A recent statement by Shyam Saran, Indian former foreign secretary and former envoy to Nepal, opines that India needs a mindset change in its relations with its smaller neighbors. Perhaps, he could not have said a better truth. And that is exactly what we too have been emphasizing for long. But that is not to be. As sixty long years of bitter experiences have shown that the Indians have not forgotten yet their millennium long miserable existence and have developed in a masterly way, the art of rhetoric to dupe her smaller neighbors. Their domineering behavior with Nepal ever since she pressurized the last Rana prime minister Mohan Shumsher to sign the Treaty of 1950 and innumerable subsequent behaviors have only contributed to generate fear in the minds of patriotic Nepalis. Nepal cannot afford any kind of confrontation with her giant neighbor in the south and is always sincerely trying to pursue a very friendly policy towards her. She is very keen to benefit from the surge in India’s economy. But India’s unrelenting ambition to become a super power continuously impels her to keep on destabilizing politics in her smaller neighbors. As far Nepal is concerned, she has not even batted her eyelids exploiting her poor neighbor. Starting with the treaty of 1950, the Kosi, the Gandak and the Mahakali, border encroachments, building of illegal embankments flooding thousands of acres in contiguous Nepali territories, the Kalapani transgression, the trade imbroglio, the 1989 economic blockade, the mounting of violent insurgency against her small neighbor via the CPN-Maoists by granting them sanctuary, training facilities and other aids and abetments and lastly and the most dangerous, egging on the Madhesiyas to agitate for the disintegration of the small country, has irrefutably exposed her hidden intentions. Rhetoric through their very powerful publicity media and their influential print media all have always tried to portray a misleading picture about the situation in Nepal. Their RAW have ingratiated Nepal’s leading politicians, media, bureaucrats and a large number of intellectuals and turned them into quislings. All these are, indeed, not friendly acts. And they don’t add up to India’s stature. India’s behavior with her smaller neighbors cannot but prove to be serious impediments to the achievement of her ambitious goals. Even her envoy in Kathmandu prefers only to strut amongst his beneficiaries not daring to face the critics. That is, perhaps, the way Indian diplomacy is practiced. Indeed, this is not the way to win friends or goodwill. Consequently, Mr. Saran feed us the pudding if your are honest. We have had lots of rhetoric and there can be no end to it. We cannot swallow anymore. Goodwill and friendship neither can be bought. They have to be earned by humility, sincerity and magnanimity.
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The draft of the interim constitution is, perhaps, the most undemocratic document the people of Nepal have been offered so far. It seems the Seven Party Alliance(SPA) and the CPN (Maoist) don’t want other smaller parties to contest elections to the constituent assembly as they fear people might turn away from them in big numbers. Since the majority of patriotic Nepalis do not approve the anti-national policies of the SPA government and are also against the continued extortions and abductions of the CPN (Maoist), it is to be expected that the overwhelming Nepalis want a change in the political leadership. The bigness thrust upon prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala does not seem to be working in national interest. As it is, he thinks with a borrowed mind. Besides, his age and failing health have further aggravated the dangerous situation. It is a pity the overwhelming members of the restored House seem to be immune to the dangers lurking around the country. They are so much taken up with their own selfish interest that they have either failed to take note of the perils inherent in the policies being followed by the SPA government or are acting against the nation’s interest. The draft clearly manifests the true intention of the drafters that there will no elections to the constituent assembly and no new constitution well be forthcoming. The SPA will continue ruling the country sine die and the CPN (Maoists) will have to stay out as silent spectators. Bijukche and Sherchan are behaving like hypocrites. Why cannot they quit the House, if they don’t agree with the policies of the government? Don’t they have any moral courage? Others seem to be genderless. This draft, if passed by the House and enacted into law, is sure to sow the seed of a vicious civil war. It becomes the bounden duty of every Nepali not to let that happen. So, this draft has to be scrapped.
