HM’s Visit To India
A Milestone In Nepal-India Relations

By Chiranjibi Paudyal

THE state visit of His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev at the friendly invitation of Indian President K.R. Narayana is expected to be very remarkable to further promote the warm, friendly relations subsisting between the two countries since time immemorial.

Close And Cordial

The relation between Nepal and India is very close and cordial as the two countries have a similar cultural, religious and social tradition drawn up from the rich ancient Hindu civilization. The geographical proximity and inter-related economic background have also brought the two countries closer.

The exchange of visits in the people’s level since the Vedic time has paved the way for them to understand each other very deeply. The influnce of Hindu culture and tradition in the daily life of the people is one of the main reasons for the intimacy between the people of the two countries. In spite of geographical and political demarcation, the people of these two ancient nations of the South Asian region never feel they are in another country due to the heart to heart relations.

The monarchy is the symbol of national unity of Nepal and a stable institution, which has helped the nation to move forward towards political stability and economic prosperity. The founder of Nepal, His late Majesty King Prithvinarayan Shah the Great described the Himalayan Kingdom as the garden of four castes and 36 sub-castes. The monarchy has played an important role to maintain unity among the people of various ethnic and religious communities of different background. The only Hindu King of the world is also revered as the incarnation of god not only in Nepal but also in other parts of the world including in the friendly neighbouring country India, where the majority of the people follow the Hindu religion, one of the oldest religions of the world. This fact also interlocks the feelings of the people of both the countries and makes the friendship further close and intimate. Sharing the same socio-economic and religious background, most of the problems faced by Nepal and India are similar.

Terrorism is one of the major problems of Nepal and India and joint efforts are needed to combat the menace of terrorism. There is consensus to combat the menace of terrorism all over the world after the September 11 terrorist attack in the USA. The main focus of the fight against terrorism is in South Asia as the terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and his Al Quaeda terrorist network is operating from South Asia. In this countext, joint efforts are needed to eliminate the terrorist activities from the region. The region has been the symbol of peace since ancient times. Fraternity, tolerance and non-violence have been the stable principles adopted by the people of the region for centuries. Lord Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini of Nepal and Mahatma Gandhi, symbol of peace and non-violence was born in India. This peaceful land on non-violence should not be under the rein of terror and violence in any form. Due to geographical proximity, similar religious and cultural background and open border, such problems cannot be resolved in isolation. For that, there is the need of strong political will, joint action plan and co-ordinated efforts to wipe out the terrorism from the region and make the region a peaceful place with religious tolerance in accordance with the long tradition of the ancient Hindu civilization.

The relations of the two countries are of special nature. This reality should be understood in a positive way and work in accordance with this reality. There are no any major differences between the two countries and for some minor differences to erupt is quite natural between the two close neighbours.

The situation of the world has changed a lot since the last few years. It has been further moved forward after the September 11 terrorist attack. This has reminded that all rich and poor, developing and developed and big and small countries should unitedly work for the welfare of the people.

While describing the relations between Nepal and India, we must remember the geographical situation of the two countries, but our relations go beyond that geographical proximity. The close ties between the people of the two countries are so deep that it cannot be described in words. The governments of Nepal and India should understand the real feelings of the people of their countries and adopt policies to further deepen the friendship.

The monarchy has played a very significant role in the promotion of the friendship between our two countries. Hundreds of thousands of the people of India expressed their sorrow and grief and mourned the sudden demise of our beloved late King Birendra and other Royal Family members. This also shows the closeness of the two countries. The Hindu King is revered in India like in Nepal also shows that the friendship of the two countries goes beyond the geographical reality. Though our King is very familiar with Indian leaders and people, this is the first visit of our King, and this visit will certainly help further promote the friendship between the two countries in the coming days.

First Visit

This is the first visit of our King to any country since he ascended the throne of Nepal on June 4 last year after the untimely demise of our beloved King Birendra, who was a very close friend of Indian leaders. The deep friendship subsisting between the two countries since the ancient time will further deepen and move forward in accordance with the changed context of the world and help to maintain political stability and economic prosperity in Nepal. The first state visits of Their Majesties the King and Queen also symbolizes the importance given by Nepal to India and vice-versa. This good gesture shown by India to our Monarch will further prosper and help expand and move forward the friendship to the height of mutual interests and understanding in the future. The words of His Majesty the King very clearly reflect the relations between Nepal and India. His Majesty the King in an interview granted to a newspaper said, "Relations between Nepal and India are nurtured and enriched by noble ideals, values and principles inherent in a shared cultural heritage. They provide a secure foundation for friendship, mutual goodwill and understanding between our peoples. As I see it our two countries are enjoying their traditional bonds as good neighbours."

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