‘India has no design to overwhelm Nepal’

Kathmandu, August 2

In-charge of Foreign Affairs Department of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Vijay Chauthaiwale today said India did not have any ‘design’ to overwhelm or dominate Nepal.

Stating a section of people had mistaken belief that India had been acting on a ‘design’ to overwhelm Nepal, Chauthaiwale said Nepal was a sovereign country which charted out its path to development and prosperity on its own. “We are just here to help you on equal terms,” he said at an interaction programme on ‘Nepal Bharat Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges in Present Context’ held in Kathmandu.

Chauthaiwale said there might be issues on which one of the two might not agree, but the bond of friendship between the two countries would always remain strong. “We resolve one issue, and another crops up. This is natural. But I reassure that mutual friendship will always remain.”

Chauthaiwale said Nepal-India ties could not only be defined in terms of agreements and treaties and that the two countries were characterised by bonding among their populace and shared civilisation. Stating that sky was the limit for economic cooperation between the two countries in areas such as education, investment and innovation, he said the cooperation has to be on win-win terms for both the countries. “We can build on the relation on the basis of pragmatism and by deepening the civilisational connection,” he said.

Chauthaiwale also congratulated Nepal for the change it underwent over the past 5-6 years in terms of nurturing the democratic system.

He said the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had overcome ‘historical hesitation’, manifested by his visits to Israel and Mongolia. He said India under Modi had also overcome ‘strategical restraints’ through surgical strikes in Pakistan after terrorist attacks in Uri and Balakot.

“Modi has promised reciprocal and proportionate response to such incidents,” he said.

Another salient feature of India’s foreign policy, according to Chauthaiwale, was deepening civilisational bond, and that Nepal was an important part of it. He said Modi’s visit to Janakpur in May last year was aimed at strengthening the civilisational bond between the two countries.

He said the Indian foreign policy was also aimed at revitalising and empowering huge Indian diaspora, making them a part of India’s development.

Stating that India had gained, created its distinct identity in global arena, Chauthaiwale said India had overcome previous ‘barriers’ like non-aligned movement, and that India would now forge alliances. “We are, however, not ignoring our long time partners and neighbours,” he said, adding it was manifested by around 50 high-level visits by India to African nations and three visits by Modi to Nepal after he assumed office.

The programme, organised by Nepal-Bharat Friendship Society, was also attended by Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, senior Nepali political leaders and foreign policy experts, among others.

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