KATHMANDU, Jan 4: A group of civil society members has issued a warning to the government, urging it to exercise prudence in signing agreements that may contradict national interests.

Releasing a Citizens' Appeal on Thursday amidst preparations for Nepal and India to finalize several agreements during the Joint Commission (JC) meeting, the group has called on the government to refrain from endorsing any pacts that may compromise the broader interests of Nepal and its citizens.

While alleging that the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal is attempting to undermine the country's independent and sovereign status, they also expressed concern over what they perceive as a misleading narrative to facilitate agreements with India.

The signatories of the appeal include Suryanath Upadhyay, Dr. Renu Adhikari, Hira Bishwakarma, Kanak Mani Dixit, and Sushil Pyakurel.

The civil society group has expressed apprehension about the Indian Embassy operating outside Nepal's government budget. While arguing that an agreement allowing up to 20 crores in subsidies directly across the country may impact Nepali politics, they have urged the government against entering into such an agreement.

Additionally, they contend that a scenario where local representatives must seek development assistance from foreign embassies is unacceptable and contrary to the Constitution of Nepal and the policy on federal foreign aid mobilization.

Similarly, the civil society group has raised questions about Nepal's participation in the new 'Agnipath' process to join the Indian Army. They highlight that this initiative was introduced without consulting Nepal, citing the 1947 tripartite agreement, suggesting that Nepal's citizens could join the Indian and British armies. The  civil society group has called for negotiating or reorganizing the recruitment process of Nepali citizens in the Indian Army, rather than deciding through a ministerial agreement.

The civil society group has also raised objections to an agreement guaranteeing 10,000 megawatts of hydropower for the Indian market, asserting that it could affect Nepal's irrigation water. They demand a comprehensive national discussion, parliamentary debates, and consultations before concluding such an agreement, considering the critical role of hydropower in Nepal's water resource utilization.

While terming the government's approach as short-sighted and against national interests, the group has further emphasized that Nepali citizens should not be subjected to agreements that could significantly impact the country without their knowledge. Furthermore, they have expressed concerns about longstanding issues in Nepal-India bilateral relations, including the 1950 treaty, border demarcation (including Limpiyadhura-Lipulek-Kalapani and Susta), and the Eminent Persons Group's report, only addressing Indian concerns.

While acknowledging India as an unwavering friend, the coalition appeals to the Government of Nepal not to enter into agreements that violate the Constitution, self-respect, and sovereign rights of the Nepalese people, emphasizing the importance of upholding the integrity of Nepal-India friendship.

Full Text of the Appeal:

Citizens’ Appeal Against Signing Problematic Agreements with India

Kathmandu, 4 January 2024

In the context of Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Kathmandu starting today, we protest the apparent willingness of the Government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to sign agreements in the areas set out below, which is bound to weaken Nepal’s independent and sovereign agency on bilateral matters. We also protest the Dahal Government’s reaching agreements with New Delhi in a secretive manner without adequate information provided to the polity and the general public.

1. Allowing the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to directly give grants of up to NPR 20 crore outside the Nepal Government’s budgetary processes will gravely impact the country’s political sphere. The Nepali public cannot accept a situation where local government representatives from all over have to line up before a foreign embassy for development assistance. We strongly demand that the Government pull back from agreeing to something that goes against the Constitution as well as the federal government’s policy guidelines regarding foreign assistance.

2. There is an attempt to make the new ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme of India’s armed forces applicable to recruits from Nepal. While the system for Nepali citizens to join the British and Indian armies was put in place through the Tripartite Agreement of 1947, the ‘Agnipath’ scheme is sought to be applied to Nepal without discussions with the Kathmandu Government, as if New Delhi is free to take unilateral decisions when it comes to Nepal. We recommend that the starting point for any attempt to amend or review the recruitment of Nepali citizens into the Indian military should be the 1947 Tripartite Agreement itself. The attempt to formalise changes on such a vital issue through inter-ministerial agreement is unacceptable.

3. We find the decision to guarantee 10,000 MW of Nepal’s hydroelectricity for the Indian market problematic, as this also affects Nepal’s flexibility in relation to stored water as a natural resource. Because hydropower is not just a tradeable commodity but also intrinsically linked to use of water as a resource, we demand that decisions be reached only through wide national discussion and parliamentary oversight.

The Nepali public cannot accept agreements that are discussed secretively between the two governments and foisted upon society as a whole. By being part of such non-transparent dealings, the Dahal Government has once again shown how its own short-term interests are allowed to eclipse the national good. This is happening even as the Dahal Government is reluctant to raise long-pending issues such as the 1950 Nepal-India Treaty, the border disputes of Limpiyadhura-Lipulek-Kalapani and Susta, and the unpublished report of the Eminent Persons’ Group set up by the Prime Ministers of the two countries.

The Dahal Government is evidently unwilling to place these and other matters of vital national interest on the agenda of bilateral meetings, while on the other hand, it seems happy to include any and all agenda items proposed by the Indian side. All of this only exposes the Dahal Government’s tendency to swim against the national interest in favour of immediate personalised goals.

We take Nepal to be an inseparable friend of India, and the Nepali public has always stood for mutual respect and friendship between the two countries. We signatories of this appeal are convinced that agreements that go against Nepal’s constitutional provisions and impact the country’s sovereign rights and sense of dignity cannot do justice to this historical friendship. With this in mind, we strongly appeal to the Nepal Government not to sign agreements that compromise the national interest.

Signatories:

1. Suryanath Upadhayay; 2. Dr. Renu Adhikari; 3. Hira Bishwokarma; 4. Kanak Mani Dixit; 5. Sushil Pyakurel.

 
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