KATHMANDU: The first meeting between Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi has kindled hopes that the India-Nepal relations are headed for better days. During the 25-minute meeting in New Delhi on May 27, Koirala and Modi shared their views on revitalizing bilateral relations. India’s new prime minister conveyed his government’s commitment to Nepal’s development, democracy and the ongoing constitution-writing process.
The Nepali media covered the Indian elections with much curiosity, and was generally enthusiastic about the first meeting between India’s new prime minister and Koirala. Nagarik, a Nepali language daily, commented on how the members of Modi’s cabinet, especially Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, have had close relation with Nepal, and keenly follow politically developments there.
Speaking to India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org), Nepali MP Saroj Sharma has struck an upbeat note. “India and Nepal have always had close relations. We have high expectations that this BJP government will help bring in investment, and complete those projects that have already been started or are in the pipeline,” Sharma told www.indiawrites.org.
The Kathmandu Post, Nepal’s leading English daily, reported that the Indian prime minister was keen to help, provided Nepal came with a clear agenda and a work plan. It, however, lamented that Koirala failed to make his presence felt, and generate enough enthusiasm for the upcoming SAARC summit to be hosted in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu in November, 2014.
Sections of Nepali media also aired concerns about the BJP government possibly pressuring Nepal to revert back to a Hindu state. In April this year, Ashok Singhal, leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had announced: “The day Modi comes to power in India, I declare that Nepal will turn into a Hindu state.” Rajnath Singh, too, had previously aired concerns about Nepal losing its Hindu identity.
However, in an interaction with the media Koirala had expressed that all major political parties in Nepal had accepted secularism, and going back to become a Hindu state would be quite impossible.
India’s commitment to strong ties with Nepal has also been encouraged by the ongoing visit of BJP vice-president Bhagat Singh Koshiyari. During his two-day visit, he has interacted with Vice-President Paramananda Jha, the media, and leaders of all major political parties.
His visit came amid reports that Modi is planning to create a separate ministry for the Himalayan region. Such a ministry will help deepen ties between India and Nepal on issues of tourism, ecology, trade and security, an important development that will generate added goodwill for India in the Himalayan state.
Koirala, who had earlier described Modi as “a religious man,” invited him to visit the Pashupatinath temple, a preeminent holy shrine for Hindus. He also urged Modi to visit Nepal before the SAARC summit. No Indian prime minister has visited Nepal for bilateral talks in the last 20 years.
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