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Kathmandu Monday September 24, 2001 Ashwin 08, 2058.
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Unilateral again
Indian officialdom has a tendency to go
unilateral on matters that have a direct or indirect bearing on Nepal. This tendency has a
longish history. If it is not encroachment of Nepalese territory by an India taking
advantage of poor documentation on our side, it is construction of embankments just south
of the border that causes flooding up river in Nepal. If it is not suspension of airline
flights to Kathmandu it is enforcement of an ID system for Indian tourists coming to our
country. The latest twist in this lopsided relationship is a report that the government of
the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Nepal, has decided to provide small arms
licenses without fees to local residents in village panchayats bordering the Himalayan
Kingdom. India has in the past resorted to such measures only in disturbed areas.
Although the report is still sketchy, the
arms would supposedly be used for ensuring local security and for controlling cross border
crime. The arms are being supplied at half the usual price, although only a few people
have so far availed themselves of this facility, for obvious financial reasons. It has
also come to light that the decision on the arming of locals was taken almost in parallel
with preparations made by India to deploy some seventy thousand personnel from its Secret
Service Bureau along the Nepal-India border. These moves came right after the Royal Palace
massacre of June l. Although the full implications of the latest development along the
border are not clear, this much is certain. If the substantial flow of small arms from the
innumerable gun making outfits in Bihar into Nepal has already compounded our law and
order problem, any loosening of arms regulations anywhere along the open border is bound
to further aggravate the situation, especially when we are facing an armed Maoist
rebellion. The possibility of these arms being used in border areas, particularly in
southern Nepal, is all too clear. Therefore it is not too early for the government to
start seriously studying the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision and its implications
for Nepal. Much of the problem we have had with the open border is due, of course, to our
own lack of preparedness. We must break out of that syndrome for once.
That all’s not well again along the
troublesome border is underscored by yet another recent development. The same Secret
Service Bureau whose deployment along the border coincided with the arms related decision
of the Uttar Pradesh authorities has been causing further headache for this country. Small
market towns like Darchula and Jhulalghat are on the brink of closure as members of the
SSB are stopping Indians from bringing back purchases of foreign goods from Nepal. This is
an open violation of the Nepal-India trade treaty, according to local business circles,
and comes at a time when the Indian side has been benefiting hugely from the Indian goods
that Nepalese bring back in their hand baggage every time they step across the border and
back. Worse still, the SSB has also closed most border entry points, making life difficult
for Nepalese who go to work on the Indian side. This, along with the ban on foreign goods
purchase, is a blow to the local economy. All these point to vigilance and suitable
reaction from the government before it is too late.
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