NEPAL & INDIA -NEPAL RELATIONSHIP

Nepal is a landscape nation in womb of eternal Himalayas. It was ruled by Kingship for 240 years. Its capital is Kathmandu. For number of years Nepal saw political instability. Nepal is divided into 7 states and 75 districts.

The name "Nepal" is first recorded in texts from the Vedic period of the Indian subcontinent, the era in ancient Nepal when Hinduism was founded

Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal.

Nepal shares border with 5 Indian states-

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar.

End of Monarchy-2008-

On 28^th May, 2008 the monarchy formally ended & Nepal became a …secular democratic republic. The kings Palace – Narayan Hiti was converted in to national museum.

Decision was taken to solemnize 28^th May, every year as republic day.

There is large possibility of hydro-power in Nepal & if it could realize it’s hydro-electric potential with the help of foreign nations then it could become richest country of South east Asia.

The current government in Nepal-

Government	Federal parliamentary republic

• President	Ram Chandra Poudel
• Vice President	Ram Sahaya Yadav
• Prime Minister	K P Sharma Oli

Constitution of Nepal-Sep 2015

Nepal is governed according to the Constitution of Nepal, which came into effect on Sept 20, 2015, replacing the Interim Constitution of 2007.
The promulgation of the new constitution was immediately followed by ..virtual blockade of all checkpoints at Nepal-India border.
Various Human Rights Activists and some ethnic groups in lowland Nepal have accused the Constitution of being…. gender discriminatory especially in regards to citizenship provisions.
They allege new constitution makes it difficult for woman to pass on citizenship to their children as compared to men.
The new constitution doesn't not discriminate individuals on any fundamental rights, despite what traitors might want others to believe.
All fundamental rights approved by UN have been guaranteed in the new constitution.
In new constitution Madhesis were not given their due rights/reprensentation .

India Nepal relations-

-Treaty of Peace &friendship (1950)

India has signed… treaty of Peace &friendship (1950) with Nepal. This treaty protects economic interest, trade interest as well as it protects strategic interests of India.

-According to treaty, for goods coming from Nepal & entering in India, India is a free-trade zone but no vice-versa.

-Any Nepali can come & settle in India, can do any trade even can receive public employment but an Indian citizen doesn’t enjoy it on vice-versa basis

-Loss of Confidence between Nepal& largest democracy

India played a valued role in ending the Maoist insurgency in 2006, but the period thereafter was marked by declining role of India.

-In Constitution-writing

In Constitution-writing, there were attempts to define the new provincial boundaries according to Indian dictates. India has raised its reservation over newly passed Nepali constitution and ……criticised it for not addressing concerns of Madheshis and other marginalised section.

-Nepal’s human rights record –

India criticised Nepal’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, especially in dealing with the Madhesi agitation. India also demanded legal action against those guilty of human rights violations during the years of insurgency in Nepal.

-Nepal government blames India for blockade by Madheshis-

After devastating earthquake in Nepal, the blockade by… Madhesis has halted oil and other essential supplies, which created another humanitarian crisis in Nepal.

-Nepal going closure to China-

In recent times Nepal is getting closer to China, is also one of the important reason for current problems.

The Great Blockade forced the Kathmandu political leadership to reach out to Beijing and sign a slew of trade, transit and infrastructural agreements with it.

Nepal is today well connected by air to Chinese cities than to India.

- HIT formula

The Prime Minister Modi gave a …HIT formula for Nepal. India wants to help Nepal build highways (H), information highways (I) and Tran’s ways - transmission lines (T).

- Military cooperation

India Nepal agreed to cooperate to build Surkhet ..Air base(Nepal), India is also a supplier of weapons to Nepal and both also share the intelligence.

-Following memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed .

MoU between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Lumbini Buddhist University on the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies.

MoU between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and CNAS, Tribhuvan University on the establishment of ICCR Chair of Indian Studies.

Agreement between SJVN Ltd and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for Development and implementation of the Arun 4 Hydropower Project

Matters needed resolution

Open Border

An important issue is the open border itself, which is a unique joint heritage of the two countries.

While it is ..Nepal’s Left that has traditionally demanded restrictions on the border, the call now rises from the Indian security establishment.

Inundation of plains in Nepal

The Nepal plains are suffering from… massive floods that have also affected downstream areas across the border.

A permanent bilateral mechanism is required to save the plains population of Nepal from suffering.

Issue of Kosi Barrage-

The Koshi Barrage is a sluice across the Koshi river that carries vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between Saptari district and Sunsari district of Nepal.

It is near the international border with India. It was built between 1958 and 1962 and has 56 gates.

Siltation/ Raising the riverbed -

The …Kosi Barrage and attendant embankments have the possibility of wreaking havoc because siltation of six decades has ….raised the riverbed within the levees far above the outlying tracts.

The easy answer for the Indian politician is to demand a high dam in the hills of Nepal even as alternatives are not studied, such as redistribution of waters into various older channels of the Kosi in Bihar.

Import of electricity from Nepal

Nepal has since long planned to sell electricity to India once it has a hydropower surplus, and the completion of the much-delayed Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line was supposed to facilitate that.

But along comes an Indian government directive that it will not allow import of electricity other than from power companies with more than 51% Indian equity.

Arbitrary blockages at border points

The arbitrary blockages and go-slow at Indian Customs at border points, the selective use of quarantine for the export of Nepali agricultural produce, the increasing high-handedness of the Sashastra Seema Bal (India’s frontier force in this sector) in dealing with Nepalis crossing over —are some of the challenges on the bilateral plane.

Human trafficking

Human trafficking in Nepal is a serious concern. An estimated 100,000–200,000 Nepalese in India are believed to have been trafficked^.

Sex trafficking is particularly rampant within Nepal and to India, with as many as 5,000–10,000 women and girls trafficked to India alone each year^.

The seriousness of trafficking of Nepalese girls to India was highlighted by CNN Freedom Project's documentary: Nepal's Stolen Children Maiti Nepal has rescued more than 12,000 stolen Nepalese children from sex trafficking since 1993^.

India Nepal boundary disputes-

Why in News?

-Nepal has released a new political map that claims Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh of Uttarakhand as part of Nepal’s territory.

- The area of Susta (West Champaran district, Bihar) can also be noted in the new map.

What is India’s reaction ?

- India has told the Government of Nepal to refrain from such an unjustified cartographic assertion and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

-India has rejected the new map of Nepal saying that Nepal's new map is not based on historical facts and evidence.

What is the strategic importance of Lipulekh pass?

-Lipulekh Pass serves as an important vantage point for India to keep an eye on Chinese movements.

- India’s surveillance of Chinese movements are aided by the height of the Lipulekh pass.

Solutions:

The latest maps have nothing to do with Nepal and were published to retalliate the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

-According to There is no change in the depiction of India-Nepal boundary.

Where is Susta Region?

- Susta is a disputed territory between Nepal and India. It is administered by India as part of West Champaran district of Bihar.

-It is claimed by Nepal.

- Susta is located on the bank of the Gandak river.

-The change of course by the Gandak river (called Narayani river in Nepal)is the main reason for disputes in the Susta area.The Gandak joins Ganga near Patna, Bihar.

Way Forward

India- Nepal relations are historical, based on mutual trust & “roti- beti” (food and marriage). India must urgently solve the matter, and at a time when it already has a Stand -off with China in Ladakh and Sikkim.

Both nations should try to resolve the dispute by taking into account all the shared history & strategic considerations.

India should stop Nepal from turning into another Hambantota.
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