Nepal Falls from Grace, Sovereignty at stake

Nepal had a reasonable regard in the international community for long. It was a prestigious Hindu nation, the only one in the world. Even when India was reeling under the atrocities of the foreign Muslim rulers, Nepal was largely untouched. While the Hindu in India suffered one of the largest genocides of the medieval times in the hands of Muslim rulers, Nepal had their own say in their affairs. However, with the change of events, the loyalty of the Nepali leaders has changed against own citizen. Maoist cadres committed many atrocities against own people. The Maoists & Communists in Nepal became their Achilles heel. The Maoists waged war on own people. THE Nepali Communist leaders and comrades had to flee, to find sanctuary in India. The same Communist leaders are plotting conspiracies now against India. Nepal today has a master in China on whose commands the current leadership is acting.

It all began on 01 Jun 2001 after the monarch family was murdered apparently by own heir who shot himself too. Nepal plunged in to anarchy which was best exploited by the Maoists and the Communists. Their rampant threats, extortions, kidnapping and killings led Nepal in to emergency which alienated the general population from the Monarch. Finally, New King Gyanendra signed a truce in 2005 and the Communist party came to the power and holding on somehow to this date. The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) is believed to be heavily influenced by the Chinese Communist Party and many of the political leaderships are believed to have been bought by the Chinese money. There is at least one black & white transfer of the Chinese slush money paid to the politicians of Nepal to fight election in 2013. Besides, many grey transfers are understood to have taken place…mostly to the ruling Communist party and lesser yet substantial amount to the Nepali Congress leaderships too. There is a perception that most if not all Nepali politicians have been purchased by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who have indirectly gained a complete hold on to them and the internal affairs of Nepal. CCP through their ambassador Ms Hu Yanqi has been directly influencing or dictating the internal affairs of Nepal, not sure whether that is to their liking or not. Surely, no word of dissent is coming from the political leaders of Nepal.

Chinese Flow of Funds to Nepal since 2006

2006-8 –USD 2.6 million Military aid which increased to 19.8million in 2012 for non-lethal military hardware.

2008 –USD 187 million investment in Hydroelectric (Trishul 3)

2009 –USD 21.94 million aid, increased to 140m in 2012.

2009-15 –USD 460 million for Rasuagadhi-Kathmandu road.

2013 –USD 1.9 million as aid in Election

2013-15 –USD 294.4 million for drinking water project.

The Chinese are changing the entire Hindu soul of Nepal. They have struck at the basic root of their culture itself. The Chinese Mandarin language has been introduced right at the primary school levels, funded by the CCP. More and more Chinese tales and customs find the place in their books. World knows that the Chinese are intolerant to the religious approach among their citizens. The Tibetan lost their religious freedom under the Chinese. A Buddhist in Tibet had their head and souls in the peaceful teachings of Buddha but the CCP has strangled the freedom of monks as well as their teachings. The same followed for the Uighur Muslims. Children of Uighur Muslims aged below 16 yrs are forbidden from entering the mosques. Even the adult Muslims are not permitted their Friday prayers as routine. It is restricted to only some places. The Christians too had similar problems. The Churches were prohibited from conducting regular Services. The Christian preachers had gone underground in China. Only recently the CCP has allowed the Roman Pope to appoint the bishops with the CCP prior approval. So as it is going for Nepal, it is only a matter of time before their religious freedom are taken away. It is the CCP which decides what is to be preached and practised during any of the religious activities.

The elites of Nepal are given scholarships for advanced studies in China. Nepalese govt have to buy their military hardware from China. Chinese investments in Nepal are mainly through their Belt & Road Initiatives (BRI). It had already risen to the extent that Nepal cannot repay it. So, Nepal has already fallen in to the Chinese Debt Trap. The Nepali administration and polity is greatly being handled by Ms Yanqi. They have no right to criticise any of the Chinese actions. The Chinese PLA has started their acts of Salami slicing of grabbing Nepali lands adjoining Tibet and also diverting the river waters. They have already put their claims on Mount Everest as their territory. When the Nepali citizen question the govt stand on these issues, Oli govt prefers to keep mum. The Nepali polity seems to have lost freedom of their expressions. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal seems to be dictating the Nepali govt on most issues of governance. She has been behaving as the read power centre in Nepal. The administration and the citizen of Nepal is watching it mutely. Now even the internal differences within the NCP is being resolved by Ms Yanqi as if the Nepali leaders are incompetent to resolve their internal issues. After the differences surfaced between Oli and Prachanda, Ms Yanqi summoned both of them to resolve the issues. Whether Ms Yanqi has honey-trapped the Nepali leadership (as reports are coming in some media) or it is the CCP interference in the internal affairs of Nepal thru’ Ms Yanqi, it is for sure that Chinese are having total hold on the Nepali affairs.

