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Prime minister Girija Koirala is on an official visit to India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart. Nepali parliamentarians, many scholars, media men and many others are highly optimistic that this Koirala visit to India will result in great benefits to Nepal. Is this the first visit to New Delhi of a Nepali Prime minister? Does anybody keep count how many visits the Nepali prime ministers have made to New Delhi and how many basketfuls of benefits did they bring back? Koirala himself knows this is not his first visit. Will he be kind enough to tell the Nepali people what Nepal gained and what Nepal lost during his previous visits? Indeed, Nepali Prime ministers always treat visits to New Delhi as pilgrimages to worship their gods, mentors and benefactors. But, somehow, they have never succeeded to appease them and secure a boon for Nepal. As such, it is difficult to understand on what ground the Nepalis are expecting so high. Are they thinking about the Himalayan Marshall Plan? Are they not aware that Nepal’s almost failed state situation has been occasioned by India’s blatant double standard in giving sanctuary and aiding and abetting the Maoist insurgents embroiling Nepal in more than a decade long devastating civil war? If the Nepalis have not been able to see through the Indian designs in six long decades, when will they learn? Anyway we do have to appreciate Koirala’s loyalty and friendly feelings towards the Indians that despite his most grave situation demanding urgent medical attention, he postponed his Bangkok visit to carry out the behest of his good friends and went to Delhi instead. Risking his life even, at his age, to oblige a friend is, indeed, a rare exhibition of sacrifice and gratitude. But, since his precarious health must have impaired his mental faculties and sense of judgment, at the moment, he would surely desist from taking any important decision and keep the visit to only goodwill status. The Indians too may not like to take unfair advantage of his abnormal physical situation. But we do trust and have full faith in his friend and colleague the finance minister, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, who is accompanying him, that he will be able to guide him.
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