DID INDIA COMMIT MAJOR BLUNDER ON NEPAL?
Prof Dr Colonel K Prabhakar Rao (Retired)

Indian policy on Nepal appears to have been greatly influenced by the CPM party that supported the government earlier at the center. Now CPM has fallen out with govt over nuclear deal with USA. But all these years, CPM has blackmailed the center left right and center on various issues and the government danced to the CPM tune. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was getting frustrated. Nepal fell to communists and now Prachanda has become the supremo. The armed communist gangs that terrorized the countryside are now sharing the power. They have not laid down the arms. They have also not been taken into army . These bands are just groups of assorted guerillas devoid of disciplined training that is mandatory for any armed force of a country. Nepal was the only surviving Hindu kingdom in world and remained independent even when Europeans ruled India. The murders of the royal family members including King and Queen in Nepal by the crown prince and subsequent political crisis gave ample chances to the rise of communists in the country and the government had no resources to contain them. Probably the king might have asked India for military help. But India closed eyes with CPM with a dagger at the back. The central government is more worried in saving itself than caring for India’s future and survival of a feudal and only Hindu kingdom next door. As it is, India as a policy is against kingdoms and supports democracy in whatever form it is. It just saw things happenings while the royalty was dethroned by events in Nepal. As stated, India basically is against all types of kingly rule and after 1947 it abolished all princely kingdoms and erased them in Indian map. The Hyderabad princely state was taken over by military attack in September 1948 although it was called a police action.(1) It is prejudiced against royal rule. However it toes and soft pedals British crown and other European royals and does not eye brow at them.
By allowing the fall of royal order in Nepal, India has thrown the gates open for influx of communists into Indian outskirts. It is a question of time before China swallows Nepal. In fact China wants to develop pro Chinese nations around it. As per Dawa Norbu China feels that the Himalayas alone in this nuclear age are not enough to guarantee its national security, especially in view of Tibet’s strategic location. It, therefore, ideally wants a China of small, preferably pro-Chinese, neighbors on the cis-Himalayan region separating the two Asian giants (2).
In recent utterances by Prachanda the PM of Nepal who visited India, it has been hinted that he would have good links with China. He did not say that he shall have none (3). Views were clear. That itself is Indian failure in foreign policy. By our folly, Communists are very close to Bihar now at a stone throw. China is influencing Nepal with great vigor. Certain developments suggest China’s growing influence in Nepal and the latter’s cozying up with the former. These are:-
1. Both Nepal and China are planning for greater economic linkages.
2. There are proposals for connecting the two countries with as many as ten roadways.
3. China has also promised to construct a railway line from Lhasa to Khasa at the Nepal-China border within five years.
4. According to news reports from Nepal, China has agreed to provide assistance worth about Rs 460 million (RMB 50 million) to Nepal for the construction of Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagdhi Road.
5. There has been a sudden increase of China Study Centres (CSC) all along the
Indo-Nepal border with their number rising from 7 in 2005 to 19 till February
2008. These study centres, which were initially set up in 2000 as civil society
groups to promote cultural interaction, have become effective tools for advancing
Chinese perspective on key issues concerning Nepal. These centres also
Disseminate the benign role of China and caution the Nepalis about India’s
Hegemonic intentions.
If China swallows Nepal, that is sure to happen at some point of time, Chinese forces would land at Bihar borders and Gangetic plains would be threatened. China has also been claiming Arunachal Pradesh and access to Arunachal Pradesh via Assam is through the narrow corridor below Sikkim and through West Bengal. The narrow throat that can be called chickens neck can be cut very easily by Chinese and that would completely cut off Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and of course Arunachal Pradesh. In one stroke, China can devour all these states. All the peripheral small states around Assam have populations that are Mongolian origin and are akin to Chinese. This is one of the main reason for the claim of the Chinese for these areas. In fact China has probably planned meticulously the strategy of encircling the eastern Himalayan states before it implements its military plan for annexing these Eastern states with Mongolic populated states. It is very unfortunate that Indian leaders who are running the show have not seen the writing on the wall. They have ignored to ensure that Nepal remains in the fold of India. A simple mistake of allowing Nepal to fall to communists has completely jeopardized India and its safety. In the requirement of saving their government for which they embraced communists, Indian leaders have neglected the most fundamental need of ensuring that Indian borders are safe. A communist Nepal can never be trusted that would surely abet the Maoists in India who have linked south India to Nepal through the eastern corridor. This is a systematic plan of Communists in China along with the CPI ML that is waging war against the state. Although Prachanda stated that his visit to china after assuming power is only for good will he can not be trusted as hard core communist for whom finally China would be the master than India. India definitely blundered on the front and it has already become late.
