New Delhi: India believes Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has taken a “maximalist position” that will be “damaging” to his country’s cause even as Kathmandu moves for a constitutional amendment over its new controversial political map, ThePrint has learnt.
A top official suggested Oli’s stance will narrow the scope for an amicable settlement, and reiterated India’s stated position that the Nepalese aggression on the issue is driven by Oli’s domestic compulsions.
“Prime Minister Oli has gone in for a maximalist position as he has come under pressure within his own party to resign,” the official said.
“Oli is prejudging the outcome of any negotiation for his own political purposes but, in doing so, has damaged his country’s cause,” the official added, hinting that options for an amicable solution are narrowing.
The era when India considered Nepal as a close neighbour seem to be fast fading away, with the potential of a full-blown strategic crisis seeming to strengthen over the past few days.
New Delhi and Kathmandu’s relationship has been stressed since November last year, when India released a revised map to account for Jammu & Kashmir’s bifurcation into the union territories of J&K and Ladakh. The map showed Kalapani, a disputed territory, as a part of India, and Nepal immediately objected.
Kathmandu subsequently called for settling the boundary issues and the disputed regions of Kalapani and Susta, and has been urging India ever since to settle the matter.
At the time, the Nepal PM had also offered to send his special envoy Madhav Nepal for sorting out the issue but India refused to meet him.
The crisis deepened earlier this month, 8 May, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a shorter route, which is going to be motorable, to Kailash Mansarovar for Indian pilgrims.
The road connects Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh with the Lipulekh Pass — which Nepal considers as part of its own territory — at the India-China border.
The dispute further intensified last week as the Oli government officially unveiled a new political map showing Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh — India considers certain portions of the areas as its own territories — within its borders. This Friday, the Nepalese government reportedly moved a constitutional amendment bill to revise the map in their national emblem.
Also Read: Not Nepal map, the real conflict is within KP Oli’s Communist Party
‘Kathmandu giving wrong signals’
According to Nepalese media reports, their Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs registered the constitution amendment bill in the parliament secretariat Friday. The bill will be passed if it gets two-thirds majority in the lower house, followed by a similar vote in the upper house.
If the constitutional amendment goes through in the Nepalese parliament, it will likely shrink the room for bilateral negotiations on the matter. Kathmandu’s rancour has not been restricted to the border issue alone, and Nepal has reportedly also blamed India for fuelling coronavirus in the country.
Experts say “the escalatory moves” that Nepal is taking are going to hurt the relationship.
“India recognises there is a problem and is also open to a dialogue. The government has not said anything otherwise, as in not having talks, which will be quite drastic,” said Constantino Xavier, a fellow at the Delhi-based Brookings India.
“The road ahead is indeed difficult but there has to be a dialogue. PM Oli is not going to come down from the position he has taken. It now depends on how India handles it,” he added.
“Kathmandu is giving very wrong signals to India. But India will now have to do something to mitigate it by prioritising it unless, of course, New Delhi has now gone for the nuclear option of closing the possibility of dialogue and refusing to see this as a bilateral dispute,” he said.
Earlier this month, when Nepal raised the border issue over the Kailash Mansarovar road, New Delhi assured Kathmandu that they will hold foreign secretary-level talks once the pandemic stabilises.
However, it stated earlier this week that it “will not accept any artificial enlargement of territorial claims” and urged the Nepalese leadership to “create a positive atmosphere for diplomatic dialogue to resolve the outstanding boundary issues”.
By taking such a hard stance against India, New Delhi had said, Oli is “deflecting attention from his own unpopularity and intra-party troubles”.
Also Read: Mocking Indian emblem, redrawing Nepal map, KP Oli’s adventures are growing
In nepalese political history, for the first time Nepal is trying to be little independent and not rely on Indian government’s monopoly of power, Indian government couldn’t stand to be eclipsed and lose that power. Indian business, Indian politicians and Indians period, should leave our country and let us independently chose who we would like to extend our relationship. Fact is Indian government never respected Nepal as a nation, but profited off of us. They had their interest before anything. Indian government influenced corrupt politicians in nepal should be lined up to be hanged. Old but efficient court system from the days of our kings. Politicians like prachanda.
When China Claimed Mt Everest as Chinese Territory, It was Indians who trolled them and said no it’s Nepalese and surprisingly Nepal Communist Government didn’t utter a single word for PRC. Instead of Standing against China PM Oli said Indian As Virus. To all those who believe relation can become great again, this time Its Nepali who are abusing our motherland. Nepal Communist Govt will get some National politics attention but The Common Nepali will suffer.
Time for Indians to realize one truth – Nepalis are NOT Indians and DO NOT HAVE India’s interests at heart. They are a parasitic neighbour that has profited and benefited from Indian generosity and Indian large heartedness while always resenting and hating India.
Time has come for India to Abrogate the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty – end free movement of people, end Army recruitment for Nepali citizens, end employment for Nepalis in India and scale back Indian investment, subsidy & projects in Nepal that do nor benefit Indians directly. India should also stop scholarships and admissions for Nepali citizens in its universities and restrict Nepali goods and services into India.
What the Govt of Nepal is doing is pursuing a path of hostility and recklessness towards a nation it has ZERO leverage over. India would show weakness by tolerating such behavior from this parasitic neighbour.
Indian leaders are short sighted . You guys are stupid. If you make Nepal unhappy it is really harmful for you guys. We don’t really need India. We are hard working and honest so we are self sufficient. When we used to buy the vegetables from India for example bitter gourd used to cost 80 rs per kg . So we are always in benefit when we have no relation with you guys. Now see we are doing very well with corona but your country oh my god! How terrible the situation is. Every where poverty robbery rape loot oh god it is real hell. Nepal our pride heaven paradise peaceful wow. We want you to be away from us. Go to hell you bloody Modi. We really hate you. You guys still have slave mentality. Cause you used to be the slave for almost 300 years. But even after all this we can think back if you correct yourself and promise to be a good neighbor other wise go to hell stop barking otherwise we know we’ll that how to stop your bark.
Ambassador K C Singh is saying on Times Now that assets should be used to effect regime change in Kathmandu. Consider how this would be viewed by the citizens of Nepal.