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NEPAL PRIME MINISTER KP SHARMA OLI'S REMARKS IRK INDIA

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 1/12/2021 11:54:49 AM

T K NANDANAN Like a bolt from the blue, Nepal Prime Minister, K P Sharma Oli has blurted out that Nepal would get back its territories from India. Has India captured an inch of territory belonging to Nepal?It may be recalled that bilateral relations between India and Nepal turned sour following border issues. Last year, Nepal released a new political map that showed Indian territories as part of Nepal and India reacted sharply calling it a unilateral act. Further, India cautioned Kathmandu that such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. India said that Nepal’s action violated an understanding between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks. In such a strained situation, Oli’s shoot from the hip will only shoot himself in the foot. Oil’s remarked during an address to the National Assembly, “Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh which are located east of the Mahakali River belong to Nepal as per the Sugauli Treaty. We will get them back through diplomatic talks with India.”Oli further said, “We are working to deepen ties with India based on sovereign equality. In fact, we want to deepen the relationship with India in true sense and we should not hesitate to raise our issues of genuine concerns with India.” In his statement, we can see a new found love for India, which, however, cannot be real considering the fact that he is known for pro- Beijing leanings. Here the famous Biblical verse in Mathew 6:24 is relevant- ‘No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’ It was known to everyone that Nepal, the tiny Himalayan country acted as per the whims and fancies of China and it is most unfortunate that Nepal has become a pawn at the hands of China.What annoyed India too much was that Nepal had been acting well to everyone’s dismayas per the well scripted drama by China and the K.P Sharma Oli government was increasingly sending feelers to people living in three villages adjoining the Kalapani region in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand to shift their loyalties to Nepal in order to stake claim over the villages which are administered by India.It should be born in mind that Nepal has more traditional linkage with India than China. But with the Nepali Communist Party coming to power, they began to orient itself towards China in a bid to script colourful bilateral history between the two countries, which now proved to be suicidal for Nepal. It is intriguing to learn that Nepal has started meddling in our affairs with an intention to stoke up anti- India feelings and Nepal has been able to succeed in it and the recent redrawing a controversial map by including Indian Territory, Nepal has further succeeded in alienating Nepal from the hearts of Indians. Why has Nepal started behaving in such wicked and weird manner towards India? When a communist party rules Nepal, it cannot associate with India.On the other hand, it can only propitiate China which is a communist country as well. So, Oli’s statement has only weakened the ties with India.