Some resentment has been growing-up to the Chinese interference in Nepali affairs…both internal and external. After the Nepali parliament was dissolved, events took some ugly turn. Prachanda has been elected as the NCP chief but Oli continues holding power. There is an imminent threat of a split in the Nepali Communist Party unlikely to be resolved. Ms Yanqi has tried to broker peace but not yet succeeded. It is understood that Mr Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the International Deptt of the CCP came to Kathmandu on 28 Dec 20 in an effort to resolve an entirely internal issue of Nepal. They consider the Nepali politician incompetent, unable to solve own problems. No nation worth considering itself as sovereign, should tolerate such interferences…that a foreign envoy will dictate and if that chick fails with her body charms then the 2nd grade Chinese leaders come to have its way. It is a very shameful state of affairs. As such, it is doubtful if the Chinese delegation of their CCP will understand what a democracy is. Hence, whatever democratic process have to follow, the Chinese delegation may be ignorant of. They will possibly fail.

Any expert and analyst on International affairs (esp of Nepal) will be inclined to look at the followings: -

• Why China is meddling in their internal affairs with such impunity?
• Why is Nepal tolerating Chinese interferences?
• What are the options for Nepal?
• What could and should India do under such situation?

China has been meddling in Nepal for two reasons. Firstly, it is a long-drawn out plan of Mao-Tse-Tung to merge Nepal as part of their territory…one of his five fingers. Without firing a single bullet, the China finds Nepal fallen in their lap with the debt trap, with the politicians purchased at very nominal price. They will make the debt to do the talking somewhat similar to Pakistan and Sri Lanka…to grab potentially rewarding parts of their territories. It could be Mt Everest or some other area adjoining Tibet…on its either sides…towards Bhutan or Lipulekh. This will provide them an opportunity to choke India at will. Secondly, it is the easiest way for the Chinese to get a permanent military presence within Nepal and threaten to carry out anti-India activities through its open border.

Nepal is tolerating the Chinese interferences mainly for two reasons. Firstly, they are under debt-trap and secondly, their political leadership is believed to have been purchased by the Chinese bribe money. It is altogether a separate matter that all these have been done on the excuse of development of the nation and also trying to show India that they have a better alternative in China, with of course, despicable results.

All the above facts pose a big question as to what are the options for Nepal to come out of the Chinese trap? First of all, they have to come out of the debt trap. Any further loan investment by the Chinese must be stopped. Nepal may seek simpler or easier loans from the International Dev Bank, World Bank, IMF or the likes of. If China is ready to provide interest free loan, it may be fine, provided there are no attachments of the T&C. The next move by Nepal has to be to refuse any type of pressure from the CCP. They must make it clear that NCP is no subsidiary of CCP. Chinese leadership must be told in no unequivocal terms to refrain from any type of interference in the internal affairs. Nepal has to resist Chinese salami slicing, diversion of river water, any strike on its culture. Last but not the least, Nepal must refrain from being used by China against India.

India too has some obligations in respect of its land-locked neighbourNepal. India should not have let the Madhesis to indulge in applying the road embargo in the past. Thanks to the present Modi govt who is trying to ensure Nepalese access to the Indian as well as Chittagong ports for movements of their goods. It was so good to see that Modi govt was the first to rush with the aid & rescue following the earthquake in 2015 but the type of wrong and insensitive publicity that followed on some of the TV channels, could have been avoided. India must ensure that all development projects in Nepal are given due priority and completed in time. The sharing of water, electricity, development of rail/road infra links…all should be overseen for timely completion. A joint action group may be able to iron-out any differences of perception.

Having mentioned the above sticky issues that Nepal is facing, it is their leadership who have to first show their intent to come out of the Chinese hegemony. Whether the NCP will be willing or not to change its course, is anyone’s guess. What is being seen happening in Nepal at this moment, is very unfortunate…that Nepal has apparently fallen from the grace of sovereignty, being dictated by the Chinese on all issues…internal or external.