On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
In 1996, when the Mahakali Treaty was signed between Nepal and India, we were told Nepal’s currency price would double compared to the Indian currency. Some leaders had said that the sun would rise from the West. Still, those leaders who advocated for the Mahakali Treaty are active in politics, but neither the Mahakali Treaty was endorsed nor has the Nepali currency been inclined. Instead, we are experiencing a heavy trade deficit and increasing dependence on India in all sectors.
These days, since his return from India, Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal has repeatedly said that we are going to export ten thousand MW of electricity to India in ten years. Sadly, reports state that India denied importing electricity produced by the Nepal Electricity Authority. The Indian condition for importing Nepali electricity is that there should be Indian investment in the projects producing electricity, and India is not going to import electricity produced through any other country’s investment. It makes clear that Indians want to occupy all big rivers in the name of generating electricity by stopping doors for foreign direct investment from other countries, especially China. Moreover, India wants to import electricity at a very cheap price, and there should be a dominating share of Indian investors. Besides, in the name of providing security for the project, the deployment of Indian security cannot be undermined.
Our leaders of the day, who are in the government or opposition, are competing for handing over ownership of Nepali rivers to India. In an attempt for prolonging their stay in power, they are found handing over one after another river to India. Even after knowing the Indian intention, the political leaders and also so-called experts are lauding for developing good relations with India and exporting electricity to India. They never talk about increasing Nepal’s electricity consumption capability, providing electricity to the local industries at a compensated price so that the country’s industrialization process could take momentum by producing industrial goods at low prices. While doing so, our products could be able to compete in the global market.
Whoever becomes the prime minister of India, it makes no difference. The reality is that India has a covert strategy for troubling its neighbouring countries. Not a surprise, Indians sponsored LTTE armed rebels to destroy Sri Lanka. For decades, the war continued. Nepal witnessed Maoist “people’s war” killing above 17 thousand innocent people. In fact, the Maoist supreme commanders were sheltered in Delhi and the bloody “war” was totally sponsored by India. Nepal’s institution of monarchy was dethroned when the Indians felt that the institution “created problems” for India. Indeed, the Nepali monarchs were patriotic and they didn’t work against the nation’s interests, which became a hurdle for the Indians in achieving their interests.
Except for the political leaders, the Nepali people are clear about the Indian attitude and intention towards Nepal. India doesn’t want a stable, strong and patriotic government in Nepal. India doesn’t want to see a prosperous and vibrant Nepal. India wants its puppet governments in Nepal so that the government would follow Indian instructions properly and serve Indian interests.
India’s ultimate plan is to destroy all the nation’s organs and make Nepal unable to function as a nation. The hidden Indian plan is either to keep Nepal under its security umbrella or create a split of the country, if possible, compelling Nepal for a merger with India.
We are all aware that why the Nepal-India borders are kept open, why India denied accepting the EPG report, and why India put pressure on the leaders to amend the citizenship law by making it easy to obtain Nepali citizenship for foreigners, especially the Indians.
India is denying new air routes for Nepal. It is because India doesn’t want the full operation of the newly constructed Bhairahawa and Pokhara airports. Private-sector Nepali airline companies are keen to operate flights to the Indian cities from Pokhara and Bhairahawa but India is reluctant in giving permission. This is evidence that India doesn’t want Nepal to become an economically self-reliant nation. We must voice against the Indian hegemony in Nepal, a landlocked country. We must claim new air routes as the fundamental right of a landlocked nation. In the meantime, we must focus on developing bilateral relations with China along with developing smooth operations of trade and transit routes for the global market via China.
If we want to transform Nepal, first of all, we have to change our mindset that we will never become prosperous by relying on India in every sector. We must become self-reliant in areas in which it is possible. We must focus on the production of agricultural products restricting imports of Indian foods and vegetables. We must focus on the use of water, electricity as much as possible at home. We should develop a whitepaper on water resources through a consensus among the political parties. We must empower our Nepal Army and engage the retired Army personnel in the operation of those government-owned sick industries by utilizing the Nepal Army Welfare Fund.
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