[There should not be any hesitation on the part of India to encourage and assist a small country like Nepal holding tremendous natural resources to go its own way towards the upliftment of its people under the system it chooses, of course, without giving any room of fear and concern to other’s security. For a poor country like Nepal the only way to raise the living standards of its people and take them out of persistence poverty and destitution is by optimum utilization of its natural resources. People of Nepal are now fully aware of this reality and they are not prepared to compromise on this single most key to future prosperity. Nepal was forced to give in unwillingly on its major resource—several projects relating to water resources, in the past.]
By Kirti Nidhi Bista*
The period following the Second
Jana Andolan of 2006, which brought a monumental change in Nepal ’s
modern history, has been fraught with contradictions. There are disputes over
the issue of federalism, secularism and system of governance. In fact the
confusion on these issues led to the demise of the first Constituent Assembly.
It is expected that the new constitution in-the-making will answer most of
these questions, ending the current uncertainty and disorder. However, it
cannot be expected with the kind of leadership today that a national agenda,
commensurate with a new constitution reflecting the aspirations of all the
people of Nepal ,
will come anytime soon.
It is the duty of the people’s
representatives to clearly outline this national agenda that is aimed at the
wellbeing of the people. Nepal ’s
recent past (twenty five years) gives a dismal picture of country’s over
dependence on others, mostly foreign individuals and nations, for the
development of every sector -- be it governance, economic and social
development or exercise of sovereign rights as an independent country. Sadly
again, it has occurred despite the change of governments led by every major
political party of different ideology and perspective. Failure to carve out
national agenda based on country’s national interest and successive
implementation has turned it into a poor country in spite of profuse natural
endowment and rich cultural heritage. Will the present political leaders
continue to remain oblivious of Nepal ’s
downward spiral thus making it impossible to revive the nation?
No country anywhere in this world
has been able to move forward in the path of progress and prosperity without a
clear objective and subsequent goals. For a country like Nepal that has taken a
transformational challenge, similar to the emergence of a new state, the
national agenda must be given full focus and every effort has to be employed in
the attainment of national plans so derived. Some of the critical agendas are
obvious: Promulgation of a new constitution that should clearly specify Nepal ’s
identity covering its system of governance, development model, social justice
as well as its role in the regional and international affairs. To steer the
country in the right direction, other equally important issues such as national
security and stability, utilization of national resources, relations with
friendly countries, particularly its neighbors, must be paid full attention to. Let us try to reexamine Nepal ’s
relations with its closest neighbor India
from a fresh perspective.
The essence of bilateral
relations is based on mutual trust and understanding that India
and Nepal
enjoyed in the 1960s and 1970s. The level of trust and understanding was so
excellent that the Indian Prime Minister of the time, Indira Gandhi, took time
out to pay an official visit to Nepal
in 1973 despite the removal of Indian military missions and check posts from Nepal
in 1969. Prior to that, after India
and Pakistan
entered into war in 1971, I was consulted about the likely involvement of China
in that war that gave Bangladesh
her independence. At no time in that period was there any disruption of
dialogue between India
and Nepal . In
fact when I paid a state visit to India
in 1972 (barely two years after Nepal ’s
action on the removal of Indian military mission and check posts) she showed an
unprecedented gesture of attending a reception hosted by the Nepalese Embassy
in my honor. I had been making continuous efforts to convince her that Nepal ’s
relations with China
would in no way harm Nepal ’s
excellent relations with India
rather it would help in the long run.
It might be relevant here to
recall President Nixon’s initiative and policy to establish bilateral relations
with China . As
a preparation to that event, Vice President Agnew had visited Nepal
to see whether Nepal
would be able to help in the US ’s
mission as Nepal
was one of the close and dependable neighboring countries of China
as well as a trustworthy friend of the United
States . Ultimately the US
chose Pakistan
as a favorable country to carry on with the preliminary work for contacts with China .
In fact the friendly agreement reached between China
and the US was
not only historic but also far-reaching for ensuring global peace and
stability. It might be interesting to note here that at one time United
States of America and People’s Republic of China
were so hostile to each other that one branded the other as enemy number one
and was prepared to go to any extent to finish the other. The Korean war was a
glaring example of the hostile environment of the time.
However, it must be reckoned that
the situation changed in the 1970's wherein hostility turned into productive
friendship in an unexpected manner. If a new beginning of cooperation and
friendship can be established between two countries after a long period of
distrust and hostility there is no reason why friendly countries cannot work
together to build trust and confidence for the betterment of their people.
For India and Nepal, with the
kind of relationship firmly built up on social to economic ties since ancient
times, there is no reason or excuse whatsoever to be content with the present
state of relationship which is less than cordial due to certain grievances of
Nepal and wrongly placed policy of India. Obviously the onus to improve this
unwarranted state falls on the shoulders of mighty India .
There should not be any
hesitation on the part of India
to encourage and assist a small country like Nepal
holding tremendous natural resources to go its own way towards the upliftment
of its people under the system it chooses, of course, without giving any room
of fear and concern to other’s security. For a poor country like Nepal
the only way to raise the living standards of its people and take them out of
persistence poverty and destitution is by optimum utilization of its natural
resources. People of Nepal
are now fully aware of this reality and they are not prepared to compromise on
this single most key to future prosperity. Nepal
was forced to give in unwillingly on its major resource—several projects
relating to water resources, in the past.
