Round The World
New
Delhi, 5 June 2020
India-Nepal Borders
KATHMANDU APPEASING BEIJING!
By Dr D.K Giri
(Prof, International Politics, JMI)
India-Nepal border
tensions have caught national and some international attention. There are
reactions and suggestions from both sides. Indian diplomats and commentariat
have not yet brought up the coincidence of timing of China’s incursion into
Ladakh and Nepal bringing up a new map to show parts of territory under Indian
occupation as theirs. It befell our Army General to say with uncanny candour
that Nepal is raking it up at the behest of China. The General’s conjecture
cannot be controverted as this is an issue settled in 1816. Furthermore, India
has not encroached into it now and has been in occupation of the patch of land
Nepal is showing it in their new cartography.
Indubitably, Nepal’s
new map is objectionable. New Delhi needs to sort this out downplaying the
special relationship it accords to Nepal. Kathmandu needs to be told in no
uncertain terms, if they do Beijing’s bidding, India will retaliate. Nepal will
find it hard to live in antagonism to New Delhi. It is a country sandwiched
between two big neigbours which are only two gateways for Nepal to the world.
The route to mainland China is remote and tortuous, and the long border with
India is close and accessible. Almost all of Nepalese trade passes through India,
although China wants to build connectivity up to Kathmandu. Hence Nepal’s
dependence on India is total in addition to deep cultural ties and the special relations
between the two countries.
Kathmandu has sought
to play the balancing game between India and China for quite some time, but not
successfully. Then, China came of age in its economy, thanks to the western
countries seeking to exploit the tight governmental controls and the cheap
labour. Beijing tempted Kathmandu with financial support and contribution,
provided money and weapons to the communists to overthrow the monarchy and
unseat the Nepali Congress from its pre-eminent position in Nepali politics.
Besides, Beijing is drawing
Nepal into its debt-trap. The strategy it follows is to ladle out money to a
country as loan, and when they cannot repay, ask them to kowtow to Beijing. The
Nepali Prime Minister KPS Oli, a hard core communist seems to have gone into
Chinese lap. He has ideological links with the authoritarian communist party of
China. When communism has collapsed all over the world, except in China,
communists thrive in Nepal as they get handsome material support from Beijing.
To be sure, the
current dispute kicked off by Nepal is to appease Beijing by putting pressure
on India. China is soon becoming an international pariah. But it is the second
biggest economy in the world; it is trying to cling on to its influence with talons
of aggression as well as desperation. In Asia-Pacific, Beijing wants to be the
supreme leader, even if US sphere of influence could cover the rest of the
world. But New Delhi stands in its way as it is now courted by the West as a
countervailing force to Beijing in the region. Kathmandu under the communist
Prime Minister is playing into the hands of China.
Let us look at the
dispute historically to debunk Nepal’s claim. After the fall of Mogul rule, the
brave Gurkha rulers in Nepal became quite powerful. They expanded their
territory into Avadh in North, Sikkim in the North East and Kumaon in Garhwal.
Their territory stretched from Sutlej river in the North to Teesta rive in the
East. The British administration could not accept the expansion and drew the
Nepali kingdom to a war between 1814 and 1816. Although Nepali warriors fought
bravely, they lost to the superior strategy and weaponry of the British Indian
army. The Nepalese signed a peace treaty at Sugauli in Champaran of the state
of Bihar.
According to the
Sugauli Treaty, Nepal had to withdraw from Garwal, Sikkim and Avadh. Their
border shrank. The new border was drawn between Sharada river (which is called
Mahakali in Nepal) and the Micchi river which originates in Nepal but merges in
a river in Kishanganj, Bihar. Mahakali consists of Limpiadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh.
These are located strategically at a trisection of Nepal, China and India.
India has built an 80 km-road cutting through the mountains from Dharchula in
Uttarakhand to Lipulekh in order to enable devotees to go up to Mansarovar, a holy
place for Indians. Earlier, they used a much longer route from Nathula in
Sikkim. The road has already been built.
Kathmandu objects to
the road now, and comes out with a new map to show this land at the trisection
as belonging to Nepal. The land is in occupation of India. Why does Nepal claim
it now? Why did they not raise objection when the road was being built? Nepal
claims that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiadhura were given to them in the Sugauli
Treaty way back in 1816. How did India occupy these for last 200 plus years?
This sounds incredible. If it was part of the Sugauli agreement, did British
administration honour it? If not, what were circumstances that prevented Nepal acquiring
these?
The current claim of
Nepal relates to studying the history of this border and appreciating the
subsequent developments. This can surely be ironed out, but not by the kind of
language used by the communist PM of Nepal. He said tartly, “the virus coming
from India is more dangerous than corona”. It was so unkind and ungrateful. New
Delhi donated 2 lakh hydroxychloroquine tablets and 2 lakh paracetamol to
Nepal, whereas it sold them to America and other countries.
Nepal cannot afford
to cross swords with India whatever its level of support from China because of
its geographical contiguity and access to the world through India. The current
leadership of Nepal is swayed and waylaid by the Chinese. At the same time, New
Delhi cannot afford to alienate the Nepalese. The young population is quite
radical and would like their sovereignty to be upheld.
Nepal is
strategically located between India and China as a buffer state, like Tibet was
which was given away by Nehru in an imbecile hope of buying peace and friendship
with China. Nepali Gurkhas are diminutive but doughty warriors, having made
exemplary contribution to British Indian and independent Indian Army. The
legendary Field Marshal Sham Manekshaw used to say in admiration of Gurkha
soldiers, “if someone says he is not afraid of death, he must be an insane or a
Gurkha.”
India-Nepal cultural
ties are unbreakable. The Nepali citizens in India contribute considerably to
India’s service sector. India has hardly thought ill of Nepal. Yes, it is
accused of weighing heavy on their domestic politics, and behaving as a big
brother. In cases, Indians involve in Nepali politics on their request, and
what is wrong with the big brother. An elder brother loves, looks after and
protects the interests of the younger brothers. India has done it so far with
Nepal and others. But like the Pakistanis are looking for their roots in Turks
and Arabs, Nepalese do it in Chinese, and then we are all at a loss as to who
we are. Nepal must not fall into Chinese money trap and diplomatic chicanery;
it is not in their long term interest, and ours. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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