Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Nepal Visit

Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Nepal Visit

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

May 10, 2018

Kathmandu: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Nepal on May 11 and 12. Modi will fly from New Delhi to Patna: State capital of Bihar, and then he will take a military helicopter to Janakpur in Nepal to pay homage to Sita: one of the main characters of the epic called Ramayana. Modi along with his Nepalese counterpart KP Oli will make a special offering to Sita at the Janaki Mandir in Janakpur.

Sita was a daughter of King Janak of the Mithila Kingdom. She was married to Ram: the crown prince and son of Dasharath of the kingdom Ayodhaya. However, instead of getting crowned Ram got exiled following the wish of his father Dasharath. Ram along with his spouse Sita, and his brother Laxman spent 12 years in the forest, faced several physical and moral challenges, and ultimately fought a war against the Ravan the king of Lanka to retrieve Sita, Ravan had kidnapped while Ram and Laxman went hunting a golden deer that Sita wanted. Ram killed Ravan and destroyed Lanka only to get back Sita. Sita took a chastity test and succeeded; however, Ram deserted Sita on getting the information from his intelligence that a laundryman saying, “I am not Ram, to let in the wife that has eloped.” So, Sita spent the rest of her life at the forest dwelling of ascetic Valmiki, who wrote the epic Ramayana probably from the verbal description of Sita.

Probably, Modi is making a special offer to Sita for atoning the unforgettable and unforgivable sin of imposing sanctions on Nepal while Nepalis were suffering from the devastating earthquakes that had killed several thousands people and damaged the houses worth billions of Nepalese rupees. Modi did so because the Nepalese leaders did not listen to his wish for postponing the promulgation of the constitution scheduled for September 20, 2015. Nepalis suffered a lot more from the sanctions on top of the suffering the earthquakes had caused.

This time, Modi is flying like a white dove probably bringing peace and happiness to the people once he treated as enemies. Probably, Modi realized that Nepalis were the tough folks if not toughest folks who would rather suffer than giving in to the external pressure. Modi wants to renew friendship rather than going the head-on confrontation with the neighbor. Modi must have realized after five-month sanctions imposed on Nepal that burning a neighbor’s home could burn down his own house.

Nepalis being tough people have a heart of gold. So, no matter how much trouble Nepalis had got from Modi, they would heartily welcome Modi in the land of the divinities where even devils become deities. Probably, Modi would return home from Nepal as a deity and would never again think of doing anything that would hurt the fellow humans.

Modi must have felt not sufficient to make a special offering to Sita in Janakpur but needed to make an offering to Lord Muktinath to wash out any leftover sin of imposing sanctions on Nepal. So, Modi is flying to Muktinath and pay homage to Lord Muktinath: one of thousands of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Probably, Modi would emerge clean after washing his hands in the waters flowing from the mouths of 108 lion heads set on the three sides at the Muktinath temple. The water might be icy cold even in May but Modi must have sufficient stamina to bear the cold.

Thereafter, Modi might have a quiet night sleep at the luxurious hotel Hyatt in Kathmandu.  In the morning, Modi might visit Pashupatinath not far from Hyatt but he would not visit Boudha Maha Chaitya because it is a Buddhist shrine. It would be a sin for him to visit chaitya even though Nepalese chaityas are hard to distinguish from the Hindu temples, as the Hindu deity called “Ajima” is an integral party of Boudha Maha Chaitya and Svoyambhu Maha Chaitya. Probably, Modi did not know it otherwise he would visit it that might ultimately wash out his sin of imposing the sanctions on Nepal.

Finally, Modi will fly back to Delhi on the Saturday evening, May 12, 2018 after the hectic programs of attending the civic ceremonies at Janakpur and Kathmandu, and witnessing the guard of honor at Tundikhel in Kathmandu, and flying up mountains and down the flatland for two days. Thus, Modi’s visit to Nepal will be the most successful one for him and for the Nepalis, too as Nepalis could have a quiet good night sleep without the need for worrying about the short supply of petroleum products that flow from south to north.

May 12, 2018

Kathmandu: Unlike as reported on May 10, 2018, Prime Minister Modi took a special Indian airlines plane at the Delhi airport, and flew to Janakpur on May 11, 2018. Defense Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Chief Minister of Province-2 Lalbabu Raut, other provincial ministers and mayor of the Janakpur sub-metropolitan city welcomed Modi at the Janakpur airport. One day before the Modi’s visit, the Indian airlines plane of the same brand had test landed at the Janakpur airport. The core members of the Indian special security team were around Modi to provide him with the security.

