Nepal's Hard Reality

Whatever the efforts one has to make to undo Nepal’s Nepal’s heard geostrategic reality by introducing new political process in last four years following People’s movement II, what has not changed is Nepal’s geostrategic reality. Many people’s think this is old rhetoric Nearly two and half century has already passed but what Nepal’s unifier Prithivi Naryan Shaha the great, who termed Nepal as a yam between two rocks, is correct observation. Even after transformation from unitary monarchical state to federal republic following India mediated 12 points New Delhi agreement between Maoist and seven political parties, Nepal has not changed a lot. Maoists were encouraged to dismantle all traditional institutions and process and they saw statues of this great king as a threat.

Pointing to Nepal’s difficult position between two big neighbors India and China, Leo Rose in his book Nepal Strategy for Survival writes,” There is a basic similarity between King Prithivi Narayan Shah analysis of Nepal’s role in the Himalayan area and his selection of tactice and that of ninth ruler in his dynasty, King Mahendra Bir Bikran Shah Dev.”

Nepal’s two communist leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, both of whom are communists inspired from leftist of India, too are facing similar challenges at the publication of second edition after 39 years.

In the second edition of Leo Rose Book, which is recently published by Mandla Book Point, renowned historian John Whelpton in his preface writes,” At the end of this book, Rose reported a 1962 conversation with one of Mahendra’s ministers who believed that Nepal’s would eventually be absorbed by either India or China and that nothing Nepalese governments themselves did would make any real difference to the outcome. Rose rightly considered this over-pessimistic. Short of the complete collapse of the Nepalese state, the country’s balancing act is likely to continue indefinitely, albeit with recurring wobbles. However, India and, to a much lesser extent China, will continue to influence internal politics and skillfully handling of relations with both neighbors will remain the key requirement for any Nepalese government that wishes either simply to survive itself or to tackle the many internal problems that Nepal now faces.

Well known Indian analyst C. Raja Mohan in his column in Indian Express writes,” It does not matter if the recent reports from Nepal that China is helping the Maoists buy political support and win the prime minister’s post are true. As Nepal’s large neighbour to the north, China has always had considerable influence in Kathmandu. As its power rises, China’s ability to influence the evolution of its immediate periphery in the subcontinent is growing rapidly.

Read Raja Mohan’s article: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/A-yam-between-two-rocks/679712