Editorial: Nepal’s aggression uncalled for

The fresh bout of aggressive statements emanating from Nepal on the border row with India is quite uncalled for. The objections being raised by the Nepalese politicians over India’s plan to expand the road in the Lipulekh region of Uttarakhand are baseless. It must be pointed out that India has been in effective possession of […]

The fresh bout of aggressive statements emanating from Nepal on the border row with India is quite uncalled for. The objections being raised by the Nepalese politicians over India’s plan to expand the road in the Lipulekh region of Uttarakhand are baseless. It must be pointed out that India has been in effective possession of this territory for at least six decades. The new road, up to the Lipulekh pass, is not an unprecedented change in the status quo as India has controlled this territory and built other infrastructure here before, besides conducting its administration and deploying military forces up to the border pass with China. Kathmandu’s belligerent tone on the issue appears to have been prompted by China as part of its relentless efforts to drive a wedge between India and its close Himalayan neighbours — Nepal and Bhutan — and undermine Indian influence in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, the ruling dispensation in Nepal is allowing itself to be manipulated by China whose dominating presence is already altering the geopolitics of the region. China’s aggressive intervention in the internal politics of the tiny Himalayan nation needs to be countered with mature and deft handling. New Delhi needs to formulate a reliable policy framework towards Nepal keeping in view the strong civilisational bonds between the people of the two countries. New Delhi’s position on the boundary issues has been consistent and unambiguous over years. What triggered the latest row was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that his government is further widening the road built in Lipulekh. The reaction from Nepalese leaders is rather exaggerated and disproportionate.

The claim by the ruling Nepali Congress that Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani are Nepalese territories is preposterous. In fact, China too has recognised India’s sovereignty by agreeing to expand trade through the Lipulekh pass. The region is of strategic importance and the new road is one of the quickest links between Delhi and the Tibetan plateau. While India must stand its ground on the territorial issue, it should be willing to look at ways in which Nepali sentiments could be assuaged. Despite the recalcitrant attitude of the Nepalese government, India must never change its friendly policies towards the people of Nepal, like recruitment of its citizens into the Indian Army and unrestricted work policies for them. The civilisational ties between the people of the two countries are far too deeper to be adversely affected by border disputes. Despite the recent tensions over certain bilateral issues, India is seen by the people in Nepal as a reliable neighbour, always willing to step in to help in the hour of crisis. This was demonstrated in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake and also during the ongoing pandemic crisis. New Delhi’s ‘vaccine diplomacy’ allowed Nepal to be one of the first countries in the world to vaccinate its people.

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