National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Cementing Ties

The first foreign visit of the new monarch provides an opportunity to further strengthen Nepal's relations with its southern neighbor

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

As soon as the one-year mourning period after the tragic royal palace incident on June 1 last year was over, the royal palace announced dates for the official visits of King Gyanendra to, first, New Delhi, and then Beijing. The Nepalese media, preoccupied with the never-ending feud within the ruling Nepali Congress (See: Cover Story), seemed to be ignoring the all-important six-day (June 23 to 28) visit of the Nepalese king to the southern neighbor.

King gyanendra : Important visit

It should, however, not undermine the importance of Nepal-India relations and an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral ties in the form of the state visit by the head of the state, say experts. "It was a good decision on part of the King to choose India for the first official visit after ascending the throne," said Yadav Kant Silwal, former foreign secretary and former secretary-general of SAARC. "The maiden visit by King is important in the context of growing international interest in Nepal in the post-September 11 scenario."

In an exclusive interview granted to The Times of India, a leading Indian daily, this week, King Gyanendra said relations between Nepal and India remain special because they are practical, pragmatic and beneficial. "My forthcoming visit to India was basically a goodwill visit and that I look forward to renew old friendships and make new acquaintances." Responding to a question on Indian sensitivities, King Gyanendra - a constitutional monarch - said Nepal has repeatedly made it clear that it is her firm policy not to allow any activities against another country from her soil.

Against the perception of certain quarters that Nepal often tries to play China card against India, His Majesty made it clear that (for Nepal) there was no need to 'balance' one with the other or to play one off against the other. "We have never believed in such short-sighted policies."

Reeling under the devastating Maoist insurgency, the Nepalese government and people have accorded top priority to the issue of containing insurgency. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba traveled to New Delhi early this year seeking Indian help to fight the insurgency. He also urged the Indian government to check the free movement of Maoist leadership - declared as terrorists by the Nepalese government-- in the Indian territory. The central government as well as West Bengal state government assured their full cooperation to Nepal in this regard.

Over the past years, 120 agreements/letters of exchange have been concluded for Indian aided projects. On an average, Nepal has been receiving direct aid ranging from Rs 400 million to Rs 480 million. In 1997/98, the flow of direct aid to Nepal formed as much as Rs 880 million. The Indian cooperation to Nepal has touched most spheres of development needs including in the sectors like transport, communications, water resource development, agriculture, human resource development and health.

For India, its overriding concern in Nepal has been its security perception. "India defines the commonality of security interest as the primary foundation of its relations with Nepal," wrote Prof. Dhruba Kumar, a strategic analyst, in the book "Nepal's India Policy." "Commonality between the two countries has become an intriguing factor making their relationship much more controversial than consensual."

The outstanding issues in the bilateral relations include inundation of Nepalese territory by the embankments constructed in the Indian side, border demarcation including Kalapani and issues related to trade and transit. All these issues were discussed during Prime Minister Deuba's visit to India and referred to different levels of official committees.

The renewal of bilateral trade treaty in March gave continuity to economic relations but there still exist procedural problems during its implementation, said business leaders. While the head of the state is not expected to deal with all these nitty-gritty, the environment of overall confidence and trust created due to the high-level visit go a long way in further cementing ties, say analysts.

"Besides continuing the traditional relations, there needs to be some sort of breakthrough in the bilateral relations. It can take place only after (Nepal succeeds in assuring India that) Nepal is the best friend of India," said Silwal. "Peace and stability in Nepal is in the best interests of India."

Nepalese monarchy, a symbol of national unity, has remained a trusted friend of both India and China. Having studied in India and known for his business-like manner, King Gyanendra's forthcoming visit to the southern neighbor will provide yet another opportunity to clear misconceptions on both sides, if any, and further promote bilateral relations.