From Doval, a great gift for Nepal

Devendra Gautam

The open wounds of Nepal, the result of a forged Sugauli treaty that supposedly marked the end of the Anglo-Nepal war (1814-16) with the dismemberment of Nepal (with the loss of two-thirds of her territories) through severing of supply lines to women, children and elderly fighting for their ancestral land against an empire bent on conquering the world through gunpower, have begun festering, once again.  

 

This, after China and India agreed to reopen border trade, among other points, through Lipulekh, following discussions between India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where they pledged to boost economic activity, people-to-people contact and cooperation on trans-border rivers.

From Doval, who happens to be from Gadhwal, it’s another ‘gift’ for Nepal, isn’t it? 

Albeit feebly, Nepal has objected to the deal, through a social media post in Nepali from Nepal’s Foreign Minister whereas India, through a statement from spokesperson for its Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, rejected Nepal’s objection to resumption of India-China border trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and stated that Kathmandu’s arguments were not based on “historical facts”.

“Our position in this regard has been consistent and clear. Border trade between India and China through Lipulekh Pass had commenced in 1954 and has been going on for decades. This trade had been disrupted in recent years due to COVID and other developments, and both sides have now agreed to resume it,”  said Jaiswal.

Interestingly, India acknowledges a territorial dispute with Nepal vis-a-vis the Limpiadhura region whereas Nepal says the long belongs to her, citing the Sugauli treaty, historical facts and maps, the old map of Nepal featuring in textbooks as well as currency notes and a population census conducted about seven decades ago. The ‘disputed status’, though, has not stopped India from developing infrastructure like roads through the territory. 

In fact, territorial aggression against Nepal has been going on unabated, with reports pointing out about violations in scores of parcels of land along the Nepal-India border that’s largely open on our side. One wonders if our dear neighbour is pursuing a forward policy against an ill-prepared, ill-governed and a much smaller neighbour.

The fresh agreement appears to be a corollary of a 40-point deal that India and China struck in 2015, during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to China, pledging to boost border trade through the Qiangla/Lipulek Pass.

As Jawaharlal Nehru’s Bhai-Bhai engage in an elephant-dragon dance forgetting their episodic bitterness from the 1962 war (Historical accounts suggest that a band of Indian troops sought refuge in the Nepali territory of Kalapani after their defeat in the war and the Panchayat regime in Nepal granted them permission to do so, on humanitarian grounds. Later, when the regime asked them to leave, they refused, bolstering their presence there instead), the Galwan valley clash of 2020-21 and beyond, Nepal has once again become the proverbial grass that suffers, whether it be in times of peace or war.

Sadly at this crucial juncture in the life of this great nation, our Prime Minister, a bundle of energy that used to roll freely from hip and happening addresses of the youth to seminars to infra inauguration events and anything in between while making sure that this country fired on all four cylinders 24/7, has caught seasonal flu and physicians have advised him to rest.  

How sad? 

But he need not worry. We the people have a high pain threshold and can bear with old wounds. Here’s wishing him a speedy recovery. 

By the way, is this illness part of a foreign conspiracy? How about forming a commission of inquiry to probe a serious matter with a huge bearing on national defense and security?    

Remember, the PM has great things lying ahead like participation in the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (August 31-September 1) where he is sure to shine even in the presence of statespersons from the region and much beyond, protecting national interest like he did, along with other likeminded politicians, in the Mahakali and beyond. 

What’s more, toward mid-September, he will visit Bodhgaya where he will, in all likelihood, have a meeting with India’s PM Narendra Modi, who happen to be great friends with great personal chemistry, like US President Donald Trump and Indian PM Modi. 

Here’s hoping that Shanghai and Bodhgaya engagements will turn out great not only for our PM, but also for this great nation endowed with resources to feed her peoples and ensure them a bright future. Here’s hoping that open wounds will start healing and Nepal will march ahead with our giant neighbours, who happen not just to be the firebreathing dragon and the elephant—not the elephant in the room, of course—but global military and economic giants. 

Hope springs eternal.