There are many ways to look at the upcoming India visit of Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala. It can be interpreted as part of a routine exercise of top Nepali politicians going to the Indian capital to seek ‘political guidance’ and cement their pro-India credentials.
Koirala will be the fourth top politician to visit India in the last four months, following the much-hyped visits of Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sher Bahadur Deuba and most recently, Senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, all at the official invitation of the Indian government. But Koirala’s visit will be a little different. He has not always seen eye to eye with the Indian establishment. [break]
Last year their relationship hit rock bottom when Koirala came out strongly against SD Mehta, the Indian consular in Birgunj, who was reportedly inciting Madhesi leaders to press for ‘One Madhesh’. New Delhi and Koirala are also reported to harbor vastly different ideas on federating Nepal.
India’s invitation to Koirala suggests it wants to mend ties with the head of the oldest democratic party and traditionally its biggest ally in Nepal. This reflects well on India, and suggests it has the confidence to face and hear out its critics. Inviting NC second-in-command Sher Bahadur Deuba for consultations by bypassing Koirala had sent just the opposite message: that it was interested in cultivating ties only with its ardent followers.
But it is unlikely that India took the decision unilaterally without strong feelers from Koirala that he was keen on mending broken fences. But even if that is the case, it need not be taken in a negative spirit. Whatever the underlying motives of Koirala’s upcoming India visit, this thaw in relationship is a welcome development. Strained ties between the oldest running democratic forces in the two countries were in no one’s interest, not in India’s and certainly not in the interest of NC and Nepal.
The visit slated for August 4 will go a long way towards clearing Koirala’s image as bête noir of New Delhi. Interestingly, UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi will be meeting Koirala, a privilege she denied Dahal during his visit in April. It will be to India’s credit to be seen as giving equal priority to all democratic forces in Nepal and to continue to press for timely polls.
This is also in its best interest. Following the 2006 Jana Andolan, India has been concerned by political volatility in Nepal and has at times made ham-fisted attempts to micromanage events here. But it seems to have realized that the best way to ensure political stability in Nepal (and protect Indian interests by extension) is to press for timely CA polls and a constitution through the CA mechanism.
China too has unreservedly spoken in favor of timely polls. India is likely to reiterate the same message when Koirala comes calling. The senior NC leader for his part will express his and his party’s unswerving commitment to CA polls and pledge to address genuine Indian concerns in Nepal. There is no reason to cook up more conspiracy theories about the impending visit of Koirala. It can as easily be seen as a restorative exercise in diplomacy.
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