Nazia Nazar
Nepal’s adoption of a new federal, democratic and secular constitution has angered India, as if Nepal is not a sovereign country but India’s vassal state. Though India claims to be a secular state, but with Hindu revivalist Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders at the helm, it wants Hindutva ideology to prevail, which means other countries of the entire Indian subcontinent is the homeland of the Hindus. On 23rd September India started Nepal’s blockade, exactly three days after the Constituent Assembly of Nepal had passed the Constitution on 20th September 2015 with 90% members voting in favour. Out of Nepal’s 598-strong Constituent Assembly only 66 members from Madeshi and Tharu minorities abstained from voting in protest. Nepal’s ruling party and its allies have planned anti-India protests on completion of 100 Days of Indian blockade, which includes ban on Indian news channels by Nepal’s cable operators.
In fact, protests are being staged for the last few days in various forms to mark completion of 100 days of Indian imposed blockade against Nepal. Most of the Indian channels blocked by cable operators are Hindi news channels besides a couple of English news channels including NDTV, ABP News, Times Now, Aaj Tak etc. The ban on Indian channels came into effect after Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) held a rally in Kathmandu in which it called for ban on these channels. On 28th November, the party had claimed that its cadres set ablaze a vehicle of Indian embassy; however, Indian embassy had tried to downplay the incident. On 27th November, a 27 Km long human chain was also formed by Nepalese school children in Katmandu. Mr Phanindra Nepal was part of this activity.
Last month, thousands of students waved banners and chanted slogans in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu to protest against a border blockade that caused severe fuel shortages and there had been unprecedented increase in prices of food items. For weeks, the Madhesis have been blocking the main southern border crossing with India, preventing fuel and other essentials from entering the country. At least 50 people have been killed in the protests since August 2015. Talks to resolve the dispute have shown little progress. India, which has close cultural ties with the Madhesis, has restricted supplies to Nepal, which relies on it for most of its fuel. Nepal accuses India of imposing an “undeclared blockade”, which India denies. Shortages mean there is no fuel for private cars, and the Nepalese authorities have rationed petrol for taxis and buses.
Just a couple of days before Nepal formally adopted the new constitution, India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar was sent to Kathmandu at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had held discussions with Nepal’s president and prime minister and leaders of all the major political parties. He had pressurized the Nepalese government to delay the adoption of the constitution and hold discussions with political groups opposed to it. A statement issued by Indian foreign ministry had said: “We are concerned that the situation in several parts of the country bordering India continues to be violent. We urge that issues on which there are differences should be resolved through dialogue in an atmosphere free from violence and intimidation, and institutionalized in a manner that would enable broad-based ownership and acceptance.”
India had taken the position that communities living in the Terai, especially the Madeshis (said to be of Indian origin) and the Tharu ethnic minorities, had expressed concern that the proposed boundaries of the new provinces could lead to their political marginalization. But this is gross interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country. India’s attitude and behavior with its neighboring countries has been contrary to the norms of peaceful co-existence. Instead of recognizing their sovereignty and equal status, India wishes a pliant behavior on the part of its neighbors, and demands of them to act according to its dictates. India expects of its neighbors to formulate their external, internal and even defence policies according to its will and wishes. And India has been interfering in Nepal for decades, and is responsible for chaos, confusion and turmoil in Nepal.
Indian leaders believed that KP Oli and Dahal had received strong support either from China or from the western countries to ignore India’s concerns. The other day, when Prime Minister Oli met Indian envoy Ranjit Rae, he had said: “You people are trying to oust me.” Ranjit Rae had invited Madheshi leaders for lunch during which informed them about Oli’s remarks. UCPNM Chairperson Dahal has also received the same type of message from Delhi that the Oli-led government is not going to last for a long time. Delhi is trying to develop an alliance between the NC and the Madheshi Front. As the number of the NC and the Madheshi Front members is not enough to change the government, New Delhi is in touch with different political forces including UCPNM. So far, until NC’s national convention, Oli can remain as the PM, but after the national convention of the NC, Delhi is trying to develop another political equation.
Prime Minister KP Oli and Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoists (UCPNM) Chairperson Pushpakamal Dahal appear to have buckled under Indian pressure, and reportedly decided to address the Indian concerns. Oli-Dahal sent a new message to New Delhi about moving the constitution amendment bill in the parliament. India has welcomed the move, but is of the view that if KP Oli continues to be at the helm, he may create other problems for India. It is an open secret that the Madhesh unrest was planned and sponsored by India, and wishes to advance its agenda through Madheshis and other minorities. Nepali leaders, until yesterday, were saying that they will never surrender to Delhi but finally they have decided to surrender to New Delhi. They should not have promised India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar that amendment could be made after discussions with the opposition.
