By Rabi Raj Thapa
The BRICS movement began 20 years ago and, during the period between then and now, it has shown remarkable agility in moving from an idea to a movement. It has expanded from four to five and now to 11 members, with 10 partner countries.
Despite all its success, some of the immediate neighbours of the host country, India, were absent from that great international and global event. However, the successful completion of the summit seems to have vindicated the prediction of Singaporean eminent scholar and diplomat Kishore Mahbubani that the 21st century is going to be an Asian century.
On the other hand, India, as the host nation, has failed to share its success with its SAARC regional countries by not inviting some of its immediate neighbours, contradicting its own fundamental foreign policy principle of “Neighbourhood First”.
As far as Nepal is concerned, Nepali people were quite sure that Nepal would receive an invitation of some sort from India. Seeing the grand welcome extended by the Government of India to Nepal’s ruling party chairman, Ravi Lamichhane, Nepal-India relations appeared to be more than just show and fanfare. This was further reinforced by the cordial treatment extended to Nepal’s post-Gen-Z Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal. But that, too, proved to be merely a formality. Otherwise, there should have been sufficient reasons to deny Nepal an opportunity to share in the regional success collectively and entirely. But nothing of that sort happened, so to say.
Now is the time for both Nepal and India to seriously find out the fault line behind this breach of trust and confidence once again. For this, the Government of Nepal may need to take a proactive diplomatic initiative, as required.
But whatever the outcome, Nepal should be happy to see its immediate neighbours coming into good terms and relations, which will definitely make South Asia more prosperous and safe. Out of their great achievement, Nepal needs to support and derive mutual benefit from the successful outcome of the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. Today, the whole world is watching the type of relationship India and China are going to forge, which will affect Russia and other major regional countries as well.
Since the post-Gen-Z period, Nepal has been well assured of good and cordial relations between Nepal and India. India’s red-carpet hospitality in June 2026 was taken as a good gesture from India. Similarly, Nepal’s young Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal’s visit to India in 2026 was considered a success by the Government of Nepal. During his visit to India, his entourage reviewed the full spectrum of Nepal-India bilateral relations, covering development cooperation, connectivity, people-to-people ties and many other matters. More importantly, both ministers welcomed the completion of the internal process for the entry into force of the Nepal-India Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement in Criminal Matters (MLAA), according to a press statement of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
Therefore, Nepal should have many grounds to claim its place at the BRICS summit, even as an observer. Otherwise, any other narratives of “Roti-Beti relations”, a Hindu Sanatani majority Rashtra, and, more importantly, Nepal’s status as a co-founder of SAARC and its position as Chairman of SAARC since 2014 will mean nothing as far as the bilateral relationship is concerned.
On the Nepali side, there might have been a delay, reluctance or failure on the part of the Nepali government to make a timely request, as the chair of the SAARC regional organisation, to participate in BRICS. Whatever the case may be, Nepal reserves the right to express its displeasure through a diplomatic note over the exclusion and marginalisation of Nepal from attending BRICS, despite being one of India’s closest immediate neighbours, so to say.
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