Prime Minister KP Oli welcomed Modi at the Janaki Mandir in Janakpur. Both prime ministers sat together for making offerings to Sita. After the religious offering both the prime ministers opened up the India-Nepal bus service, and the Ramayana circuit. Oli flew back to Kathmandu while Modi stayed on in Janakpur for the civic reception the Janakpur Sub-metropolitan city offered him.

While speaking at the civic reception in Janakpur, Modi apologized to the local people that he could not make his trip as stated in the past; however, he ignored to say something about the merciless sanctions he had imposed on Nepal in 2015. Many Nepalis have been demanding an apology from Modi for the sanctions. Modi said that he offered one billion rupees to Goddess Sita on behalf of the Indian people, and also said that the province-2 could use the money for any development purposes. Modi had made a similar pledge of providing Nepal with a soft loan of one billion US dollar while he was in Nepal during his first visit in 2014; however, the money has remained un-touched so far.

Chief Minister of province-2 Lalbabu Raut speaking from the same podium complained that the constitution of Nepal has been discriminatory to the Madheshi people. However, he failed to thank Modi for imposing the sanctions on Nepal for meeting the demands of Madheshi leaders, and finally capitulated to the Nepalis that did not give in rather accepted the challenge Modi had posed. After Modi lifted the sanctions on Nepal, some of the Madheshi leaders went to Bihar and pleaded with the former chief minister of Bihar and former central railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav to assist in protesting against the constitution of Nepal. Laloo rejected the plea on camera.

After the civic reception in Janakpur, Modi flew in Kathmandu. Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali was at the airport to welcome Modi. Prime Minister Oli welcomed Modi at Tundikhel in Kathmandu. Both the prime ministers viewed the guard of honor the military provided at Tundikhel. The army presented 21-gun salute to Modi.

Indian Prime Minister Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister Oli jointly opened up the Arun-3 Hydropower project with the capacity of 900 MW awarded to the Indian State Company for construction at the Dwarika Hotel. However, the company has been dragging on its feet in mobilizing the resources required for the construction, according to the local news. If we were to take a look at the history of development projects India had pledged in the past most of them were not taken up such as Pancheswore Multi-purpose project even after about 25 years, and the project taken up such as the Postal Roads in Terai have been moving at the snail’s pace.

Then, both the prime ministers sat for the one-on-one talks at the Dwarika Hotel in Kathmandu. After the talks, they made a joint statement.

Prime Minister Oli has the same story of the Indian dams causing the floods in Nepal, the trade imbalance between India and Nepal, the removal of the border pillars, the problem of India not yet changing the Indian banknotes of 500 and 1000 denominations Modi had made illegal; consequently, Nepal Rastra Bank could not use them. Modi had promised Oli in India to expedite the resolution of those problems but nothing has happened so far.

Obviously, Modi has not heard some portion of the story such as the story of Oli requesting Modi for providing Nepal with four more air routes, which Modi did not bother to mention in the joint public statement. Modi talked about the waterways, railroads but not the airways, the news in “gorkhapatra” of May 12, 2018 stated.

Modi flew on a helicopter to Muktinath on the Saturday morning, May 12, 2018 to make offerings to Lord Muktinath. The news on www.mrepublica.com stated that Chief Minister of Province 4 Prithvi Subba Gurung complained that the Indian reporters have violated the Nepalese prohibition of taking the pictures of some religious shrines and live telecast on the Indian TV channels. After Muktinath, one more religious offering Modi has to make is to Lord Pashupatinath in Kathmandu. Modi would make a special offering to Lord Pashupatinath and then accept the civic reception at Tundikhel in Kathmandu.

May 13, 2018

Modi Downsized Oli In Nepal

Kathmandu: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home after completing two-day Nepal visit and carrying a baggage full of the gifts Prime Minister KP Oli presented, and 55-kilo Buddha idol the mayor of the Kathmandu Metro city presented him. Modi got everything what he wanted; however, Oli lost everything.

Prime Minister Oli practically surrendered the security and press administration to Modi for two days while Modi was in Nepal. Starting from Janakpur, the core of the Indian security surrounded Modi keeping the Nepalese security far away from Modi; even the chief ministers of provinces 2 and 4 had to follow the commands of the Indian security personnel.