The most important buffer state like Nepal that guaranteed safety has been allowed to go under the direct influence of China there by cutting our own feet. Rather it has already been done. Now what can be done? As usual, Indians can pray to Ram and Krishna and Sing Ramdhun( Raghupathi Raaghava.. Rajaa raam….) the famous Gandhi prayer that could not prevent partition in 1947, three wars with Pakistan and a shameful defeat at the hands of China in 1962 and a slap in the face by Lankan Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to Indian army as Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).
The position of Nepal and India and can soon be compared to Cuba and USA. Cuba fell to communists while USA is capitalistic. Cuba rubbed shoulders with USSR and in sixties missiles and nuclear weapons were brought to Cuba by USSR and installed and they posed great danger to USA. Firm stand taken by President Kennedy forced USSR to remove nuclear missiles from Cuba. What will India do if China places its missiles and some nuclear war heads in Nepal, the country having become a satellite to China? Can India take a stand like USA. It was possible for USA because it was a super power. India although claims to be powerful is devoid of stiff spine and easily buckles under pressure. The recent reaction by India after Bombay terror attack speaks volumes on the Indian strategy. It can not take a firm stand in similar circumstances. History is a witness to inept handling. The only alternative it has is to sing Gandhis Ramdhun as stated earlier that could not save India from many disasters including the recent Bombay terrorist attack. That means China would in future place its arsenal right next to us and each and every city in India would be at the mercy of China. It would bargain stiff for the areas that it is claiming. Prachanda would dance to the tune of China. He would blackmail India rather for various concessions in trade and other aids being a neighbor. What is envisaged is not mere probability, but a naked truth that would be staring the future generations who would curse the present ones for letting down the nation. Are we not getting worked up with Nehru’s bad handling of Kashmir and rubbing shoulders with China that brought shame to the country?
It appears that at every instant, the country has been let down by our much glorified leaders who were elected to the Parliament by sheep like Indians. Its borders have shrunk. India’s western shoulder has been hacked off along with eastern lower arm in 1947 after partition of sub continent. The Head in J and K is already threatened by Pakistan and it is waging undeclared war as Jihad. India is unable to stop Pak Jihad in Jammu and Kashmir (Jand K). Now the eastern shoulder is also threatened by our own policy and lack of fore thought.. What would remain of India soon?. The headless ugly Torso would remain. Tamil nadu five decades ago threatened to become independent over language issue. The Tamil problem in Lanka and sympathy of Tamils to Lankan Tamils is likely to emerge into a demand for separate Tamilistan in future that India under any case can not prevent if it gains tempo. Then what would be left of India? A torso without legs from thighs is the result. It is really scary looking at the future. All by virtue of bad handling, lack of vision, vote politics, self glorification and inability to be practical and being carried away by sentiments by so called patriots and turn coat leaders. God bless this nation from disintegration.
Bibliography
1. Vandemataram Ramachadra Rao, , V Veera Bhadra Rao,, Police action against Hyderabad, , Mahavir Smarak Publications,, 864 B, , Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad, AP, India, 1948, PP 39-50
2..Dr Abanti Bhatacharya, China and Maoist Nepal. Challenges to India, IDSA strategic comments, http://www.idsa.in/publications/stratcomments/AbantiBhattacharya230508.htm
3. Bharat Rakshak, Nepal news and discussion, http://209.85.175.132/search?q=cache:qJkXTfjRzPQJ:forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D1%26t%3D3952%26p%3D581463+Will+Prachanda+run+into+Chinas+embrace&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=in

Dr K Prabhakar Rao