India’s Concern In Nepal

India’s well known strategic writer general Ashok Mehta, who had written numbers of articles defending Nepal’s Pushpa Kamal Dahal as a revolutionary to defeat monarchy, seems to have other views about him now. Thanks to support Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal secured from analyst like Mehata Monarchy has gone and Maoist are established as a strong political force in Nepal.

Although Prachanda remains same as his activities, general Mehata tone has changed. He resembled Prachanda as a pro-Chinese. Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal’s political leaders always faced similar criticism from Indian scholars like Mehata and Prachanda is not exception. It is Nepal’s geo-strategic reality which shapes the behavior of Nepal’s political leaders.

“India should fear that the Hambantota port constructed by a Chinese consortium could become the southern anchor of its ‘String of Pearls’ around India. The refurbishment of Colombo harbour has also been bagged by China. Sri Lanka has drawn capital from India’s strategic silence over its pivotal military assistance in defeating the Tigers. This has helped Colombo to “look beyond Delhi” and openly acknowledge China’s key role in winning the war. Like Mr Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Nepal, Mr Rajapaksa has a grand vision of reducing dependence on India,courtesy China. Clearly New Delhi has lost the strategic plot in Sri Lanka. The outright defeat of the LTTE has diminished its influence in Colombo,” writes Mehata. “It should have been payback time for Sri Lanka. Instead Colombo has subtly introduced the China card, complimenting the traditional Pakistan linkage to balance India. With China burrowing deep into Nepal in the north, it is repeating the exercise in the south. India’s optimistic claims of “decisive influence without direct involvement in Sri Lanka” are no longer valid. Mrs Indira Gandhi’s ‘Monroe Doctrine’ has been superceded by ‘Mahinda Chinthan’.

Visit to read Mehata's article: http://www.dailypioneer.com/286308/India-loses-the-plot.html