Chief Minister of province-2 Lalbabu Raut could complain to Modi about the Nepalese constitution has been a discriminatory but he could not have guts to say to keep away the Indian security from him. Raut needed to understand that making the constitution likeable to all the Nepalis is the family business of Nepalis not to put before the foreign dignitary. Saying the Nepalese constitution has been discriminatory, what Raut got is nothing but the degeneration of his status as the chef minister of province-2.

After two-day Nepal visit, Modi has successfully demonstrated that “Oli is not what we think he is.” First, Modi has said in the clear language that Oli is a small kid that Modi could piggyback and take him to Mt Everest in other words Modi would be a porter for Oli to take him to the peak of the development. So, Oli could have a quiet night sleep with his spouse in the luxurious bed at the official prime ministerial residence in Kathmandu, and Modi would work in New Delhi for the development of Nepal. Oli did not need to worry about the development, as Modi committed to do for him but needed to ride on the Modi’s back. So nice, is it not?

Modi could say in words and by his body language, too that Prime Minister Oli did not have to do anything just ride on his back and he would take Oli to anywhere Oli would like to because Oli surrendered the administration of the security and the press to Modi while in Nepal. So, Modi could go anywhere he liked without fear of anybody showing a black flag or shouting any slogan against the Modi’s sanctions on Nepal in 2015.

However, Oli went so downhill that he ordered the police that had no such work to do after the Indian security personnel have taken up doing everything for the security of Modi to take out the placard the Bibeksil party had put up in Kathmandu demanding an apology from Modi for his sanctions on Nepal in 2015. How could Oli a prime minister of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, deny the freedom of expression which the constitution of Nepal has guaranteed one hundred percent to all Nepalis.

Modi did not bother even to talk about the four air routes, and a few billions of Indian currency of denominations of 500, and 1,000 that Modi had made illegal to use, and have been sitting at Nepal Rastra Bank reportedly Oli had talked to Modi while Oli was in India, and repeated it when Modi visited Nepal. The amount is not even a peanut but a sesame seed for India but Modi did not want to clear of the uncertainty of exchanging the money made illegal to legal ones. Probably, opening four air routes to Nepal would cost India monetarily nothing; however, Modi did not want to do so. What is the motive for it?

Modi talked about the waterways and the railways that would probably never come to practice, and India would never engage in connecting Nepal with other countries through waterways or railways via India because Modi would not like to see Nepal having air links with other countries simply denying more air routes to Nepal. Modi and other Indian leaders have never stopped harassing the Nepalese exporters stopping the trucks carrying the goods to the Indian seaport for the export to the third countries. Thus, Modi has proved the actual meaning of the saying “A lifeless Indian could trick a live Nepali.”

Modi’s body language has said that Oli is nowhere near Modi in the political status, diplomacy, and manipulating the mass and the neighbors. Modi practically bullied Oli through the Indian security personnel, and overshadowed the Nepalese home minister responsible for the security of any head of state or a government in Nepal. Unfortunately, Oli has been a pigmy in comparison to Modi.

Prime Minister Oli became a tall political figure in 2015 when Modi imposed sanctions on Nepal, even though Oli did nothing simply waited for Modi to get tired. However, at that time, every Nepali appreciated the Oil’s stand on the Indian sanctions, and probably some Nepalese politicians must have envied Oil for his high status the Indian sanctions had brought him. However, Oli reduced himself to a pigmy stature in 2018 when internationally tall figure Modi visited Nepal for the third time. Where has gone the Prime Minister Oli of 2015?

Prime Minister Oli could watch on TV or on the social media how the Indian security personnel behaved not only very roughly but also derogatively toward the Nepalese chief ministers of province-2 and province-4 when they stood for welcoming Modi. They treated the Nepalese chef ministers not better than the Gurkha darban (guards) serving in India. How could the Indian security behave so badly toward Nepalis if Prime Minister Oli had not turned over the right to the security of Modi to the Indians?

Modi made offerings to deity Janaki at Janakpur, to Lord Muktinath in the Muktinath district, and Lord Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, and committed to visit Lumbini: the birth place of Lord Buddha to atone for the sanctions he had imposed on Nepal causing the immense troubles to Nepalis and reducing the economic growth of Nepal near to zero.

