India-Nepal ties slide downhill over UNHRC move

The India-Nepal relations have plummeted to a new low, with a fresh rhetorical warfare erupting between the two neighbours, which are intimately bound by historical, cultural and fraternal ties. In an unprecedented move, India told a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council that it was concerned over the lack of political progress and incidents of violence, extra-judicial killings and ethnic discrimination in Nepal. This is the first time India has taken a stand against Nepal in an international forum.

The India-Nepal relations have been deteriorating since the adoption of Nepal’s new constitution. Differences over the new constitution has triggered violence in the country, with New Delhi expressing its dissatisfaction on the present situation in Nepal, especially in the Terai region which comprises the Madhesi groups and borders India. The Madhesis have been protesting against the demaracation of Nepal into seven new federal provinces, as it feels the Madhesis have been neglected under the new constitution.

“The people of Nepal, having endured a devastating earthquake in April 2015, are facing another tough challenge during the ongoing political transition. Violence and instability in parts of Nepal has worsened in the run-up to and after the adoption of Nepal’s Constitution in September 2015. Over 45 persons died, mostly civilians, and hundreds injured,” India’s Acting Permanent Representative B. N. Reddy said.

“Firings, which had ceased just after the adoption of the Constitution, have reoccurred. We are concerned over the lack of political progress,” Mr Reddy said. India has asked the Nepal government to take four steps: i) The Nepal government should consolidate the constitution building and democratization process by accommodating all sections of Nepal to enable broad-based ownership and participation ii) It should ensure effective functioning of Truth and Reconciliation Commission and full implementation of its recommendations, including prosecution of those responsible for violent insurgency iii) It should ensure the independence and financial autonomy of the National Human Rights Commission iv) It should set up an independent Commission for children and women.

Addressing the issue of the blockade in the India-Nepal border, Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa said that “Nepal had incurred losses to the tune of $5 billion in the last two months.” “For a country like Nepal, how much suffering can we go through? Is that justifiable? Can’t Nepal have its own authority to promulgate constitution?”

Defending India’s decision on Nepal in UNHCR, the official response from the MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup stated: “What India said at the UPR is a part of an internationally agreed process, as part of Nepal’s membership of the UN, as part of our commitment at the United Nations Human Rights Council. And various countries come as part of the UPRs and other countries make their suggestions and recommendations. So, our recommendations to Nepal was as part of that particular process.”

Nepal PM’s reaction

Criticising India for raking up human rights abuses in the Himalayan nation the UNHCR meet in Geneva, Nepal has reacted strongly to India’s statement.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Oli criticised India’s stand in the UN on the issue and said he wanted to know how India could be ignorant that the UN was involved in Nepal’s peace process. Mr Oli added that India had not made its position public earlier on Nepal’s transitional justice mechanisms.

“Some days back, one of the leaders from our neighbourhood publicly warned that India will show its mettle against Nepal,” Mr Oli said, without mentioning the name of the country. “Now, they are digging out a decade-old-issue,” he added. Stressing on the sensitivity of the issue, Mr Oil said that Nepal had formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and another commission to probe the disappeared people to address war crime issues such as killings, torture and rape.

“We faced war in the past. Then we realized it was not possible to have war all the time. So we initiated the peace process,” Mr Oli said, adding that Kathmandu also invited the UN to resolve the armed conflict. “The conflicting parties in the past are together today and carrying out democratic and peaceful reforms, whether they are in the government or not,” he added.

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