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Modi Downsized Oli In Nepal
Modi Downsized Oli In Nepal
Siddhi B Ranjitkar
May 13, 2018
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.
