10.6 India – Nepal Relations

. India – Nepal Relations India and Nepal are geographically close to each other. Nepal’s lowland areas are a part of the Gangetic plain and it occupies the central part of the Himalayan foothills and mountains that extends between China and South Asia. Nepal and India share a border of over kms in the East, South and West with five states, Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand sharing their borders. Nepal had been earlier the only Hindu Kingdom in the world. However, one –eighth of its population are Buddhists and there is a small population of Muslims and Christians living in the country. While Nehru always regarded Nepal as a sovereign state, at the same time it was ( considered as an integral part of India’s security system. Occupation of Tibet by China in affirmed Nepal’s importance in India’s security umbrella. It was never a “threat from Nepal” but “threat to Nepal”, that India could not afford. An important step towards establishing such an order was the signing of Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal on July , . India’s overtures to Nepal went beyond the security interest. On the same day of signing Peace and Friendship Treaty, both the countries also signed Treaty of Trade and Commerce. This agreement became a hallmark of close economic relations between both the countries. Political Relations India’s relations with Nepal in the immediate aftermath of independence of both the countries revolved around the political struggle between the King and the Rana’s, (Prime Ministerial clan of Nepal). While negotiating the Treaty India was also persuading Nepal’s Rana rulers to liberalize their political system to become more democratic and accommodate a section of the population that was fighting to get political rights and freedom. However, India’s advice did not seem to be making much impact on the Ranas, which forced New Delhi to adapt proactive stance and intervene directly in the Nepali situation. India’s approach to Nepal remained consistent ever after the death of Nehru. The subsequent Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, VP Singh and Chandrashekar followed the same policies for Nepal. There were numerous bilateral visits taken by Prime Ministers of both countries to improve ties. Lal Bahadur Shastri Indira Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi Chandrashekar VP Singh Nepal revolution Post ’s India has been following a twin pillar policy since restoration of the multi-party system. The pillars include constitutional monarch and multi-party democracy sustaining together. But, this policy started experiencing strains with the beginning of new millennium due to two reasons, namely, the changing character of monarchy and the growing intensity of the Maoist insurgency. Nepal, the only South Asian country to have never been formally colonized, is situated between India and China, two massive competing economies, each with a unique historical relationship with the Himalayan region.