DNA Edit: Drawing Nepal closer

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s second visit to India recasts the spotlight on a ‘historical’ and ‘renewed’ friendship between the two countries. Trust is a key component in bilateral relations and India and Nepal have traditionally looked upon each other as more than just neighbours. New Delhi has always been at Kathmandu’s side whenever the latter has been in a crisis, much like the way a big brother would protect the interests of a sibling. In the long stretch of a relationship, there may have been spells of misunderstandings and insecurities — such as India’s tacit support to the Madhesi movement — but both countries have striven to overcome them.

However, Oli seems to be taken in by China’s alluring promises of trade and development. His keenness to forge closer ties with Beijing will prove to be detrimental for his country in the long run. Oli needs to merely look at how Sri Lanka suffered on account of its debt to China. It had to hand over the strategic port of Hambantota on a 99-year lease, thus compromising the country’s sovereignty. There is no reason to believe that Beijing would spare the Himalayan State, notwithstanding the generous terms the former may have offered. Sensing Oli’s eagerness to make Nepal a part of China’s ambitious One Border One Road (OBOR) initiative, New Delhi has stepped up efforts to prevent him from committing a blunder. To firm up the relationship further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaging with his counterpart on an array of issues as diverse as defence, connectivity, agriculture and trade.

The expanding of rail links, connecting Raxaul in India to Kathmandu in Nepal and creating new avenues of inland waterway connectivity between India and Nepal are two important features of Oli’s three-day India trip. It’s evident from Oli’s interactions with Indian businessmen at Ficci that Nepal is hungry for investment as it scouts for public-private partnerships. After much political instability — with governments crumbling like a house of cards and a 10-year violent insurgency — Oli’s ascension to power is an endorsement of peace and prosperity. The last elections were fought on the promise of development and job-creation. So, Oli’s desperation is understandable. He is aggressively promoting a liberal economic policy to woo global investors, and China intends to make the most of this dire economic situation.

Nepal’s location — nestled between India and China — makes it extremely important in geopolitical terms. If Oli’s dalliance with Beijing continues, the Chinese threat to India will increase manifold. India needs to recalibrate its strategies vis-à-vis its immediate neighbours. As Oli rightly said, “India-Nepal relationship is oriented towards the future, not looking back, but looking forward”. India and its adjoining countries should show dynamism in resisting Chinese military and economic aggression. New Delhi needs to play a much bigger role in the region for its own good. One hopes that PM Modi will live up to that challenge.