New Delhi: The foreign secretary-level talks between India and Nepal are not expected to happen anytime soon as Kathmandu is firm on fast-tracking the process of amending its constitution over its new political map, ThePrint has learnt.
Hectic talks have been going on between both sides through diplomatic channels over the last seven days after the K.P. Sharma Oli government tabled the constitutional amendment bill to endorse its controversial new political map, according to sources. The bill seeks to amend Annex 3 of the Constitution, to reflect the new map in Nepal’s national emblem.
However, despite New Delhi’s prodding, Kathmandu has refused to postpone the matter and is taking a shorter route to amend the constitution at the earliest, said the sources.
“They do not want to discuss the matter anymore, it seems. They want to go ahead with it… They cannot force India to talk by taking such actions which are detrimental to the relationship. This is not how negotiations take place, even if they think India has been sitting on the proposal,” said a senior official who didn’t wish to be identified.
According to sources in the Oli government, Nepal is all set to adopt the amendment on 9 June.
Nepal has decided to suspend the long procedure and finalise the amendment by expediting the process in the Upper House of the parliament too. The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has also agreed to support the move, said the sources.
While the Oli government is perceived to be taking such a “drastic step” owing to internal political pressures within the PM’s own Nepal Communist Party (NCP), New Delhi believes he could have delayed the process by insisting on a national consensus by bringing the Madhes-based parties on board.
The proposal to amend the constitution and endorse the new map will require a two-thirds majority. In Nepal’s 275-member House of Representatives (Lower House), the NCP holds 174 seats while NC has 63. As a result, even if the Madhes-based parties do not support the bill, the proposal is likely to be approved.
Also read: Mocking Indian emblem, redrawing Nepal map, KP Oli’s adventures are growing
‘Not a conducive environment for talks’
According to sources, several senior representatives from Nepal’s ruling party have been meeting India’s Ambassador there, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, but New Delhi believes that unless the Oli government “slows down” or “pushes the process”, a conducive environment for talks will not be possible.
Ranjit Rae, former Indian ambassador to Nepal told ThePrint, “In the current circumstances, talks are difficult. And when the amendment goes through, as is expected, positions will further harden.”
He added, “Despite India’s deep reservations, the Oli government wants to fast-track the amendment. If they were serious about talking, they could have delayed the process. I think they want to talk from a position of strength, that is, after presenting us with a fait accompli. This can hardly be acceptable to India.”
Nepal has been urging India to settle the border issue of Kalapani for several years now. However, the Oli government renewed its push after New Delhi released a new political map in November 2019 after it scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kwatra was handed over a diplomatic note last month over Kathmandu’s objection to the new road built by India to Kailash Mansarovar via Lipulekh.
The move came despite India’s statement that it would hold foreign secretary-level talks with Nepal once the pandemic subsides. Nepal’s request for a virtual interaction between both foreign secretaries was turned down by India.
On 20 May, Nepal officially released a new map showing the disputed territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani within its borders. India has refused to accept this, saying it will not accept “artificial enlargement” of Nepal’s territory.
Also read: India discussed China border tensions also with Russia, the same day Modi and Trump spoke
Even after 70 years of existence India failed to understand that India failed to understand that it is not wise to fight with your friend (Nepal). India must understand that forces who don’t want a stable India has infiltrated Indian bureaucracy and they always in the name of “great India”, “super power India” always fooling Indian people. They always create a situation where India will not be able to live peacefully with its neighbors. Relation with Nepal is one of them. Instead of going through the real evidences many Indian bureaucrats and ex Indian ambassadors to Nepal trying to provocate Nepal. Hey, if India can not deal with small friendly country in a friendly manner then what is her strength? Who will believe India? This is the main purpose of the enemy within India and they seems to be succeeding . Nepal has more than 250 years of experience running state matters and foreign relation. World is watching how India will deal with Nepal situation. If India messes it up (enemies which have infiltrated Indian bureaucracy want it to happen) , forget getting permanent security counsel seat in future to come. China, India and some south American country as permanent member in UN security counsel will dramatically reduce western muscle in UN. They don’t want it to happen. They are using India as a scare crow to prevent this so that they can rule the world as they want in future to come. Most in India seems to be happy that Trump saying Modi as his friend but they failed to understand that Trump is opening another front of troubles for India . Trump just want India to fight American war with China. This will keep India busy for another 20 years. USA is killing two birds with one stone. Creating trouble for China so that its speed to become superpower slowed down and make sure that India can never become a super power. It is also true that Foreign paid infiltrated bureaucrats are able to brainwash Indian politicians and they are acting impulsive in case of Nepal. If they success completely India will be heading for a disaster in future to come. Running from facts to deal with Nepal will leave India nowhere. Hope this will serve as an eyeopener to India.
