On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
Nepali sovereignty, independence, culture, tradition, and identity have continuously faced threats since the 2006 political change following the 12-point agreement.
Nepal’s revolutionary leader, Pushpakamal Dahal, who is the Prime Minister of Nepal today, believes that there should be an India-comfortable government in Nepal. Our previous prime minister, K.P. Sharma Oli was found holding a mid-night one-on-one meeting with the RAW chief at the Prime Minister’s official residence, even neglecting the diplomatic protocol.
India is involved in micromanagement in Nepal. India has denied receiving the Eminent Persons Group prepared report. Nepal has amended the citizenship law in Indian interests. Under the new citizenship law, more Indians are going to be rewarded with Nepali citizenship. Voters in the Tarai districts have increased drastically due to the increased flow of Indian nationals into Nepal and obtaining Nepali citizenship, taking advantage of the liberal citizenship law here. Nepalis in Tarai districts are gradually falling into minority status due to the continuous migration of Indians and their easy obtaining of Nepali citizenship. India doesn’t want to regulate the Nepal-India open border, despite increasing cross-border crimes, smuggling trade, including fake currency rockets, and possible threats from international terrorist groups.
Moreover, recently Indian Minister for Foreign Affairs, S Jaishankar, claimed that India has given priority to connectivity with the neighbouring countries under the neighbour first policy introduced by the BJP-led government. S Jaishankar has asked the Indians to take benefit of connectivity with Nepal and other neighbouring countries. Operation of cross border railway in the Tarai districts and upto Kathmandu, which, the Indians are saying, is “to counter China”, is an open threat to Nepal’s sovereignty and independence given the weak security surveillance mechanism, open border allowing movement of people from each other’s country without restriction. Operation of the cross-border railway is good but the provision of producing travel documents including visas from the concerned country must be introduced while people visiting each other’s country. Nepal must empower its border security force and introduce a strong immigration policy along with the operation of such a cross-border railway. The parliament should approve a law for operating cross-border railways.
When the Indian side denied accepting the EPG report, the hidden interests of India becomes clear. Otherwise, the EPG report if implemented by both the countries, many burning bilateral problems between the two countries could be resolved. The EPG members from the Nepal side are eager to hand over the report to the Nepali Prime Minister, otherwise, they are ready to make public the report prepared five years ago. Our India-comfortable prime minister, being afraid of the Indians, has not taken any decision on this, nor allowed to make public the report. Operation of cross-border railway sounds good but Nepal should become alert from possible threats that would invite from such type of connectivity. The government, the political parties, intellectuals and academicians should conduct good homework while operating cross-border connectivity. We don’t have an immigration problem in such connectivity with our northern neighbor China as there is no provision for travelling with each other countries’ people without a visa from the visiting country. However, people from India and Nepal can visit each other’s countries without any travel documents. Such a free travelling provision may invite many problems including a serious threat from the international terrorist groups. More seriously, India should remain alert on this part. When quintals of gold arrived via the Tribhuvan International Airport, it was smuggled to India. Indian nationals are found involved in such smuggling. In the same way, international terrorist groups may use Nepali soil against India. Although, it sounds odd and may the locals object, the introduction of the passport and visa provision for travellers is necessary for the security of both Nepal and India. Moreover, only five to seven border points should be opened for those travellers visiting each other’s countries and also for the trade between the two countries.
If the Nepal government neglects to introduce the passport and visa system making it mandatory for travellers, it will invite a serious threat to our Nepali identity and our existence as a sovereign and independent nation. Time and again, Indians have attempted for merging Nepal into India, which is an open secret for all of us. If we continue to neglect the Indian design, one day, we will have to regret it as the people in Sikkim are regretting today.
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