Would the divinities pardon Modi for what he did to Nepal? Probably, none of the deities particularly Muktinath would not because Modi even ignored the notice board stating not to take pictures in the inner sanctum of Lord Muktinath. The notice was just in front of Modi while he was performing the religious rituals to atone for his past mistakes and sins of troubling Nepalis. Maybe, Modi did not read the English, as his English education was not for understanding and speaking fluently however, everybody including a kid graduating a fourth grade could understand such a simple notice. Lord Muktinath would never forgive Modi for allowing the Indian TV channels and reporters indiscriminately taking pictures and telecasting live to India. Taking picture of Muktinath went against the religious belief, and was the violence of the temple rules. How could Modi atone for his sin if he violated the temple rules? Rather the temple administration needed to bring Modi to justice for violating the rules.

Thanks to the Oli’s surrendering the right to the security and the press freedom to the Indians, the Nepalese reporters and TV crews were pushed far back. They did not have an access to the temple not to mention to Modi at all three shrines Modi visited in Nepal. The doors to the City Hall where the Kathmandu Metro City offered the civic reception to Modi were shut to the Nepalese reporters. They had protested against prohibiting the national reporters while giving to the foreign particularly the Indian reporters an unlimited access to Modi everywhere while in Nepal. How could Prime Minister Oli tolerate such an embarrassment to the Nepalese reporter? As a matter of fact, the shame is more on Oli than on the Nepalis reporters.

Not only sitting Prime Minister Oli brought so much of disgrace on Nepal but also the former Prime Ministers such as Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, and Prachanda brought the shame on Nepal waiting for Modi at the Dwarika Hotel in Kathmandu 40 minutes to have an audience with Modi, who probably must have thought these Nepalese prime ministers not better than his Gurkha darban could wait for him indefinitely. Actually, they did, and Modi got what he wanted. They could have waited for 15 minutes and then they could have called off the meeting; that would have taught a lesson to Modi that he would need to be punctual if he were to meet with the Nepalese dignitaries. Unfortunately for the nation and for them, too, that did not happen. Probably, all of them would have been serving as darbans (guards at gate) in India as millions of Nepalis do today if they had not been the politicians and prime ministers that grabbed anything possible from the national treasury while they were in office.

To the Madheshi political leaders, Modi advised to unite, and work jointly for the benefits of the nation and the motherland instead of everybody going alone for personal benefits. Probably, Modi would help them to dine gratis on the Indian side of the border between India and Nepal only to cross the border and protest on the Nepalese side, as they did in 2015 shamelessly stopping the goods trucks, petroleum tankers and other vehicles on the border between India and Nepal.

Prime Minister Oli very generously offered Arun-3 hydropower project to Modi jointly commencing the implementation of the project from the City Hall in Kathmandu. Hydropower experts have depicted the Arun-3 as a nice beautiful Nepalese lady Oli offered to Modi to enjoy because it would produce 900 MW power for India with a nominal payment to Nepal not even offsetting the tax waivers Prime Minister Oli has given to Modi for constructing and running the Arun-3 for 25 years without any visible benefits to Nepal. Some experts have advocated that the provincial government needs to take back the Aruj-3 because it is the provincial natural resource and asset of the provincial people Prime Minister Oli turned it over to his Indian counterpart Modi.

Modi has also proved that Nepal is completely in the sphere of the Indian influence; and Nepal has not been able to get rid of the Indian grip. Modi has tightened the grip in his third visit to Nepal as a prime minister of India. Practically, Modi got everything maybe even more at the cost of Prime Minister Oli and the Nepalis. Prime Minister Oli lost everything even his sovereignty over the security of Modi and the press freedom of Nepalese reporters to the Indian reporters for two days.

Northern neighbor China must be closely watching the activities of Indian Prime Minister Modi, and must have been concerned with Nepal losing its sovereignty for two days when Indian Prime Minister Modi visited, as the Indian security personnel did not permit the Nepalese security personnel to work for the security of Modi, and Indian reporters stopped Nepalese reporters far away from Modi. Chinese leaders must have thought Indian Prime Minister could buy the Nepalese prime minister at no cost; and Modi could get such a large hydropower project as Arun-3 throwing a bar of chocolate to Prime Minister Oli.

