The Hindu : Thapa for strong Indian ties

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 19, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Thapa for strong Indian ties

By C. Raja Mohan

KATHMANDU: The Prime Minister of Nepal, Surya Bahadur Thapa, is unfazed by swirling rumours in the city that he has been installed in power by India. In an extended conversation with The Hindu, Mr. Thapa dismisses the rumours of Indian power play as inconsequential.

For Mr. Thapa the biggest priority is to find a way out of the deep political crisis currently enveloping Nepal. The appointment of Mr. Thapa as the Prime Minister is being seen here as creating a small opportunity to break the gridlock among the monarchy, political parties, and the Maoists.

Mr. Thapa has served as Prime Minister of Nepal before; five times. This time he might have to pull a political rabbit out of his hat. "I accept the challenge," Mr. Thapa says.

After dismissing the elected government last October, King Gyanendra had become the virtual head of government. Under pressure from the political parties to restore parliamentary rule, the King has now appointed Mr. Thapa as Prime Minister with executive power.

Mr. Thapa is striving to establish a government that represents major parties and revive negotiations with the Maoists. He has engaged various political leaders and has appointed a new negotiating team to engage the Maoist leaders.

Although there is considerable scepticism about the prospect of an early end to the crisis, Mr. Thapa says he is "confident that his outreach to the political parties'' will work.

On the talks with Maoists, Mr. Thapa says, he "will remove the past weaknesses in negotiating with them''. He hopes "to involve the political parties in the peace process'' to make it more credible and effective.

On the growing international interest in Nepal including that of the United States, Mr. Thapa says, "we should not look at this with suspicion but as part of the worldwide phenomenon after September 11''.

"All major countries are against the present crisis undermining the Nepalese state, and this is good for us," Mr. Thapa said.

On the relations with India, Mr. Thapa argues that the "two countries cannot afford to ignore each other''. "We must maintain the best of relations and solve the problems in the relationship''.

Pointing to the geographic realities that bind India and Nepal, Mr. Thapa says, "Without Indian cooperation, we cannot make much progress''.

* * *

While Mr. Thapa demonstrates realism on India, the continuing rumours of India's involvement in his appointment point to a deeper malaise in Indo-Nepal relations.

Analysts here say there is no point bemoaning the fact that India is held responsible for every thing that happens in this country. Just as it was fashionable in New Delhi a few years ago to blame the "foreign hand'' for every other development, India has been an easy political target here.

As it seeks to remove the misperceptions about India here, New Delhi now is consciously putting out the message that it has no favourites in the Nepalese political system and that its approach to the country is based on principles and not personalities.

In a decade of tumultuous democratic politics in which many governments rose and fell in the country, India inevitably got sucked into the vortex of smoke and mirror politics of the Kathmandu valley.

The time, observers here say, has come for India to pursue its many interests in this country with a sense of clarity and openness. They add India must try and resolve the various problems that affect the very unique relationship between India and Nepal.

Asked about the concerns in New Delhi about the growing involvement of the international community, informed sources here say that in a globalising world India cannot keep out the rest of the world from Nepal.

They argue that India cannot retain its primacy in Nepal, ordained by geography, history and culture, by mere political fiat. It can only sustain its centrality in Nepal through a conscious policy solving problems, focusing on vital interests and building on the natural assets.

***

Obsessed with Pakistan, New Delhi tends to neglect ties with the rest of the region and has time for the complex relationship with Nepal only during acute crises.

As a result, India has let a prolonged drift to chip away at a highly sensitive relationship with Nepal. Even as Chinese rail lines and roadways inch through Tibet closer to Nepal, India has allowed a total degradation over land connectivity with Nepal.

It is not enough for New Delhi to point to the poor state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that border Nepal. The Centre has to take charge of border management and the task of refurbishing road links to Nepal. It is not that India needs to deploy a massive political and economic capital to improve ties with Nepal. The investments required are small; what India requires is some strategy and a bit of political will to rapidly modernise the bilateral relationship with Nepal.

* * *

As part of expansion and diversification of its relationship with Nepal, India has decided to establish a consulate at Birganj on the Indo-Nepal border. The establishment of the consulate is expected to facilitate the better management of many issues that bedevil bilateral relations.

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