International Relations Class 09

Revision of the Previous class(05:07 PM)

Question from the Previous class(05:10 PM)
● The close relations at the level of the people do not extend to
state-to-state ties. Comment.
The unprecedented closeness between the two countries(05:13 PM)
● a. Roti-Beti ka sambandh:
● Cross border marriages
● Inter dining
● Pahari people are dominant
● Terai region: Madhesis
● Cultural ties:
● Religious linkages: Hindus, Buddhism
● Language linkages: Nepali, Bhojpuri, Maithili
● Political ties:
● Shah kings who ruled Nepal for more than 200 years were in fact
Sisodia Rajputs from India.
● Military ties
● Economic ties
● Strong economic ties in terms of Nepali currency pegged to the
Indian rupee.
● Out of 29 million Nepalis, 7 million work in India.
● SD Muni Said that such is the closeness that these two countries
are lodged in each other's intestines.
● As close neighbors, India and Nepal share unique relations
characterized by open borders(one can travel without a visa
and passport) and deep-rooted people-to-people contact
sharing family ties and cultural relations.
● India-Nepal denotes 'roti-beti ka Rishta.
● The cultural connection between the two countries runs from
Lumbini to BodhGaya and Pashupatinath to Kashi
Vishwanath.
● The prominent languages of Nepal are:
● Nepali
● Maithili
● Bhojpuri
● and they are rooted in Indian Languages:
● Sanskrit
● Pali and
● Hindi
● The Shah kings of Nepal(1769-2008) were Sisodia Rajputs of
Rajasthan.
● Nepal has a total population of 29 million of which 7 million live
and work in India.
● Even geographically, the Terai region of Nepal runs into the
Northern Indian plains forming a contiguous geographical unit.
● The unprecedented closeness is also evident in the Indian
Army having a Gorkha regiment that recruits the Nepali
Gorkhas.
● Thus, SD Muni, the prominent India-Nepal Relations expert, has
famously commented that the two countries are 'lodges in each
other's intestines.
● Despite the such closeness, the relations remain fraught with
challenges:
● Reasons:
● 1. India does not have an independent Nepal policy.
● Its Nepal policy is in fact a subset of India's China policy.
● Given India's persistent and grave insecurity vis-a-vis China.
● India seeks to micromanage affairs in Nepal.
● Hence, it is comparable to Pakistan's foreign policy vis-a-vis
Afghanistan.
● Such is the deep insecurity vis-a-vis China that even Jawahar
Lal Nehru had no hesitation in declaring in the Indian Parliament
on 6th December 1950 that "India's security will enjoy
primacy over Nepal's sovereignty".
● India cannot accept Nepal following the Policy of equidistance
with respect to India and China.
● It must prioritize its relations with India.
● Following the Chinese annexation of Tibet, India wanted to
make Nepal a buffer state to prevent China's direct access to
the Northern Indian plains.
● Nepal was also concerned vis-a-vis Irredentist China and
wanted to revive the special relations it had with British India.
● However, Nepal is:
● a. Too big a country - 45th largest in the world: twice the size
of Sri Lanka.
● b. Too proud of its non-colonial history.
● 2. To be a vassal state to another country:
● Political instability in Nepal:
● Nepal represents a pillared polity- the king, the Ranas(PMs),
the Congress and the Maoist have been the different power
centers.
● India in trying to develop good relations with all the pillars,
could not gain the trust of either.
● In its short history of Constitutional development, it has seen five
formal Constitutions and two interim Constitutions.
● Because of such political instability, India could not form a
coherent foreign policy vis-a-vis Nepal.
● Lack of Professionalism in India's approach:
● Most of the Indian ambassadors have been from the state of UP
and Bihar and consequently have had kinship relations across
the border.
● Thus, they fail to present a neutral picture of the ground realities
in Nepal.
● Rather than building democratic institutions and structures in
Nepal, India has supported individuals who could serve as
Indian stooges.
● India has often overlooked diplomatic protocols in its dealing
with Nepal.
 ● The peace and friendship Treaty of 1950 was signed by Nepali
PM and the Indian Ambassador.
● This hurt the Nepali ego.
● Delay and at times failure in the implementation of the promised
projects have created scope for China's influence in the country,
for example, China's growing presence in the hydroelectric
power sector in Nepal such as West Seti Dam.
● Nepal's founder Prithvi Narayan Shah compared Nepal to a
"Yam" stuck between the two Asian Giants- India and China.
● Thus, Nepal has always insisted on following a diversified
foreign Policy to counterbalance India.
● However, India insists on Nepal prioritizing its relations with
India.
The close ties at people to people level are not replicated at state to
the state level(06:16 PM)
● Pangs of Proximity:
● Given the societal and religious similarities with India, Nepal
is acutely conscious of its 'independent identity' from India.
● Otherwise, they believe that they would be subsumed within the
larger Indian identity.
● Anti-India sentiment is the barometer to measure Nepalese
nationalism.
● This is the key systemic reason for poor India-Nepal
state-to-state ties.
● Nepal has internalized the angst of a small state.
● They particularly resent India's big brother attitude.
 ● In recent times, other factors affecting state-to-state ties:
● 1. Left politics in Nepal
● 2. Vastly increased influence of China in Nepal,
The Treaty of peace and friendship, 1950(06:36 PM)
● Context:
● china's annexation of Tibet
● Provisions of the Treaty:
● India recognizes Nepal as the sovereign state.
