Fresh protests have broken out in parts of southern Nepal over the country’s new constitution, adopted on Sunday.
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The adoption of a federal, democratic and secular Constitution in Nepal is a historic occasion. But the cold reality is that this is not the first time Nepal has disregarded Indian concerns. Nepal is now to be divided into seven states with boundaries that cut often across ethnic groups, angering many.
In a statement, the external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup also said that two main border crossing points into Nepal were blocked due to the protests by plainspeople and that freight traffic was hit. In the promulgation, 92 per cent of all members endorsed the Constitution, while 85 per cent voted for the document, well over the required two-thirds majority. For instance, children of a Nepalese woman with a foreign husband can not enjoy citizen status in Nepal unless the husband accepts Nepalese citizenship.
However, India’s terse public position on the current situation in Nepal has surprised many. The pro-monarchy Rashtriya Prajatantra Party and various other Hindutva outfits organised protests throughout the country demanding that Nepal be declared a Hindu State. This even as the leaders of all political parties, including the Prime Minister, have repeatedly reached out to find possible solutions. The reference was to the clashes between the Madhesis and Nepali forces in the wake of the announcement of a new constitution.
In retrospect, India did err in not welcoming the new constitution.
Significantly, earlier in the day, India had asked Nepal to address the underlying causes of the continuing unrest “credibly and effectively”. The UCPN (Maoist) leader Pushhpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), for example, has tapped into this rallying around flag by stating that Nepal is eager to maintain friendly relations with India, but not at the cost of becoming its “Yes man”.
Last week, India sent Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar to Kathmandu to urge it to work for a political consensus before adopting the new Constitution.
While China, the other mammoth economy vying for geopolitical influence in the region, promptly issued a statement “sincerely” congratulating Nepal and promising to keep providing economic assistance, India didn’t hesitate to show its displeasure. The charter would bar them from seeking higher office.
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The Indian envoy said the government’s deputing Forest Minister Mahesh Acharya, a close confidant of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, for talks with the agitating Madhes-based parties was a welcome step, aides close to Oli and Nepal told IANS.