People of Nepal
are stricken with perpetual grief when they see Nepal ’s
water flowing constantly in the Indian side but are confronted with parched
earth on their side in dry seasons from the so-called joint projects with India .
The Koshi and Gandak projects had been constructed with the hope that both
sides would be able to benefit from such friendly joint ventures, but the outcome
is obvious. Lacking proper knowledge and expertise, and just opened up to the
outside world, Nepal
had relied heavily on India
to guide it on economic front. That was in the earlier periods when India
had also just started to come to grips to power as an independent nation whose
only development experience came from the British colonial times.
Given the goodwill and extensive
people-to-people relations that the two countries enjoy, any situation could be
brought under control and taken to the right direction if the mistake, however
unintentionally, committed in the past, and posture taken due to defective
assessment of the potential of any country big or small was realized at the
right time. With sincere efforts made, a new door would have definitely opened
for strengthening not only bilateral relations and making it productive but
also contributing to regional and international peace, security and
development. Both India
and Nepal
should have come forward with open mind and without prejudices much earlier to
create an ideal relationship that befitted them.
However, it pained the Nepalese
people to see that the earlier Indian governments, before Narendra Modi coming
to power, did not think it necessary to change its mindset and had been trying
to monopolize the entire water resources of Nepal
to India ’s
maximum benefit. To the Nepali side it appeared that India
did not care to know the growing pains of the Nepalese people stricken with
poverty. It is widely taken that a poverty stricken country can be congenial to
crime, violence and even terrorism. So with the continuance of such kind of
deplorable condition in Nepal ,
how can India
be free and safe from its concerns of security and rightly so? It needs no
further explanation. So, it is also the right time for the new Indian
leadership to change its outlook towards Nepal .
With the emergence of Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) as the most powerful political party recently elected by a
comfortable majority led by fearless, outspoken and committed leader Narendra
Modi there cannot be any other time more opportune. This is the proper time to
assess Indo-Nepal relations from a fresh perspective and contemplate on its
future prospect. More than diplomatic nuances as well as the usual coercive
tactics there should be a straightforward discussion between the two
independent and sovereign neighboring countries treating each other in a
dignified way as equals. The bright future of both nations depends on being
able to create an environment of cooperation and understanding that alone can
build mutual trust and confidence.
This is also the most favorable
time for Nepal
to get India
involved in its economic development through proper and just use of water
resources for irrigation and generation of hydropower that should benefit both
the countries immensely. As China
and India are
not only competing between themselves but also internationally, they can also
think of making Nepal
a sound bridge for their ever-increasing bilateral trade and commerce. It is
also relevant to refer here that there was a time when Nepal
had only two small hydropower projects at hand, Trishuli and Sunkoshi, and they
were undertaken and completed by India
and China . The
power generated from these two plants served the Nepalese people well. Why not involve India
and China today
for generation of hydropower that is so much needed in both India
and Nepal ?
China is willing to invest
billions of US Dollars in this sector like in West Seti hydropower project
already approved by the Nepalese government and such ventures would not only
help Nepal but also India. With Modi’s friendly disposition to China ,
it will be much easier for Nepal
to handle the situation and move forward in its march to peace, stability and
development. Today China
and India are
not only competing but also cooperating with each other to enhance their
economic relations and settle the long-standing border problem by negotiation.
Given the air of skepticism on
proper utilization of Nepal ’s
water resources hanging between Nepal
and India this
is no time to think about a long-term plan of utilizing it comprehensively. The
time will be ripe to venture on such long-term projects when Nepal
and India reach
the level of trust and confidence in their relations as in the past (1960s and
1970s). The Mahakali multipurpose project endorsed and passed by the parliament
in the dead of the night some fifteen years back despite strong opposition from
the people of Nepal ,
particularly some sections of political parties and civil society activists,
has not moved an inch. So the need of the hour is to implement that project as
soon as possible in a manner that will turn out to be beneficial to both Nepal
and India from
power and irrigation point of view. India ,
as a corrective step to past agreement, should not hesitate to compensate for
upper riparian country’s water flowing to India
for irrigation purposes free of cost. With the completion of this project it
will also help the most backward western areas to develop.
It is about time that the present
Nepalese leaders made their own decision and prioritized Nepal ’s
agenda. The most backward and underdeveloped western parts of Nepal
must get top priority for ensuring the overall stability and preventing
unwarranted activities to flourish there as a result of poverty and
unemployment. If India is eager to take up another mega hydropower project in
Nepal to satisfy its growing energy needs to keep up with the pace of economic
development then the Karnali project should be offered to it. There is no point
in fiddling around with sensitive projects such as Koshi high dam where the
Nepalese hydropower experts have maintained their stand that the project is
detrimental for Nepal .
In short, more than anything else, it is the national interest that should not
only be preserved but also duly advanced in cooperation with neighboring
countries on mutual trust and understanding.
* The author is former prime
minister of Nepal.
@ Setopati
