The role of Nepal's Ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, in the unfolding constitutional crisis and the diplomatic standoff between Nepal and India has been disappointing. Over the past few months, he has been unable to clearly explain the position of Nepal government vis-à-vis new constitution. Nor was he, it seems, able to effectively convey to Kathmandu the reservations of India over the new constitution. The political establishment in Kathmandu was genuinely surprised by the strong reaction of New Delhi, which has now culminated in an economic blockade. The last-minute running around of Indian diplomats also suggested they were as surprised that Indian concerns had been so blithely ignored. This represents a major failure of the Nepali mission in New Delhi. Reading some of Upadhyay's interviews and watching him over Indian news channels, the Nepali ambassador comes across as someone who is not able to defend his government. This is a cardinal sin for a diplomat, especially someone deputed to such a sensitive mission.The Nepali mission in Delhi had been vacant for three years before Upadhyay was appointed as ambassador earlier this year. He was a surprise pick. A veteran Nepali Congress politician, who had once served as assistant finance minister, he had no diplomatic experience. Nor had he made any contribution to Nepali foreign policy. The appointment of such a novice indicated two things. First, political parties continue to see important government posts like ambassadorships and representatives of various commissions as no more than means to distribute political patronage. Second, foreign policy is far down their priority list. Both these are dangerous signs for a country whose very survival as a unified nation-state owes to a careful balancing act with its two big neighbors. Partly as a result of our incompetent diplomats, Nepal's sovereignty is now under serious threat.
This need not be the case. Our Foreign Service attracts some of the best young minds in the country. Only a select few are eligible to serve under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Senior servants in our foreign policy establishment are not just competent. They will have acquired extensive experience in diplomacy during their repeated interactions with the outside world. So the ambassadors in our important diplomatic missions—India, China, the US—should ideally be veteran diplomats in Foreign Service. Because they are Nepal's official representatives abroad, their conduct is interpreted as reflective of the whole country. This is why the lack of initiative shown by Upadhyay, at such a crucial time, leaves much to be desired. As Indian leaders tend to interact directly with their Nepali counterparts, the Nepali envoy in Delhi doesn't have much to do. This bypassing of what should be the only legitimate channel of communication between India and Nepal is an anomaly that must be corrected. Still, Nepalis would have expected more of their envoy in India, both before and after the promulgation of new constitution. Instead we have our Ambassador to India come to Kathmandu and shamelessly deny there is a blockade at all.
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