of how it remains, for good or bad, intertwined in the life and politics of its neighbour at the political as well as people-to-people level. Given that the Madhesis have close family and cultural ties with India, New Delhi had to take a proactive stance on the issue, even if that led to accusations of interference from sections of Kathmandu's political elite. This, of course, isn't a new challenge for India, which has over the years managed to strike the fine balance needed in such cases. However, for the Modi Government, which has invested a good deal of diplomatic capital in the neighbourhood, particularly in Nepal, it was an important achievement.
looking ahead, it is hoped that Prime Minister Oli's visit will have cleared the path for continued cooperation between India and Nepal. For example, Indian investments in Nepal, particularly in some high-value hydro-electric projects, have come under attack due to political ill-will. Hopefully, we shall now be able put such incidents behind us. Nine agreements were signed during Mr Oli's visit, including one that allows Nepal to use the Visakhapatnam port for third country trade (mostly to Bangladesh). This was a long-standing demand of the Nepalese trading community which was frustrated with having to do business at the crowded and somewhat poorly administered Kolkata port. But the new agreement will not just benefit Nepal; it will also be a big boon for regional connectivity. Another important development during Mr Oli's tour was the inauguration, done jointly by both Prime Ministers, of the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar transmission line, to provide electricity to a power-starved Nepal. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done in Nepal, from post-earthquake reconstruction to infrastructure development, and India can and should help at every step.