The killing of 40 people in the Terai region of Nepal over protests against its recently adopted constitution poses a challenge to India. Considering that Bihar shares border with Nepal, India may have to redefine the contours of its long-standing friendship with its landlocked neighbour - a nascent democracy, which to its north shares border with China.
As part of the protest, several members of the Madhesi indigenous group stopped trucks carrying essential supplies to Kathmandu from India at the Raxaul-Birganj border. This led to the ill-advised use of force by the Nepalese police, in the process killing an Indian citizen.
Although the India-Nepal relationship is guided by the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 between the two countries, there have been growing demands for its review, especially from Nepal. There have been serious differences between the two countries over providing trade and transit facilities for the export of Nepalese goods through Indian ports as well as its imports from other countries. The recent agreement between Nepal and China for the supply of petroleum products following the blockade on the India-Kathmandu route cannot be ignored, given that China is keen to extend its area of influence in the region.
We need to take proactive, yet diplomatically nuanced, measures to persuade Nepal that its long-term interests are best served by maintaining good relations with India. India too, must avoid a misstep that may force Nepal to look to its north.
S K Choudhury Bengaluru
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