By P.R. Pradhan
Particularly for Nepal a tiny and landlocked country sandwiched between two powerful nations, foreign policy remains a sensitive issue.
If we make a minor mistake in maintaining relations with the immediate neighbours, its price will be very costly. The recent attitude of the government exhibits Nepal’s wrong handling of foreign policy.
The ground reality is that Nepal cannot make any changes in the foreign policy guidelines explained by Great King Prithivi Narayan Shah – “Nepal a yam between the two boulders”. Non-alignment is the base of the Nepali foreign policy which has protected Nepali sovereignty and independence. Accordingly, maintaining balanced and equidistance relations with both the immediate neighbours and strengthening bilateral relations with the neighbouring countries are the priorities of our foreign policy. Inviting foreign powers and creating suspicion in the neighbouring countries may turn harmful for Nepal although such an act could be beneficial for some political leaders.
Immature diplomacy:
Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal denied attending the Boao Forum for Asia, which is going to take place next week in Hainan, China. PM Dahal was scheduled to address the Boao Forum for Asia. When Chinese ambassador Chen Song, in a recent meeting with PM Dahal, extended an invitation to PM Dahal, the latter promptly accepted it. The Chinese part started preparation for the visit of PM Dahal to China. In the last hours, PM Dahal cancelled the visit annoying China. It is said that PM Dahal has assigned Nepal’s ambassador in Beijing to lead the Nepali delegation at the Boao Forum.
When Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar was in town just for one night, PM Dahal received him two times – the first time for formal talks and the second time for a secret one-on-one meet that took place at night.
Immediately after he was elected the PM, Dahal, in an interview on Indian TV, said that he was going to put his first leg on Delhi before he starts foreign visits.
Dahal has mobilized all his contacts including the Nepali ambassador in Delhi to receive an invitation for him to visit Delhi. He is willing to visit Delhi in Baisakh, the first month of Nepali New Year 2080 (Mid-April-Mid May). In fact, Dahal had expected an invitation card from his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit of the Indian foreign secretary. He was shocked when the foreign secretary came here empty-handed. Be that as it may, the secretary was in town just to advise Dahal and NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba for breaking the then-ruling alliance and developing a new alliance by ousting UML and RPP. The main reasons for breaking the previous alliance are publishing a new map incorporating Nepali territory Kalapani, Limpiyuadhara and Lipulekh, presently occupied by India and keeping pending the citizenship amendment bill passed by both Houses through a fast track. Delhi believes, UML chair K.P. Sharma Oli is the main obstacle for India.
Anti-China gang-up in Nepal:
India has encroached on over 60,000 hectares of land in 71 areas in 23 districts, according to border expert Buddhi Narayan Shrestha. The Indians have no justification against the Nepali claim. However, to establish an assumption that “not only India but also China” has encroached on Nepali soil, a section of Nepali Congress leaders, including its president Sher Bahadur Deuba, have been used.
NC, the largest party in the country, claimed that China has encroached on Nepali soil in the Humla district, following a false report produced by Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, NC central committee member.
This scribe had enquired with one Nepal Army general about the fact. In response, he had said that the Nepal Army survey team didn’t find such encroachment on the Nepal-China border in Humla. Moreover, he said that the Chinese side is constructing a wire fence on its border that is also about one foot inside the Chinese territory.
Later, the then home minister Balkrishna Khand under then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, neglecting the Foreign Ministry statement clarifying no encroachment from the Chinese side, constituted a survey team to inspect the site. Khand received the report from the team but didn’t disclose that.
Later, the then-home minister under Khand issued a note expressing the commitment to urging the neighbouring countries for constituting a joint survey team to inspect the international border with the two neighbours. This is an example of how this Deuba-led Nepali Congress is being used for irritating China.
Immediately after the formation of the Dahal-led government, the Indian embassy proposed for supporting the local authority in the restricted area declared by the Nepal government in the Mustang district for providing above 70 crores rupees for the construction of a Buddhist college. This is another move to irritate China.
Those power-greedy leaders have developed an alliance just for sharing power and abusing authority for exploiting the government coffer. They want to retain in power just by pleasing foreign powers. In the process of pleasing the Indo-West power centers, they are undermining China, which may turn costly.
Already, Nepal has joined the Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI). In the past six years, not a single project has been introduced under BRI. When the Chinese Embassy issued a note claiming that the Pokhara Regional International Airport is the first project under BRI, the government officials denied the Chinese claim.
Nepal is the founding member of the Asian Infrastructural Investment Bank initiated by China. Until now, the government has not approached AIIB for its support in infrastructural development in Nepal.
On the other hand, creating suspicion in China, the previous Parliament endorsed the impending MCC grant project through a fast track.
Although leaders are blaming each other, it has been confirmed that Nepal had written a letter to the US government for Nepal’s willingness to join in the Security Partnership Programme under the Indo-Pacific Strategy developed by the USA to contain China.
The question is whether our leaders are in a race to become the new avatar (incarnation) of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who turned Ukraine into a battlefield!
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