THE SIDELINES AND A WAY FORWARD
This is in continuation of the previous post by the author, "Sikkim: 'New place' or leverage to incite disputes" analyzed the position of Sikkim in the Indo-Sino dispute and the recent standoff.
This blog post will be looking into the Introduction to Nepal-India disputes that may heat the flame in existing India - China strife.
Nepal- In the Political Orbit
Ever since the advent of the Communist party in the government after the 2017 election in Nepal, Nepali politics has seen a power change. The new communist succession has placed the country on the Chinese radar and ejected the earlier prompted engagement of India in the region. The recent Chinese presence in the country provokes the concerns that the long India-Nepal affiliation may come to an end.
There is more than a little that is common between India and Nepal, but we are losing our neighbor bit by bit since China and the USA got their eyes on Nepal. China has indeed acquired vast resources and it has invested in Nepal, owing to China's unprecedented economic success over three decades.Such investments were the way in Nepal's politics impairing it and resulting in the high profile public works. The recent years have seen the increasing Chinese-owned business in the territory adorned by the Chinese signs and symbols. China, in addition to all this, has also laid a railway line from Tibet to Kathmandu in Nepal under its China Belt and Road Initiative.
It is not only China that has come up with the advantageous use of Nepali territory, India too played in the game when it interfered with the operational monarchy of Nepal and get them a status of Democracy. It is not that Nepal has been appreciative this interference. Though India is active on many levels, some of it is below the radar, but cannot compete with China's vast financial clout.
The US too has been trying to take the territory in the use for military purposes given the position against China in March 2019. It has also been seeing to flourish Christianity to make for the loyal soldiers.
In the current context, the dysfunctional and highly vulnerable polity and economy of Nepal are relevant to be understood.
The Red Lines on the Map
It all began with the virtual inauguration of an 80 Kms long road connecting India to China near Lipulekh. This road is contested to be in the territory of Nepal as they claim and therefore, there were protests in Nepal, coming up to a situation where Nepal's Parliament released a new map via a Constitutional amendment.
The disputed territory is referred to as 'Kalapani' and Nepal claims it arguing the Treaty of Sagauli, 1815. On the other hand, India has been in its possession for over more than 60 years on record. The matter was a bilateral issue, but the things are not right as the deal has been struck down by Nepal on 13 June 2020 when it passed the amendment declaring the new map of Nepal with Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura on it by the majority.
The next thread of posts will deal with the answers for why is this happening between India and Nepal, as analyzed by several scholars.Stay connected for the in-depth update.
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