Join WhatsApp Channel
After a reset in ties with Bangladesh, India is aiming to rework its relations with Nepal during a visit by Prime Minister Balendra Shah. There are no dates yet for the visit, but India has already begun preparations, given the importance of ties, especially given the depth of people-to-people ties and the open border between the two countries.
Shah took office as prime minister last month after the Gen Z uprising ousted the K.P. Sharma Oli government in September last year. An interim government headed by Sushila Karki, a former chief justice, held power in the interim.
In several ways, the transition in Nepal mirrored the changes in Bangladesh, not least because the change in Bangladesh, too, was youth-driven. But New Delhi wasn’t as lucky with the Bangladeshi interim government as it seems to have been with the Nepalese one. Ties were strained considerably on many counts, including India giving shelter to the ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Hindu minorities being targeted in Bangladesh. It has taken considerable patience and effort to set ties on an even keel again.
Consolidation of India-Nepal ties after a period of drift is also of vital importance. At 35, Shah is the youngest Nepal Prime Minister. India will need to be sensitive to the fact that Nepal’s politics is now youth-driven, and it must fashion its strategy accordingly to re-establish itself as Nepal’s partner of choice.
As the leader of a youthful country, 16- to 25-year-olds make up approximately 20.8 per cent of Nepal’s population, with 40.68 per cent in the 16–40-year bracket – Shah will have to show results to his people — and fast. Notice that barely a month in office, he has cracked down on corruption among the old generation of politicians. His first cabinet meeting unveiled an ambitious 100-point reform agenda underlining his determination to curb corruption, overhaul public institutions and modernize state delivery of public services.
That Shah is likely to make his India visit before China will be noted with satisfaction. But India must be ready to step up its economic partnership with Nepal. An aspirational Nepalese youth will be looking for jobs and a better quality of life. India must show itself as a willing partner to achieve these goals. Especially since China, with deeper pockets, is determinedly making inroads into India’s periphery – including Nepal and Bangladesh.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.
Related posts:
Between Opportunity and Entrapment: Bangladesh Must Tread Carefully on the EU Partnership Deal
Nepal’s Gen-Z Takes Politics From the Streets to the Ballot Box
Nepal’s Election as a Geopolitical Test
Interim Governance, Democratic Transition, and Bangladesh’s Global Standing: An Eighteen-Month Appraisal
