The time has come for Nepal to seriously think about its national interests and present itself as a mature and responsible state willing to work with both its neighbors, India and China, for the larger common good, without bias or prejudice. As globalization has become a part and parcel of world peace and security, Nepal should work with other nations in their effort to usher in a new era of global stability, harmony and prosperity.
Yes, Nepal has some issues to settle with India, like the unequal 1950 treaty, which affects Nepal’s image of a proud and independent country. Though these issues have been raised from time to time, it has not produced any tangible result. Continued negotiation on this crucial treaty has not weakened Nepal’s position, but rather helped keep the issue alive. Instead, it is a mark of the country’s determination and belief in the struggle to regain its lost prestige and stand up again as a proud member in the comity of nations. To be precise, the 1950 treaty, though publicly declared null and void by the then Nepali government in 1969, remains in place in practice. The sooner it is revised or amended, the better for both the countries in order to strengthen their bilateral relations.
Likewise, the time has also come to give serious thought to future river projects. In this connection, Nepal itself has to take the initiative and make it abundantly clear to India that unless and until certain reasonable conditions are met, there can be no further agreement on another multipurpose project, forget the Koshi high dam. India should be prepared to concede to Nepal’s just demands of compensation and legitimate rights of upper riparian country in terms of water revenues and freedom to utilize its water resources according to its needs. The water ‘prior use’ clause of Mahakali agreement should be removed to make the treaty beneficial for both sides, and clear the path for future projects.
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As long as Nepal does not develop and use water resources effectively in important sectors like irrigation and hydropower development, she will continue to suffer the pangs of poverty. The attention of the world is now on hydropower development, particularly after the huge loss of life and property in Japan as a result of the breakdown of Daiichi nuclear power station last year. The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident in the former Soviet is still fresh in the minds of global community. These are the reasons the developed countries are not so keen in the development of nuclear power plants and are looking for alternative power sources. And what could be more secure than the hydropower! Nepal, as a responsible country of the South Asian region, should not delay in dealing with a subject so vital for its development and regional stability.
This is the right time for Nepal to explore further possibilities of development of its relations with China. China has already shown great interest and willingness in undertaking big projects like West Seti for mutual benefit, also providing surplus power to India, which is keen to narrow its power gap. It is interesting here to remember a causal remark by Chinese Military Commander and Politician Marshal Chen Yi during his 1965 Nepal visit. He had spoken about the possibility of undertaking huge hydropower projects in Nepal, even all those years ago. No one need worry about any change to Sino-Nepal relations and cooperation. The relationship will always remain cordial and unaffected by the projects, except for the better.
Nepal is a unique country. The beautiful Himalayan range with Sagarmatha as its central point will remain an important tourist destination for people from across the globe. Its wealth of waterfalls, lakes, winding rivers and overall natural beauty will, likewise, continue to capture the imagination of the world. Also, historical religious sites like Lumbini, Janakpurdham and Pashupatinath spread over the country will continue to be world attraction.
One does not have to travel far to learn about the right ways to advance national interests. What China has demonstrated to the world in terms of promoting national interests for the benefit of its people, more so after the October Revolution in 1911, is known to all. India, once a faltering state with a tattered economy, has quickly recovered after the initiation of reforms in 1991 and is now looking to advance its national interests with cooperative and competitive partnerships with countries like China.
The Paramount leader of China, Deng Xiao Ping, not only kept China united and stable but also started a new chapter in its economic history by setting up special economic zones like Shenzhen, which became a hub of creativity and innovation, while simultaneously opening the country to the outside world. Shenzhen, once a marshland situated between Guangdong (Canton) and Hong Kong, has been transformed into a model city, so much so that it came to be compared with Hong Kong. This process continues even today, thus further accelerating the development of China. Recently, I was in Chengdu city in Sichuan Province to attend a conference. Despite a catastrophic earthquake that struck the province in 2008, killing more than 60,000 people, the kind of recovery Sichuan has made, not only in terms of construction but also in turning Chengdu into one of the leading cities in China, was really impressive.
Nepal’s effort to bring China into SAARC as an observer (despite India’s apprehension) during the 2005 SAARC summit in Bangladesh, was laudatory. In fact, I had raised this issue during a SAARC-level meeting in Kathmandu held on the eve of the Dhaka summit. I asked why China could not be included in SAARC for region’s broader interest, if it could be included in ASEAN through a Plus Three mechanism (including Japan and Republic of Korea)? I have also been consistently raising another issue that is of equal importance to Nepal: the country’s observer membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
A couple years ago I was in Xi’an city, the capital of Shaanxi province, to attend the annual meeting of Education Forum for Asia as well as Euro Asia Economic Forum, which is linked with the SCO. I had an opportunity to discuss with SCO members the possibility of Nepal being given an observer status in that forum. I found the SCO members quite receptive to the idea. India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have already become SCO observer members. So why not Nepal? The government should take up the initiative and push the matter to its successful conclusion without further ado. Nothing less than the country’s national interest could be at the stake.
The author is former prime minister of Nepal
This is the second of a two-part article. The first part was published Nov 19 (Monday)
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