India has expedited its efforts to scuttle China’s move to grow its influence in Nepal and to put the ties with Kathmandu back on the track. With Beijing making all possible attempts aimed at pushing India out of Nepal, New Delhi has decided to engage Kathmandu more than ever before.
In the next couple of months, Nepal will see visits of several key Indian officials from diplomatic and military establishments. Sources said that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is likely to hold talks with his counterpart in Nepal next month amid China’s growing activities in the landlocked country. Sources said the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also likely to talk to Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali sometime this month, sources said. The top diplomatic officials will try and ensure that Nepal does not fall into the trap of Beijing at any cost.
In another significant development, Indian Army Chief General M.M. Naravane will visit Kathmandu next month. This would be the first high-level Indian visit to Nepal after the boundary dispute escalated a few months ago. Sources said that Gen Naravane’s visit is likely to take place in the second week of November. However, a date is yet to be fixed. According to sources, the Army Chief’s visit to Kathmandu will be a significant message to China. It may be recalled that Naravane had given a strong reaction when the boundary row escalated with Nepal.
The Army Chief had then said that Nepal was acting “at the behest of someone else”. He was hinting at China while giving this remark. That China has been trying to provoke Nepal to needle India has been proved by New Delhi on several occasions at various forums. Meanwhile, Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will confer the rank of the Honorary General of the Nepal Army on Gen Naravane. It’s a 70-year-old tradition, a reciprocal arrangement between the two Armies since 1950.
In another significant development which augurs good as far as India-Nepal ties are concerned, Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli recently shunted out the country’s Deputy PM Ishwar Pokhrel out of the defence ministry.
This move was seen as an effort to reset ties with India. As Defence Minister, Ishwar Pokhrel had been one of India’s sharpest critics in PM Oli’s cabinet. What is more important is that Nepal’s Defence Minister has been shunted ahead of Indian Army Chief’s visit. Sources believe that it is indicative of Nepal seeking to improve ties with India in what will not go down well with China.
Sources said that Indian diplomatic and military officials will be holding talks with their Nepalese counterparts in next couple of months and China will definitely be a key issue during the interactions. India’s ongoing projects in Nepal have been reviewed at the level of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources added. Sources said that the PM wants India Financed projects in Nepal to be expedited so as to preempt China there.