India-Nepal dispute: has Oli become anti-India due to China?

Posted on 1st Jul 2020 by rohit kumar

Relations between Nepal and India have always been considered good. But for some time, there is something between the two countries, which is not going well.

 

The matter has reached here that Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is saying that conspiracy is being hatched in India and Nepal to remove him from his post.

 

According to Nepal's leading newspaper Kathmandu Post, Oli said these things at an event on June 28.

 

He said that from the media reports coming from Delhi, the activities of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, and the meetings going on in different hotels, it is not difficult to understand how people are actively trying to remove them but they will not succeed.

 

So Oli has directly accused the Government of India, but Oli was considered very close to India at one time. So what happened that their bitterness for India has increased?

 

The matter started with the new constitution of Nepal

When the new constitution of Nepal came into force in 2015, according to the constitution, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala had to resign. KP Sharma Oli of Nepal Communist Party becomes the new Prime Minister. He also had the support of other parties.

 

But when other parties pulled support from him in July 2016, his government came in a minority and had to resign.

 

The special thing is that even then Oli had said that India is responsible for this.

 

but why? Because India also objected to the new constitution of Nepal. India said that the demand of Madheshi and Tharu people was not included in this. When Madheshi and other minorities closed the Nepal border regarding this constitution, the Oli government-held India responsible for it. However, India rejected this charge.

 

At that time, petrol, medicines, and other supplies from India to Nepal were completely stopped. After the 135-day economic blockade, relations between Nepal and India had soured and a kind of anti-India sentiment was born in Nepal. This was the time when Nepal was already struggling with the effects of landfall.

 

At that time, Oli had to leave his post but in 2017 he became Prime Minister again. It is said that he won the election due to anti-India sentiment.

 

Oli has been staunch about the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty between India and Nepal. They say that the treaty is not in favor of Nepal. Oli was also speaking in Nepal's election campaigns against this treaty.

 

Why speak bitterly about India?

But the matter moved beyond the elections. Last year, when the Indian government released a map of the country after making Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh a union territory, in this map, Kalapani and Lipulekh areas were shown inside India. Nepal has objected because it claims in these areas.

 

Then this year, there was a dispute in both countries about a road. India has built this road from Uttarakhand to Lipulekh Pass. Nepal says that the Lipulekh Pass is its territory. Protests took place in front of the Indian Embassy in Nepal.

 

Oli is badly surrounded by his party. He was severely criticized in the meeting of the Standing Committee of Nepal Communist Party and the demand for resignation is also gaining momentum. Even on the economic front, they have not been able to do anything concrete and they have had to face opposition for failure to deal with Kovid 19.

 

Experts say that they are trying to deal with this political situation with the help of the spirit of nationalism. Then his cabinet released a new political map of Nepal last month showing Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh as part of Nepal. By doing this, he forced his rivals, Pushp Kamal Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal to join him.

 

The next day too, he gave a statement that people coming illegally from India are spreading the virus in Nepal and some local public representatives and party leaders are involved in this. He said that 'India's virus is more dangerous than China and Italy'. They have become even more anxious about India.

 

Oli wants to go closer to China

Oli is said to have been interested in taking Nepal closer to China. China's presence in Nepal has increased. In his first term too, Oli had visited China and signed the 'Transit Trade' agreement.

 

Oli wants China to spread its roads network with Tibet and also connect Nepal to reduce its dependence on India. After the economic blockade, it became important for Nepal to reduce its dependence on India. Even at that time, the Oli government took help from China.

 

India is opposing China's ambitious project 'One Belt One Road'. On the other hand, the Oli government is with this project. It is said about Oli that he does not care about India's concerns in furthering relations with China.

 

Experts say that the people of Nepal are proud that they are free, not a colony or colony. Therefore, when someone undermines the sovereignty of Nepal, the people there feel angry. There is a perception in Nepal that India is trying to interfere in the internal politics of Nepal after the year 2006.

 

It is said about Oli that he has tried to establish that Nepal is a sovereign country and it will not pursue its foreign policy under the control of any country.