Skip to main content

Significant developments in the Nepal

This Opinion explains the present political situation in Nepal 

 –Written by  Rakesh Sood, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation till May 2014, is a former Ambassador to Nepal

Summary of the opinion :

1. Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Oli telephoned Mr. Modi on New Year’s Eve to convey his greetings for 2016 and informed him about his government’s plans to move forward with the three-point package while undertaking negotiations with the agitating Madhesi leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM).

2. The first sign of change came on December 21 following the decisions taken by the Nepali cabinet to address the demands of the SLMM.

3.The three-point package consists of constitutional amendments on participation in the state organs on the basis of “proportionate inclusiveness” and delineation of electoral constituencies on the basis of population.

4. other demands — including those pertaining to “citizenship” — are to be resolved through negotiation and appropriate notification.

5. The formal Indian statement has been followed by aninformal easing of supplies, particularly fuel and LPG, by using border-crossing points other than the Raxaul-Birgunj crossing which remains blocked.

6.Nepal’s  monthly imports were usually in the order of NPR 7 billion; these went down to NPR 1.5 billion during October-November but have picked up again and could reach NPR 4.5 billion during December-January.

7. This would imply that more than 50 per cent of the fuel supplies are now going through legally.

8. The SLMM rejected the Oli government’s three-point package as “inadequate” and declared that it fell far short of their 11-point charter of demands.

What were the demands before?

  • Demarcation of provinces which related to five districts.

  • Restoring population as the primary criteria for electoral constituency delimitation.

  • Proportional representation in government jobs.

  • Issues relating to citizenship.

What are the present demands ?

  • Democratization of the army and other security agencies.

  • Restructuring of the judiciary

  • Declaring Nepal a multi-national state

  • Equal status to other languages like Hindi and Bhojpuri

  • A reference to the principle of “proportional representation” in the section on Fundamental Rights

  • The establishment of a constitutionally empowered Inclusion Commission

9.On December 26, Mr. Mahato decided to do a dharna at the Jogbani-Biratnagar crossing where truck movement had picked up and was badly beaten up by the Nepal police.

10.Sensing an opportunity, the Oli government reached out to the SLMM leadership for a meeting in Kathmandu on January 3.

11. Later ,the Oli government had set the wheels in motion for the constitutional amendment process by formally tabling it in the Assembly.

12. There was much fanfare about China supplying 1,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products to alleviate the shortage.

13.The annual requirement is closer to a million tonnes, this is a tiny amount.

14. Nepal’s attempts at negotiating long-term agreements with China have not gone very far.

15. Given the strain Mr. Modi’s “neighbourhood first” policy is under on the Pakistan front, it is understandable that he would like Mr. Oli to stick to tradition.

16.The fact is that nobody thought that the Madhesi agitation and the consequent restrictions on cross-border movement of goods would last this long. As a result, nobody had a Plan B and rhetoric replaced communication.

17.The supply situation has now eased but the Oli government needs to offer a healing hand to the Madhesis to get them on board.

18.If he fails, he may find it difficult to deal with the ensuing instability. The Madhesis need to reach out to the Tharus and Janajatis, the other marginalised groups.

19.For India, the challenge is to give greater political content to its engagement, rebuild trust with the Oli government, and revive the positive sentiments generated by Prime Minister Modi’s visits in 2014.


CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE STORY

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India Tech Vision-2035

India Tech Vision-2035 India's technology thinktank under the ministry of science & technology has come out with `Technology Vision 2035' here at the ongoing Indian Science Congress, identifying the challenges ahead and how they can be dealt with through technological interventions while realising the dream of a developed India by the year 2035. The thinktank -Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) -in the vision document lists a technology roadmap for India, giving details of 12 sectors and technologies that in some cases exist but need to be deployed, some in the pilot stage that must be scaled up and technologies in R&D stage. It, in fact, talks about many future technologies, ranging from flying cars, real time translation software, personalised medicine, wearable devices, e-sensing (e-nose and e-tongue) to 100% recyclable materials among others which may be used in different areas to solve day-to-day problems “The trajectories del...
Post a Comment
Read more

Delhi Dialogue to focus on trading blocs (TPP) and Impact of TPP on India-ASEAN ties

Delhi Dialogue to focus on Impact of TPP on India-ASEAN ties The  impact of the U.S.-led mega trading and political blocs on India-ASEAN ties  is likely to be the highlight of the 8th round of  Delhi Dialogue . One emerging mega bloc, the  Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), received a major boost recently with the joining of Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore (ASEAN Countries). Diplomats are concerned that India will have to adjust to  the new set of security and economic rules  as increasing number of Southeast Asian countries join TPP, which began taking shape with the arrival of President Barack Obama to the White House in 2009. “The process of joining TPP by several countries in Southeast Asia has highlighted the conflicting segments in the Southeast Asian region. Delhi Dialogue will give us a chance to assess how India will have to adjust to these mega trading and political blocs  emerging in this region which is vital fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

RCEP draft moots tough curbs on cheap medicines

RCEP draft moots tough curbs on cheap medicines Analysis of leaked chapter of the draft RCEP agreement Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement – being negotiated by 16 countries (10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 6 other countries that have Free Trade Agreements with the ASEAN) A leaked chapter of the draft RCEP agreement reveals that the  trade pact in its current form could reduce access to affordable medicines in many developing countries . The chapter on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is part of draft of the RCEP agreement. India has opposed some damaging proposals initiated by the RCEP members, particularly Japan and Korea,  involving patent extensions , restrictive rules on copyright exceptions , and  other anti-consumer measures . Some member countries, who are part of both the TPP [the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership] and the RCEP, are trying to push for the TPP standards in...
Post a Comment
Read more