Nepal’s happiness “gives us joy”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his second visit to the Himalayan country in 100 days as both sides inked nine agreements, further cementing their close ties on Tuesday.
Modi, who in his departure statement said the fact that he was visiting Nepal twice in the six months since he took over “reflects the importance we attach to our unique and special relations with Nepal”, also held delegation-level talks with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala.
Modi, who is here to attend the 18th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit, urged Nepal to frame its much-awaited Constitution early and on the basis of consensus.
Addressing a gathering during the handing over of a 200-bed trauma centre built by India, Modi said writing the Constitution was “taking too much time” and urged Nepal to finish the work on the basis of consensus and not majority.
He said the Constitution should be like a bouquet, with each flower representing each strata of Nepal’s society, the Madhesis, the Maoists and Pahadis, providing them rights.
Modi said India will not interfere and has never interfered in Nepal’s affairs, but added that “Nepal’s happiness is reason for us to smile, so write it fast”. Political parties have set January 22 as the deadline to draft the Constitution. The trauma centre has been built by India in the city’s Bir Hospital, the oldest medical facility in the country.
Among the nine agreements inked was one for project development agreement (PDA) for the Arun III Hydropower project. Both sides also kicked off a Kathmandu-Delhi bus service being run by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).
Modi also handed over the keys of a Dhruv Advanced light Helicopter to Nepal's army and a mobile soil testing laboratory to the country.
He said a "lot of trust" has been put into their bilateral relations.
A "big horsepower engine" of trust has been fitted into their relations in the 100 days since his last visit to Nepal in August, he said. He said the bilateral decisions that were stuck for the past 25 years were now being pushed forward.
Referring to his decision not to visit lumbini, the birthplace of lord Buddha, as well as Janakpur and Muktinath, which both Hindus and Buddhists hold sacred, Modi said it was due to paucity of time.
"This time, I was keen to go by road because I wanted to see the difficulties the people of Nepal and Indians on that side face and help mend matters. But due to shortage of time, I could not do it," he said.
"Between my first visit, and my second, decisions have been taken to change lives in Nepal, and give happiness to India," he said.
Modi said the hydropower projects, Pancheshwor, Upper Karnali and Arun III, that were stuck for many years have been pushed forward and that all the Nepal parties have shown farsightedness in backing the projects with India.
He said a new electricity transmission line was being set up between the two countries.
"One new transmission line of 1,000 MW is being installed, and Nepal will light up," he said.
Modi said the $1 billion line of credit which he had announced during his last visit was being finalised.
Both countries also inked the Motor Vehicles Act that would allow regular bus service between the two nations.
The other agreements inked are on setting up of a Nepal Police Academy, tourism and traditional medicines, Sister City Agreements between Janakpur and Ayodhya, Kathmandu and Vanarasi, and lumbini and Bodhgaya.
Modi later called on President Ram Baran Yadav at his office in Sheetal Niwas.
The Prime Minister also held a meeting with leaders of the largest party Nepali Congress at Soaltee Hotel, where he is staying, as well as with members of other political parties.
Modi and leaders of other SAARC countries will meet here on Wednesday with an aim to revitalise the regional grouping and make it a major platform to fuel economic growth through liberalised trade and combat challenges of terrorism and climate change effectively.
The two-day summit will deliberate on a range of crucial issues such as Defence and security, improving transport connectivity among the member states and ensuring greater flow of goods and services to boost trade and commerce.
The theme of the summit is 'Deeper Regional Integration for Peace and Prosperity' and diplomats of a number of member countries said there have been expectations that the summit will have "breakthroughs" in some areas.
Modi leads a high-level delegation at the summit which includes External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and a number of senior officials of various ministries.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday interacted briefly with Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz here on the margins of the SAARC Foreign Minister's meeting during which they exchanged pleasantries.
Their brief interaction came amid speculation over a possible meeting between Prime Minister Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.
Asked about whether a Modi-Sharif meeting was on the cards, Swaraj Said: "I had said yesterday. Please wait."
When asked about the meeting, Aziz refused to comment. Interestingly, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that his country was ready to hold talks but it is up to India to re-start the negotiations which were called off by India "unilaterally."
"The ball is now in India's court for talks between both the countries," Sharif said.