Indo-Nepal Relations Webinar | GCTC

As a Research Intern at the Global Counter Terrorism Council, my team got to organise a Webinar on the topic - Indo-Nepal Relations: Challenges and way Forward with esteemed speakers like Dr Kanwal Sibal, Professor Madhav Das Nalapat, Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan, Lt Gen KJ Singh, Maj Gen Binoj Basnyat, Lt Gen Arun Sahni, Dr Sangeeta Thapyal with the session being chaired by Dr Kavita Sharma.

Some of the key takeaways from the webinar were -

The special relationship between the two countries can only last as long as both are willing to treat each other in a particular manner (with special considerations and concessions). Still, this unique relationship between India and Nepal seems to have shifted to cordial relations over the years. Nepal must recognise that the measure (display of cartographic aggression) it is taking is more likely to harm India. India should look at Nepal from a broader and longer perspective, and we need to recognise Nepal as a partner and respect its sovereignty. The need for dialogue between the two countries is imperative and should be pushed forward at the highest level.

Government to government ties need to be improved, and efforts must be made to increase the already vibrant people to people connections. The local government does not appreciate the Indian government's influence on Nepali politics. The domestic politics of Nepal is mainly responsible for marring its relationship with India. It cannot be denied that there is a strong Chinese influence in Nepal, especially within the Nepali Communist Party, which is trying to influence governance in Nepal. Nepal needs to be wary about cosying up to China and should consider the case studies of all those countries that got pally with China and suffered on various levels. The treaties between the neighbours must be re-analysed, considering the evolved relationship between them, and each other's sensitivities must be kept in mind.