Upon the invitation of their Bharatiya counterpart Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal has completed his official visit to Bharat. The visit was scheduled from May 31 to June 30. After returning to Nepal on. Dahal responding to the press conference at the airport claimed his visit was a success. From the prism of Dahal, the visit was intended to accelerate the economic situation of the country. The main goal is to create an economically positive environment by connecting aspects of Nepal-Bharat relations.
During the visit, both countries inked seven several agreements ranging from increasing power trade, connectivity, installation of additional petroleum pipelines, and development in the agricultural sector to the promotion of culture. During the joint conference, PM Modi recalled the speech he had given in the parliament of Nepal where he had given the HIT formula that can improve Nepal-Bharat relations inkling to H-Highways, I-Ways and Trans-ways. Similarly, the visit of Dahal has landed with a significant beginning in many areas of bilateral relations in economic cooperation and border dispute settlement.
Nepalese leaders and experts have so far shown the abundant potential of hydropower in Nepal as the foundational ingredient that can boost Nepal’s economy. Regarding this, the managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kul Man Ghising poured his excitement saying; PM Dahal’s visit to Bharat is a ‘break-through’ in the energy trade . Ghising has long been advocating ensuring a market for Nepal’s remaining electricity after domestic consumption. And this visit has paved the way to trade power with Bangladesh too. Similarly, Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN) has welcomed the agreements reached in the energy sector focusing on historical and long-term interests.
‘Prachanda’ or ‘Dahal’
During his visit on the 2nd of June, Nepal’s PM offered 108 Kg of Rudraksha along with prayers at the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in saffron attire. This new avatar of PM has shocked many people in Nepal differently. Especially to those who still think ‘Prachanda’ was a communist leader. However, communist leaders indeed call religion ‘opium’. During the Maoist People’s War, Maoists set fire to several temples and targeted religious gurus in Nepal.
It was natural for the majority of Hindus to get hurt. Indeed, Nepali people who have been living in the reality of a ‘Hindu State’ since the mythological period in Nepal used to portray ‘Prachanda’ as anti-Hindu and he also did not want to spoil his communistic image. It was ‘Prachanda’ who was in favor of practicing pluralism in Nepal. Establishing this fact, it would be appropriate to remind one of his previous interviews.
In 2016, Pushpa Kamal Dahal when he became the PM of Nepal for the second time an India Journalist Shekhar Gupta came to interview him at Baluwatar, the official residence of Nepal’s PM. There, Gupta being apologetic, said, forgive me that I am not calling you Pushpa Kamal Dahal, because you are famed by ‘Prachanda’, nom de guerre he used to be called during his underground period. Responding to Gupta, Dahal candidly said, ‘See, Nepali mainstream media don’t like calling me ‘Prachanda.’
They think the term Prachanda reflects the attitude of revolutionary romanticism. And the mainstream media do not like political and social revolutions. Additionally, he also said, the word Prachnda can bring ’empowerment’ to the voiceless people of Nepal. The mainstream media and intellectuals belonging to upper caste don’t like those marginalized communities (Madheshi, Janjati, Muslim, Tharu, women and geographically deprived people) to get empowered.
Due to such reasons, they are tactfully calling me Pushpa Kamal – stressing on ‘Dahal’ and this way they want to bring me to the ring of upper caste Bramhin and show it up to the marginalized class of Nepal. Last year when he became the Prime Minister for the fourth time, he attired ‘Daura Surwal’ that he used to publicly avoid saying dress worn by any particular caste can’t be the national dress. Indeed, King Mahendra had propagated a slogan of ‘one language, one dress, one nation.’ And this way Mahendra had tried his best to shatter the beauty of pluralism that long been existing in Nepali society.
Nepal is a country that is hugely being ruled by Brahmin upper caste for a long. Recently BBC Hindi broadcasted a report considering Nepal a Bramhin (consisting of hill Bramhins only) state. It is understandable that the Maoist commander, who is getting weaker in electoral competition, has been forced to resort to religion in the end.
The metamorphosis of ‘Prachanda’ to ‘Dahal’ has quelled the uproar created by the royalist parties. Only last month, former members of the Constituent Assembly and former members of the House of Representatives of the Maoist party met Dahal and submitted a memorandum demanding to tackle the issue of contentious ‘secularism’ by having a referendum on Nepal to be re-declared as ‘Hindurastra.’
Nepal is a land of two great religions and civilizations- Hindutwa and Buddhism. These two shared civilizational traits between Nepal and Bharat. Recent data shows there is 81.19 percent of Hindu, Buddha 8.21, Islam 5.09, Christian 1.76, despite rampant religious conversion, the population of Hindus is up to a level which ignites people to Nepal to be re-declared as Hindu state. Dahal may have switched to going with the wave he observes in Nepal.
Good luck Nepal-Bharat
Regarding the border issues between Nepal and Bharat, Dahal briefed the press that it was historic and important that his counterpart Modi opened up his mouth before him that the two countries should resolve the border issues. Dahal took it as a historic breakthrough on the particular issue.
Last but not the least, whether it is political or economic, implementation is the crucial step in making any diplomatic initiative or agreement a success. Without proper implementation, even the well-crafted agreements may fail to achieve their intended goals and objectives. PM Dahal and collation government should rigorously be engaged with Bharat for economic growth and solving the whatsoever contentious issues appear between two immediate neighbors.