After reading the news article , everyone easily smells a bad stink of power against a small neighbouring country Nepal . It is a shame . Each time Nepal requests India to come to tabletalks , India has turned down with an evil intention to make Nepal wear away so that India will have time to encroach further more . The SSB have been moving the border little by little to Nepali land threatening and misbehaving Nepalese on the border . It is bad to put the neighbours in trouble .If India is really a civilised country and a good neighbour, she must solve the problems in civilised way by sitting on talks as per evidence and rationality .
the colonial administrative and foreign service in india have been mercenaries of the united kingdom for long, and when usa has taken over the position of number one economic and military power, they became the lap dogs of the usa too!they manipulated late jawaharlal nehru.they manipulated all subsequent prime ministers and politicians with the stand of uk and usa. all our white skin worshipping politicians have fallen prey to this disgusting practice.
the british colonialists and imperialists were always smarter and more practical than these mercenary officers of india who have always acted more loyal than the king.the british threw necessary bones to these despicable anti india mercenary officers and wielded the stick when necessary and held them under the leash and made them behave.the british had a clear treaty that was forced on nepal under dures and when they were defeated in war.the record is available of the treaty, of maps and of boundaries with the british, in our achieves, with our government and in nepal. there is absolutely no ambiguity if sensible people sit with all this incontrovertible material, and fix up the boundary on principle in the maps and send a joint team of surveyors and get things marked on the ground. the shocking india-china war of 1962 made everybody in the governments of india, bhutan, sikkim and nepal numb. as such things between these entities went into a limbo for long. then sikkim became a part of india.nepal finally came out of the limbo and asked the few undecided boundary stretches to be decided based on record and maps made between thenm and the british india. indian republic did not exist when the boundaries between british india and nepal were made and signed between them.india has been dilly dallying. it is not just nepal. with everyone around us. the cause are the mercenary officials that have imbibed the imperialist traits of british and us but not their smartness or intelligence or some common sense.there is enough material on record for nepal to believe that indias postponement of talks citing covid is only a lame duck excuse. how foreign secretary gentleman is connected to covid 24/7?nepal has always been an alley. we have so much in common in culture and tradition.it is the only open border country with us. yet the mercenary officials of india have been doing everything to ill treat, to insult and to interfere in nepal since 1947. the world has changed a lot since world war 2.for example the 189 th member of uno, TUVALU IS A SOVEREIGN COUNTRY1 IT’S AREA IS 10 SQ KM! IT’S POPULATION IS LESS THAN 15 THOUSAND PEOPLE!yet it is as much sovereign as india and china with 1400 million people each! ill treating nepal because it is much smaller than india is our stupidity. our politicians must think strategically and put the these rogue civil servants damaging india under british and usa bad traits forgetting any good traits they have under leash.let us respect nepal. let us talk to them. let us listen to their grievence patiently. let us check records and maps and documents and settle the matter fallowing international conventions and principles on boundary settlements. perhaps that can provide us an insight into amicably settling boundaries with china.
the RSS AND BJP SCHOLARS OR WHATEVER should understand this perspective and advice shri modi and company and settle boundaries of india in whatever way they can in the best possible manner in the given circumstances.it is a shame that we can not settle boundaries after 70 plus years after india as we now know has comre into existence. china has sttled land boundary with 12 out of 14 of all it’s land bounded countries. bhutan also appears to have sttled but is under indian pressure not to signh their settlement. so india is the lone wolf! that is not a thing to be proud of for india or for modi or for rss.
Why would you spend something so long and so wrong?
Lutyens leopard had tweeted photographs of General Bipin Rawat’s four day visit to Nepal in March 2017, when he was ceremonially presented the sword of being a General of the Nepali Army. All that now lies firmly in the past. Without getting into the rights and wrongs of where we have reached and how have got there, Nepal is one more problem for MEA to deal with. Pity.