● National treatment of each other's citizens in terms of
employment including public employment.
● However, India willingly has relinquished its right to seek public
employment in Nepal.
● Nepal will give primacy to India in terms of infrastructure
development including hydropower projects and other
business opportunities.
● Problems with the Treaty(06:54 PM):
● There exists no dispute with respect to the provisions of the
Treaty.
● The problem lies in the secret letters that were exchanged along
with the Treaty.
● Provisions of the Secret Letters:
● 1. Both countries shall not tolerate any act of aggression
against one another.
● 2. Nepal shall not import arms from any other country except
India.
● If it were to import arms from a third country, it will do so with
explicit permission from India and provided that India is
unable to fulfill Nepalese requirements.
● Nepal's criticism of the Treaty:
● 1. It violates Nepal's Sovereignty since it allows India's
interference in Nepal's foreign and defense policy.
● 2. Since the Treaty was signed with the Rana's of Nepal who
did not enjoy Nepali goodwill, the treaty lacks legitimacy.
● 3. Nepal Claims that India gets disproportionate benefits from
the Treaty.
● Way forward:
● 1. Since the Treaty is used to incite anti-Indian sentiments in
Nepal, India should, like its Treaty with Bhutan, agree to amend
the Treaty.
● 2. Nepal draws substantive benefits through this Treaty.
● Since it allows for open borders between the two countries
and Nepalese to seek employment in India without any
requirement of a work permit or others.
● It allows citizens of the two countries rights to buy property etc in
the other country.
● 3. The provisions of the secret letter which required Nepal to
consult India vis-a-vis its defense requirements are no longer a
secret and have often been violated.
● 4. In fact, the open borders are used by Pakistan to infiltrate
terrorists and pump fake currencies into India.
 ● Thus, every time in the past when India agreed to revise the
Treaty, Nepali politicians sidestepped.
● In fact revision of the Treaty is more a political issue.
● 5. In 2016, India and Nepal constituted an eminent person group
to look into the revision of the Treaty.
● It finalized its report in 2018 but it has not been officially
received/adopted.
Hydro-electric power corporation(07:11 PM)
● 1. Hydroelectric power potential of Nepal is 83000 MW of which
40,000 MW is feasible at the current level of technology.
However, Nepal produces around 1000MW.
● This results in severe power shortages in Nepal including long
power cuts even in Kathmandu.
● 2. Nepal imports 600 MW of electricity from India to manage its
domestic demands.
● 3. Their reluctance of HEP to cooperate with India has resulted
in its gross underutilization.
● The optimal harnessing of their hydropower would not only meet
their domestic demands but generate surplus power to be
exported to bring in the necessary Forex reserves.
● Nepal's Concerns vis-a-vis Indian investment in the HEP
sector:
● 1. Slow progress and at times fail to deliver the projects on time.
● 2. Nepal alleges that India plans big dams which are
ecologically and geologically unsustainable.
● 3. While India demands primacy, Nepal wants to issue open
tenders to allow better price discovery.
● Way Forward(07:30 PM):
● India-Nepal entered into a power trading Agreement, in 2014
which allows for joint investment in infrastructure building,
joint marketing, and establishment of joint transmission
lines.
● They have agreed upon the development of the ARUN III 900
MW HEP project.
● The Mahakali Treaty which was signed in 1996 during Deuba's
first term as Nepali PM, covers Sharda and Tanakpur
barrages along with the Pancheshwar Dam(5000 MW
project).
● Presently both sides have agreed to take the cooperation
ahead with the early finalization of a detailed project Report.
● The ambitious 7 billion dollar project will require political will to
move forward.
● Also, PM Deuba has pushed through the ratification of a 500
million US dollars grant assistance Millenium challenge
corporation despite reservations of its coalition partners.
● The grant provides for the construction of a high voltage
electric power line.
● Earlier the opposition to the MCC grant was born out of the fear
that the power line project will be linked to India's electric grid
which will increase Kathmandu's dependence on New Delhi
and harm its growing trade partnership with China.
● The joint vision statement on Power sector cooperation
recognizes the opportunities for joint development of the HEP
projects along with cross-border transmission linkages.
● Reasons:
● Improving India-Nepal relations is the natural objective of the
BJP led NDA government.
● BJP represents ethnonationalism. Thus, believes the shared link
of Hinduism and the close societal ties will aid in developing
close relationships between the two countries.
● PM Modi visited Nepal in the months following his becoming the
Prime Minister, his visit to Nepal in Aug 2014 was the first visit by
an Indian PM to Nepal in 17 years.
● In his first term, he visited Nepal four times.
● Deuba of Nepali congress supports good India-Nepal relations,
unlike the Left parties in Nepal- the Maoist and the Unified
Marxist Leninist, they privilege relations with China.
● Note:
● Unlike Nepal, HEP cooperation between India and Bhutan is an
example of win-win economic diplomacy.
● Under this cooperation, India provides finance in the form of
loans and grants to establish HEP plants in Bhutan and once
the domestic energy requirements are met, Bhutan exports
surplus power to India at subsidized rates.
● Thus, while HEP has become the major export item for Bhutan,
India gets clean energy at low prices.
The topics to be discussed in the next class- Continuation of
India-Nepal Relations, China and Nepal relations, Indo-Bangladesh
relations