Politics and diplomacy always do not, necessarily move only in a fixed path and direction , it becomes flexible and changes its direction based on national interests, by not compromising greater national issues and interests. During his previous terms of office, PM KP Sharma Oli was known for his stands on disputed issues between Nepal and India. The recent meeting between PM Oli and his Indian counterpart PM Modi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly ( UNGA) in New York was a surprise for many experts on Nepal India relations, however this meeting could open the door of new possibilities between the two countries’ relationships.
This meeting signifies the importance of Nepal India relations with a realization of need for better understanding between them. It also portrays a new scenario, despite some sort of thinking about India having distant relations with most of its neighbors, it wants to be flexible in its relationship with Nepal particularly with PM Oli, who had been more vocal on some issues with India. Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, who participated in the meeting, informed that Indian Prime Minister Modi will visit Nepal soon and both countries have agreed to resolve all the problems by reactivating the bilateral mechanisms. India showed a positive gesture towards the elected prime minister of Nepal.
After assuming office, PM Oli had also deep interests in meeting with the Indian PM Modi and during the visit of Foreign Minister of Nepal Mrs. Arzu Rana Deuba to India, he sent an invitation, through her, to the Indian PM for an official visit to Nepal. India did not reciprocate by sending an invitation to PM Oil for an official visit to India in order to continue the tradition of the first visit to India by Nepali prime minister. However, after Nepal’s continued efforts and India’s positive response, both the prime ministers met in a cordial atmosphere in New York.
During his stay in New York, Prime Minister Oli participated in the opening session of the general debate of the UNGA and the reception organized by US President Joe Biden.
Prime Minister Oli held a meeting with Secretary General António Guterres at the United Nations Building. He addressed the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and outlined Nepal’s efforts to address transitional justice and urged global action on climate change. He had a series of bilateral meetings with a number of heads of the government of different countries and high dignitaries on the sidelines of the UNGA. PM Oli also addressed important forums and summits in the United Nations including Columbia and Harvard Universities in the US as well.
India is moving towards the path of becoming a global super power with the objective to be a third economic power in near future, however, its rising disagreements with the neighboring countries have raised concerns in actualizing the ambitions. There are also disagreements between Nepal and India on some issues. The India Nepal relations started sliding down after promulgation of the new constitution of Nepal in 2015. By that time, India wanted to incorporate its certain provisions in the constitution of Nepal, which was impossible for Nepal to accept. As a result, India imposed a Nepal border blockade, causing a catastrophic situation in Nepal.
Thereafter, the issue of EPGs report has also adversely affected India Nepal relations. As India and Nepal agreed to form a joint Nepal India Eminent Persons Group, four members from each country to study the total gamut of relations between two countries. After the finalization of the joint report, India is reluctant to receive the report by reversing its previous commitments on EPGs report.
The most serious issue of Kalapani territorial dispute between Nepal and India turned them from best friends to worse hatred. Nepal considers this dispute directly concerned with its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This long-standing dispute between two countries erupted on May 8, 2020, when Indian Defense Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh inaugurated the road in Lipulekh, Kalapani, stating it was a pilgrimage road to Kailash Mansarovar in China. After the Sugauli treaty with India in 1816, this territory was under Nepal control until 1962, thereafter it has been encroached by Indian security forces stationed in Kalapani areas, who were not removed by Nepal during the removal process of all other 17 Indian security check posts along Nepal China borders. Before the inauguration of this road by the Indian home minister, on November 2, 2019, India’s Home Ministry unveiled a new political map, placing disputed Kalapani inside the Indian borders. Countering it, on May 18, 2020, the Government of Nepal endorsed a new political map placing territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura inside its border, confirming those lands under Nepalese territory.
The other issue between two countries has been India’s interest not to recruit Nepalese Gurkha soldiers in the Indian army, whose recruitment came to an abrupt halt last year after India introduced a controversial new army hiring plan, Agnipath scheme, which strained ties between the two countries. Agnipath, or Path of Fire, hires soldiers on a fixed four-year term. Only a top performing 25% will be retained for India’s central security forces. The rest will be allowed to leave with a fixed lump sum amount without pension or any other career benefits. For Nepal, this new scheme is against the treaty between two countries, which raises fears of a heightened risk from insurgents. Some experts say that there is a danger that a person with four years of military combat training can be recruited by any insurgent group in the country or even by foreign mercenaries.
These aforementioned issues are directly related with the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli between Nepal and British India, 1950 Treaty between Nepal and India and the 1947 Treaty between Nepal, India and Great Britain, which has big concern for Nepal. There are also other numerous issues on trade, transit, water resources, and economic cooperations under several agreements between Nepal and India, which are not so serious compared to them. The issues based on bilateral and tripartite treaties are severe in nature, they need assurances from the highest political levels of both the countries so as to start dialogues on diplomatic and technical levels. During the talks between two prime ministers the issues of Kalapani border disputes and EPG report were not discussed. It is believed these issues would enter into future dialogues as both the countries have agreed to resolve all the problems by reactivating the bilateral mechanisms during the talks.
Let’s hope that the meeting between two prime ministers would be a breakthrough in breaking the ice of stalled dialogue on serious issues between two countries and it will be considered a good beginning if it goes on the right track and paves the way for all misunderstandings and differences between them in days to come.