Koirala’s Visit To India On A Positive Note

By Prem N. Kakkar

RELATIONS between Nepal and India have gained strength over the years. But in recent years, with the times, some adjustments have to be made so that the relations are on a strong foothold. There may be some minor irritants but the leaders of the two countries have shown their maturity in solving them through mutual understanding.

Visits

The exchange of visits between the countries at the highest level has helped in making the friendly relations an exemplary one. The open border extending from east to west allows for the free movement of the people of both Nepal and India. It has also contributed to making the ties strong as it is today. Controversies, if any, have been resolved through talks and that is an encouraging fact.

There have been regular visits of the heads of state and government between the two countries. In this context, the forthcoming official visit of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to India at the invitation of the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee deserves special mention. Premier Koirala is going to India on a two-day-visit from August 1. In fact, there is much hope resting on this particular visit as it is Mr. Koirala’s first visit abroad after becoming the Prime Minister for the fourth time some three and a half months back.

The visit is also significant in the sense that this comes after the talks between Nepal and India regarding security that was concluded in Kathmandu. At the end of the talks some significant decisions were made.

One decision was for the Nepalese and Indian air travellers to present some sort of identification papers. In fact, there had been a demand of this sort since many years not only for air passengers but even for those travelling by land. But this present decision only applies to those travelling by air.

The decision for seeking identification comes after the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane some months ago. Both the sides have also agreed to keep a check on the terrorists and criminals who conduct cross-border activities. This is a valid reason why both the countries ought to be vigilant.

Prime Minister Koirala’s visit to India some two weeks later is expected to focus on some important issues. There is every reason to believe that the issue of the 1950 Treaty will also figure in the talks. In fact Nepal has for a long time been asking for talks to focus on this particular issue. The government at present is seeking consensus for the proposals to be made for reviewing the 1950 treaty with India.

Besides this the problems relating to border areas like Kalapani are also to be discussed. Whatever is done, the primary focus should be on national interest. The outstanding issues have to be resolved as they stand as irritants as far as Nepal-India ties are concerned. Both the countries stand to benefit if the friendly relations are not disturbed. In this effort the visit to India by Premier Koirala will do much.

At the beginning of the new millennium, the challenges in front of Nepal are great and there is an urgency to speed up the pace of development. As peace is essential for development thrust, friendly relations with the neighbouring countries are more than essential. With India, the relations are unique. As neighbours in the South Asian region, both countries have many similar problems and challenges.

Nepal does not allow any activities that is detrimental to any of its neighbours. The same is the case with India. But two countries side by side also have some problems which have to be resolved especially at such high level talks.

The political parties in Nepal are very eager for the Prime Minister to focus on the 1950 treaty which they consider has outgrown its age. Similarly, with an open border between the two countries it is natural that border disputes do occur. But such border disputes can be resolved through talks considering the strong relations between the two countries. Genuine efforts must come forth from both the parties so that the existing problems see a solution.

On the trade front, Nepal does not have a favourable balance of payment situation with India. Moreover, what has irked the businessmen in Nepal is that a special additional tax has been applied to exports from Nepal. This is in violation with the agreement with India. The matter has to be sorted out so that Nepalese exports to India continues without any hindrance. If this is done then Nepalese exports will have competitiveness and prove beneficial for the economy.

The Mahakali treaty was a landmark in Nepal-India ties but the implementation aspect has lagged behind. It is now necessary that steps be taken to implement the treaty for the benefit of both the countries.

The fact that both the countries belong to the same regional grouping must make matters easier. As members of SAARC, there is every need to speed up cooperation among the member countries for economic development. India has a big and vital role to play in this direction. Nepal too must pitch itself so that the ideals of SAARC receives momentum.

Hopes

Prime Minister Koirala’s coming visit to India has raised greater optimism regarding Nepal-India ties to be on a higher level. It is between two friends that problems can be resolved in a cordial atmosphere with the maximum level of understanding and cooperation. Much hopes rests on outcome of the visit. The visit is expected to prove as a landmark in relations between the two countries.

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