On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
At the present geo-political juncture, where does Nepal stand, we don’t know. We had a strong and influential foreign policy until monarchial rule. Despite the Indian opposition, Nepal became a member of the United Nations. Two times, Nepal was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Under the King’s rule, Nepal expanded diplomatic relations with around 100 countries across the globe. Nepal proposed declaring the Zone of Peace, which was supported by above 116 nations. Nepal established excellent relations with friendly countries based on non-aligned foreign policy. Nepal was the founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and adopted it as the prime base of foreign policy. Nepal took an active initiative in establishing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Today, SAARC activities have been stalled due to the Indian hegemonies. Nepal, the chair of SAARC, has not been able to play a dynamic role in moving forward SAARC, instead, it has become an active member of the BIMESTEC, an organization pushed forward by India overshadowing SAARC.
Nepal joined the Belt and Road Initiative initiated by China. With the fear of India, it has not endorsed those already agreed projects under BRI. Meanwhile, against Chinese interests, Nepal has approved the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a grant project under the Asia-Pacific Strategy formulated by the USA to contain China. By welcoming MCC, a 500-dollar grant project, we have made China suspicious, which can never be fruitful for Nepal.
We have countless problems with India, whereas, we are enjoying excellent and problemless bilateral relations with China. When our Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal visited India, he said that he didn’t raise burning issues with India viewing that he didn’t want to spoil a good dialogue environment. Since the adoption of the 12-point agreement drafted by the Indians, the present foreign policy is based on pleasing India, no matter, how the other immediate neighbor China will feel. The Prime Minister has publicly said that he was unable to put Nepal’s concerns strongly to India considering the Indian mood. The 12-point agreement was an Indian design to bring Nepal under the Indian umbrella, whereas, the concept of secularism and federalism were the design of those European countries campaigning for Christianity. Both Indo-European common agenda was to declare Nepal a republic by replacing the century-old institution of monarchy, which had safeguarded Nepal.
Today, our leaders, in the absence of a vision for the nation and a patriotic stance, are running behind fulfilling foreigners’ interests by receiving some personal gains.
After the Indo-West sponsored 2006 people’s movement, Nepal adopted federalism, secularism and republicanism without the consent of the Nepali people. It is said that some Christian organizations had funded a hefty amount to those leaders who declared Nepal a federal, secular and republic nation. INGOs also funded the mainstream media to shut down their mouths. As a result, along with the adoption of the new political structure, we could see the flourishing of churches on every street in the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country. Eating beef meat is prohibited in Nepal by law but those ethnic communities have started to challenge the society to destroy social harmony. The Dharan episode is just an alarm for an ethnic conflict inviting a civil war. The Western mission is to engage Nepal in a civil war, destroy Nepal economically, and develop a military base against China.
Understandably, if the leadership is sold, the nation and the people will have to suffer. Those sold leaders serve the interests of those who have paid for them. Talking about Nepal’s existence, we are nowhere as India believes Nepalis are slaves of India, whereas, China is suspicious of the leaders and they are unable to trust on us. As a result, when the BRICS summit took place in South Africa, around 50 nations were invited as observer countries. From South Asia, Bangladesh was included but Nepal, said to be a “vibrant nation” between China and India was absent at the Summit. This speaks a lot.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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