By M.R. Narayan Swamy
New Delhi(IANS) : India has taken strong objection to the UN attempt to expand its limited mandate in troubled Nepal, particularly the way its officials have begun to reach out to leaders of the country’s restive ethnic groups.
New Delhi also feels that it made a mistake in neglecting leaders of the Madhesi ethnic community who populate the Terai region bordering northern India and that they need to be supported in a big way as some kind of “safety belt”.
India is slowly redefining its priorities in Nepal in the wake of the major changes taking place in the landlocked kingdom where Maoist guerrillas and mainstream parties have come together against the monarchy, igniting long suppressed ethnic consciousness.
In the process, India does not mind other countries, ranging from the US and the European Union to even China, playing some role in Nepal but it prefers to be the leading external player without rubbing anyone the wrong way.
Once the Maoists and the government made peace, India approved a limited UN presence in Nepal, mainly to oversee the Maoist fighters and their weaponry.
But quietly, UN officials began to expand their mandate, holding talks with various ethnic groups battling for a bigger say in the governance of the country. When India came to know of this, it protested very strongly, and at the highest levels.
“The message has gone home,” an informed source said.
At the same time, Indian officials have kept the US, the European Union and China informed of the various developments in Nepal, and the strategy has worked quite well. It has killed needless animosities.
China has even told India that it has no problem with New Delhi having a major role in Nepal. But if anything were to happen in Nepal that affects the situation in Tibet, then the Chinese would rethink.
Indian officials believe there is no need to be shy talking about Madhesi rights in Nepal. It feels bad that the community is badly divided. New Delhi will, however, keep working behind the scenes to bring different Madhesi outfits together.
India has now taken a conscious decision to invite Madhesi leaders and give them the respect they deserve. Their presence in any Nepali ruling dispensation is something that will benefit New Delhi.
This is all the more important as many Madhesis, who come from the thickly populated plains bordering Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, see the Maoists as siding with the hill people.
The feeling here is that a strong Madhesi role in government will change the character of the Nepal administration and dramatically boost relations between the two countries. The group has barely played any significant role in Nepali politics earlier. But at the same time India in no way approves of the criminal conduct of some Madhesis.
What worries New Delhi now is the repeated postponement of elections in Nepal. Without seeming to interfere in Nepal’s internal political dynamics, India has made it clear to everyone that it favours early elections that have got put off mainly due to Maoist intransigence.
There are growing fears that the credibility of everyone in Nepal will be hit the longer these elections are delayed because the electoral process and the peace process can never be separated.
However, India is conscious of its limitations in Nepal. Although India is largely perceived as a friend in Nepal today, Indian officials are clear that they cannot influence events beyond a point. “And we should recognise these limitations.”
At the same time, every actor in Nepal desires the best of relations with the Indian government, the Maoists included. To that extent, how India acts vis-à-vis Nepal will also play a role in determining what happens in that country.