Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office for the third term. Our Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal got an opportunity to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony alike other heads of the nation/government from South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Mauritius, and East African island country, Seychelles. Notably, Pakistan was not invited, although, during his first oath ceremony, Pakistan’s sitting prime minister had attended the event.
Modi, by inviting heads of the nation/government from small South Asian countries, has given the message that India is the leader of the regional grouping, and in another way, gave the message that the small neighbors are under the Indian grip. During his first inning as the Indian PM, Modi focused on the neighborhood first policy. Immediately after becoming the PM, Modi also visited Nepal, neglected by the previous Indian Congress-led governments. During the past ten years, on different occasions, Modi visited Nepal, perhaps he is the first Indian PM to visit Nepal many times, however, Nepal-India relations didn’t go as smoothly as expected. In 2015, Nepal faced economic blockade. Modi denied receiving the EPG Report prepared by the teams of eminent persons assigned by the prime ministers from both countries. During Modi’s second tenure, India published a new political map ending the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir and also including Nepali territory — Kalapani-Lippulekh-Limpiyadhura. Later, India constructed a motorable road linking Uttarakhand to the Chinese border point via Nepali territory occupied by India. India didn’t respond to the diplomatic notes sent by Nepal and finally, Nepal amended its constitution through a consensus among all the political parties in Parliament and published a new political map by incorporating India occupied Nepal’s territory in Kalapani. Since then, India has refused to talk about border disputes between Nepal and India. Whether it was during our Prime Minister’s visit to India or the visits of the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the border dispute issue was kept aloof from the talks agenda. Nevertheless, Nepal has granted permission to spend 200 million rupees worth of projects without informing the Nepal government. India decided to import Nepal’s hydro-energy that is produced through Nepali and Indian investments, not through the involvement of a third party or say China. Also, the agreement should be renewed every year. Where will Nepal sell its electricity if India denies importing it, or say, if it will not renew the agreement, the Nepal side has not taken this Indian trade trap seriously. During every visit of high-level dignitaries either from Nepal or from India, Nepal is handing over one after another river to India. We find slavery mentally among the Nepali leaders, whereas, there is a colonial mentality among the Indian leaders and Nepal is always being deceived. The major threat that the Nepali citizens are worried about is India’s vested interests and hegemony. India’s relations with its neighboring countries can only be flourished if it wishes to defend the territorial integrity of small but sovereign and independent nations and help them making economically prosperous.
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