Our decision sovereign, says Nepal on reports of influence by China in protest against India – Defence News of India

SOURCE: INDIA TODAY

Nepal rubbished reports that it was influenced by China in the strong protest that it lodged against India for the Link Road construction through Lipulekh pass which remains an unresolved territory between the Kathmandu and New Delhi. Speaking exclusively to India Today TV from Kathmandu, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said that they would never allow any sort of interference in its internal matters.

“Nepal would never allow any sort of interference in its internal matters. We have good relations with China that’s true, but that does not mean Nepal picks a side. Nepal always pursued neutral foreign policy. We have good relations with two foreign neighbours. So, to attribute anything between Nepal and India to a China factor is completely wrong.”

Taking a jibe at the Indian media that reported on the ‘China factor’ and an increasing Chinese influence on Kathmandu, the minister said, “It’s quite popular in a certain section of Indian media and intellectual society. Nepal knows that it has two neighbours. We never compare our relations with our neighbours or friends. Our relation with India is very comprehensive in the way it is built. It is deep-rooted in history and nurtured by shared culture and people to people relations. We also have good relations with China.”

Adding perspective to the story, senior journalist from Kathmandu, Kanak Mani Dixit said that, if anything, China would be embarrassed rather than pleased with problems between India and Nepal on this front since the bilateral agreement on the road link is between New Delhi and Beijing.

“China has otherwise been increasing its diplomatic presence in Nepal, but on the Kalapani issue, it would be embarrassed. That is because Beijing and New Delhi signed an agreement on opening up the Lipu Lek pass. Interestingly, you have Beijing and New Delhi acting in concert on territory that Kathmandu consider historically its own”, said Dixit.

Pradeep Gyawali on Monday had summoned the Indian envoy to Nepal, Vinay Kwatra, to lodge a strong protest. While Nepal covered its position to India through a “diplomatic note”, the minister said that this “unilateral” decision of India went against the prior “understanding” between the two nations.

“Nepal has been again and again trying to organise that meeting. So that’s how the problem has occurred. When India updated its political map in November 2019, immediately after that Nepal clearly expressed its concerns, its objections and tried time and again to organise that mechanism be implemented. But not having a single meeting on the proposed dates by Nepal and the inauguration of the link road has created a big concern in Nepal and that is why we have objected and requested India to refrain from any such activities which go against the prior understanding on that part of the boundary issue should be resolved through diplomatic negotiations”, he said.

The timing of the decision by India has also been questioned since this has given the Opposition parties and the political rivals within Nepal Communist Party to embarrass Prime Minister KP Oli and put him in a spot.

“The timing of the decision by India during the coronavirus pandemic is really surprising. It was not expected because when we proposed the possible dates for negotiations, India didn’t respond. Now at this critical time, we are fighting the coronavirus. We can discuss all this only after the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“There are various elements that are not in favour of good relations between our two countries. We need to start a formal channel of communication so that we can bring all these issues on the table and tell our public that now we are dealing with it and you can trust us”, he added.

Nepal has been under tremendous political turmoil with the Prime Minister struggling to hold on to power. This incident, some say in Nepal, added fuel to fire with the public demanding a sharp reaction from the government.

“The Nepali public is livid, while the Nepal government has been correct and careful. The Foreign Ministry has put out a strong statement laying out Nepal’s case for the Lipu Lek area being its territory, including reference to a long line of recent communications with India which have gone unanswered”, Kanak Mani Dixit explained.

The two sides had decided to set up foreign secretary-level talks to resolve the dispute which is yet to take place.

To a question on proposed dates for talks and when can it take place given the coronavirus pandemic, the minister quipped, “If the coronavirus was an obstacle for negotiations between friendly nations, then we were surprised that it wasn’t an obstacle for this decision. In this context, while the whole of humanity is fighting against Covid-19, this wasn’t the time to create unnecessary controversy which can create unnecessary problems and misunderstandings.”

However, he added, “I think Nepal and India are old neighbours, we have historical ties and have shared culture and destiny. So, these are problems left by history, these are not problems created today. These are unresolved issues of the past”.

“Keeping in mind the excellent level of relations between Nepal and India and their shared future and shared experience we should solve this problem respecting each other’s concerns in the give and take. Though this problem has been created by some misunderstanding, however, once the negotiations start and things get settled, then all misunderstandings can be resolved and we can move ahead towards the right path,” he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday had inaugurated the 80-km road to ease the journey of Kailash-Mansarovar Yatris which would be curtailed to one week compared to 2-3 weeks it took earlier. The road runs through Lipulekh pass and Kalapani which is under dispute between India and Nepal.

India continues to maintain that the area where the road is coming up is a part of its territory.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava in a statement on Saturday said, “The recently inaugurated road section in Pithoragarh district in the state of Uttarakhand lies completely within the territory of India. The road follows the pre-existing route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.”

Nepal’s foreign minister’s response to that is, “If that were the case, then it would not have been necessary to mention that there is an unresolved problem. Because, if the Indian nation believed that it’s an integral part or any such thing, then, it would not have recognised it as an unsolved issue. It should have been resolved through negotiation, dialogue and mutual understanding.”

The politics over this within Nepal is deep-seated in the fight for power between Prachanda and Prime Minister KP Oli. With Prachanda raising the issue in parliament, Oli’s government had to show assertiveness.

In Nepal, this has been an issue ever since India updated its map on November 2 last year which included, Kalapani, an area that Nepal claims as its territory. There have been agitations and protests by the youth in Nepal for the government to act against the decision by India.