On 27th January, 2019, Bharat’s Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal commemorated the sacrifice made by the brave soldiers who laid down their lives for Bharat at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, and homage was paid today along with officials of Embassy of Bharat.
The terror attack in Pulwama on February 14 where over 40 CRPF personnel were killed had shocked not only Bharat, but different nationals across the world. In fact, the cruel attack had jolted the mind of ordinary people everywhere, and was a grim reminder about the urgent need to uproot terrorism from the world. Such feelings have been seen in Nepal as well.
Just a day after the attack, various groups in Nepal had spontaneously come out on streets with candles to show solidarity with Bharat. Moreover, on 25th February, a group of civil society members staged a symbolic protest in front of Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu to condemn the terror attack. After Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a terror group based in Pakistan, claimed the responsibility for the Pulwama attack, the protesters denounced Pakistan for sheltering such groups.
The protesters chanted slogans like, “stop terrorism”, “enough is enough” and “stop bloodshed” while protesting in front of Pakistan Embassy.[1] Similarly, they held banners of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha – eminent personalities known for the theory of nonviolence and peace.
Moreover, on 26 February, Nepalese students and ordinary youth came out on streets to support Bharat, after media reports that Indian Air Force [IAF] attacked terror camps across the LoC killing around 300 terrorists.[2] Nepalese youths, mainly from the student wings of Rastriye Janta Party Nepal [RJP] were seen chanting slogans “We are with Bharat fighting against terrorism”.[3] Hundreds of youth were seen in Birgunj, a city adjacent to Bihar, Bharat.
Similarly, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had telephoned Bharat’s PM Narendra Modi and assured that Nepal is with Bharat at such a painful moment, and Nepal is also firm in the fight against terrorism.[4]
But issuing a condemnation letter alone is not sufficient for Nepal – especially when it comes to her closest neighbor, who always stands with Nepal during all types of crises. Apolitical people of Nepal have started a discourse on why Nepal is not showing an even firmer position against terrorism? Why is Nepal not coming up with her clear cut vision regarding how to eradicate terrorism from the globe in general, and from South Asia in particular?
Bharat and Pakistan, both are the part of SAARC, and Nepal is the current president of SAARC. Amid the tension between Bharat and Pakistan, not only Nepal rather the entire world is aware about how Pakistan has been giving shelter to terrorists. In such a scenario, shouldn’t Nepal show its position with concrete vision? Even for the internal security of Nepal, we must act proactively to tighten the loopholes so that terrorism is suffocated and dies.
On 27th February, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal issued a statement stating, “As the current chair of SAARC, Nepal, while underlining the importance of peace and stability in south Asia, calls on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and not engage in actions that would threaten peace and security in the region. It also urges them to seek solution through dialogue and peaceful means in order to ease tension and normalize the situation.”[5]
Well, doesn’t this show redundant use of diplomacy? Being the chair of SAARC, Nepal has an opportunity to show her firm stance on terrorism. Nepal should request Pakistan to eradicate the terror outfits sheltering on its soil. Moreover, Nepal can request Pakistan to assist Bharat and rest of the world in eradicating terrorism. Overtly and covertly, many countries have made it clear that Pakistan is the haven for terrorists.
Last but not the least, we know that terrorists do not have any humanity and can target any nation to expand their nexus. Nepal has become a comfort zone for them to crawl into, which could one day not only be a threat for Bharat, but for Nepal too.
NOTES
[1] kathmandupost.ekantipur.com
[2] onlinekhabar.com
[3] osbreak.com
[5] Press Release
Did you find this article useful? We’re a non-profit. Make a donation and help pay for our journalism.