While India must calibrate its Nepal policy with care, the Madhesi protesters enforcing the India-Nepal blockade must realise the debilitating impact of the actions and begin serious negotiations with Kathmandu
There can be no justification of the blockade on the India-Nepal border that is being enforced by Madhesis demonstrating against the new Constitution of Nepal, passed in September this year. lacking in essential life-saving items, the country has turned into an open black market. The blockade has also created serious humanitarian crisis.
Given their genuine demands and concerns, the Madhesi leadership could have made a better impact by demonstrating against the insensitive and highly incompetent regime in Kathmandu. More so, because their quest is democratic, aiming to secure ‘fair citizenship’.
Nepal’s new Constitution which was expected to resolve Kathmandu elites’ perennially discriminatory approach towards the Madhesis and other ethnic communities, however, proved to be a major dividing force. The Constitution aggravated the chasm and is now threatening the foundation of democracy.
It was the Nepali Congress, a formidable political party, and its leaders, which include BP Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala, known not only for their domestic political work, but also for being strong voices in the South Asian political space, were the ones who fought for the establishment of democracy in Nepal. Yet, it was former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala who pushed his party and the country to redundancy by by promulgating a Constitution that supported a flawed basis for federalism and citizenship and allowed for gender discrimination.
Mr Koirala lost power and current Prime Minister KP Oli looks like a man from the 1960’s with a strong Hill’s domineering mentality. This kind of thinking was a hallmark of the Mahendra rule and his parochial panchayati system, that created a nation with different layers of citizenry rights — which was uncivil and is not worthy of consideration now.
The people of his earthquake-ravaged land are not supporting the ongoing political comedy of errors in Kathmandu. The regime should develop a habit of listening to the people. Since Nepal is at the crossroads, this is an opportune time for the ruling elite in Kathmandu to stop playing the ‘China card’ against India.
Meanwhile, India should also resist from assuming that its friendliest neighbour is its ‘client state’. Despite New Delhi’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ commitment, its Nepal policy has turned to be a big embarrassment. It seems like imperialist tendencies are striking roots inside the Indian diplomatic establishment, and this has no place within the the country’s democratic system.
India-Nepal relations have always been delicate, and that spirit should have been respected. After all, it is this spirit that has been safeguarding the blunders of India, such as Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar’s untimely visit to Nepal and India taking up Nepal’s internal issue at the UN. How will India reciprocate, if Nepal does the same and takes the matter of Kashmir or the North-East to such a multilateral forumIJ
The UN move was disastrous, and yet, India has not lost its admirers in Nepal, thanks to the strong people-to-people relations between the two countries.
There is enough time for course correction. But if appropriate action is not taken, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a bigger loser than former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who messed up India’s relations with Nepal and Sri lanka beyond repair.
Today, Nepal is not what it used to be in the 1980s. It is no longer a monarchy and has successfully embraced the democratic transition. Affluent voices are now opening the ‘real scene’ before the world.
If one is to take cognizance of international laws, then one sees that creating an embargo of any sort against a land-locked country goes against the spirit of the law. India, one of the world’s largest democracy, which has always stood in favour of Nepal (sans few rough patches), must not depart from its conventional approach. It’s not only the borders that connect India and Nepal, but the people of both countries have family ties across borders, which creates a prominent position that cannot be overtaken by others, including China, which is habitually aggressive and divisive.
The Constitution happens to be a living document — it cannot be trivialised. Mr Oli has no option but to end the power-mongering in Kathmandu. He must make amendments to the Constitution to bring Nepal back on the path of normalcy.
Meanwhile, India should let the Madhesi leaders know that their fight is against discrimination and they mustn’t ruin their country. Madhesi leaders should opt for negotiation. They will not be let down by the Oli Government.
(The author is a New Delhi-based journalist)