Thus, Prime Minister Modi has successfully downsized Prime Minister Oli, and humiliated the proud Nepalis through the Indian security personal, and TV and digital and print media reporters bulling the Nepalese security personnel and proud Nepalese reporters not to mention the home minister, and reduced the Nepalese foreign minister to the size of darban that has nothing to do except for waiting for Modi at airport with a bouquet of flower.

Thus, Prime Minister Oli sold the Nepalese integrity, pride, self-esteem, and the status of sovereign country to Modi, and brought a great shame on Nepal making so intolerable to the proud Nepalis that did not bow to anybody and did not give in to Modi even when Modi imposed sanctions on Nepal. Nepalis would not tolerate the shame Prime Minister Oli brought on them no matter what majority Oli has in the parliament. Oli could not treat the national resources such as the security, press freedom, and the hydropower projects as his private property and give or sell it to anybody he likes.

May 16, 2018

Who Said what At The Federal House?

Concerning the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali officially briefed the lawmakers at the Federal House of Representatives on Monday, May 14, 2018, and said that what Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut had said was against the diplomatic norms, and the political culture.

Speaking at the civic reception presented to Modi in Janakpur on May 11, Raut had said that the Nepalese constituent had been discriminatory.

Foreign Minister Gyawali said that the Nepalese security personnel had taken care of the security of Modi; some personal security guards had come with Modi following the bilateral agreement.

Nobody watching the TV or the film footage of the Modi’s two-day-Nepal visit on the social media would believe what Gyawali said to the lawmakers. Probably, lawmakers must have watched the footage. Foreign Minister Gyawali must have totally lied to the lawmakers or he did not have time to watch the TV or the footage on the social media or he did not know the Indian security had been everywhere; the rest of the world knew who had provided Modi with the security while he was in Nepal.

If Gyawali were unaware of who had been providing the security to Modi, then Prime Minister Oli must have totally bypassed him, as Oli did to Energy Minister Barshaman Pun while Oli and Modi jointly officially initiated the Arun-3 Hydropower Project at the city Hall not even inviting Pun to the event.

Telling lies have been the regular practices of politicians; however, saying, “Nepalese personnel had provided Modi with security” was the absolutely shameless lie the responsible Foreign Minister Gyawali could tell the lawmakers if he were deliberately telling a lie to the lawmakers.

CPN-Maoist-Center Lawmaker Pampha Bhusal said that the entry of the Indian security personnel during the Modi’s Nepal visit was utterly serious matter and disgraceful.

Gyawali also told the lawmakers that the foreign ministries of both countries in coordination with each other set the date of the Modi’s Nepal visit. However, Lawmaker Pampha Bhusal said that India had unilaterally set the date for the visit of Modi; it was absolutely the diplomatic shortcomings. Lawmaker Bhusal demanded to endorse the Arun-3 by the two-third majority at the House before starting the construction of the project.

NC Lawmaker Gagan Thapa said that the government taking down the banner protesting the Indian sanctions on Nepal the Bibeksil party had put up, had grossly violated the rights to the freedom of expression the Constitution has guaranteed. (News source: “gorkhapatra” of May 15, 2018)

Lawmakers have been concerned with the Indian security personnel bypassing the Nepalese personnel in Nepal during the Modi’s Nepal visit, keeping the Nepalese journalists out of the civic reception held in honor of Modi at the City Hall while Indian reporters covered everything, absence of the energy minister in the initiation of the Arun-3 Hydropower project held at the City Hall, Indian lawmaker Kirti Azad’s tweet demanding the ‘return’ of Janakpur to India, and Province 2 Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut’s  saying the constituent is discriminatory at the civic reception in Janakpur, and permitting Indian reporters in the traditionally prohibited areas such as Muktinath (Mustang).

CPN-UML Vice-chairman and lawmaker Bhim Rawal spoke against the tweet the Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Kirti Azad had tweeted urging Modi to ‘merge’ Janakpur into India. Rawal demanded an apology from the tweeter, and the correction of the tweet. So far, no answer has been received from Modi or his government, and his party through the diplomatic channel or through the media.

Mr. Kirti Azad must have been absolutely ignorant of the size of Nepal before the Sugauli treaty between Nepal and the British Indian government done in 1816 after the protracted war between Nepal and the British East India Company from 1814 to 1816. Mr. Azad needed to understand that Nepal would not only keep Janakpur but also demand the Nepalese territory the British East India Company annexed after the war.