New Delhi: The proposed high-level diplomatic talks between India and Nepal have been postponed for the time being. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Nepal was postponed at the last minute. This visit was considered to be the first major official conversation between the two countries after the formation of the new government.
After the postponement of the visit, many discussions have started in political and diplomatic circles. It was claimed in Nepali media that Prime Minister Balen Shah refused to give time for the foreign secretary level meeting, after which the program could not go ahead. However, no dispute regarding this has been publicly accepted by either country.
Was Balen Shah’s ‘no meeting policy’ the reason?
According to Nepal’s media reports, Prime Minister Balen Shah has been adopting a very strict stance in recent times towards meeting foreign officials and diplomats. It is being said that he has decided that he will attend only very high level meetings. For this reason his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri could not be fixed. Reports also claimed that a similar situation had arisen regarding proposed meetings with American officials. However, no formal statement has been issued by the Nepal government on this matter.
Did the Lipulekh controversy increase tension?
Border disputes like Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura have been a cause of tension between India and Nepal for a long time. In recent times, political rhetoric on this issue has again intensified within Nepal. Opposition parties in the Nepalese Parliament have demanded the government hold high-level talks with India. Some Nepali media reports claimed that in view of the current environment, both India and Nepal were cautious about the secretary-level meeting. However, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry publicly said that the postponement of the trip is not directly related to the border dispute.
Will India-Nepal relations be affected?
Experts believe that postponement of travel should not be seen directly as a rift in relations. Political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries are very deep. India has also invited Nepal for the International Big Cat Alliance conference to be held in June. Apart from this, there are constant diplomatic contacts between the two countries. However, this development has definitely indicated that the new Balen Shah government wants to pursue its foreign policy in a different way.
Is the new Nepal government giving different diplomatic signals?
Balen Shah is being seen as a new and aggressive political face in Nepal. Shah, a former rapper and engineer, had gained immense popularity among the youth and his party registered a big victory in the recent elections. After coming to power, he has taken many big steps like administrative reforms, anti-corruption campaign and ending VIP culture. Now neighboring countries are also keeping an eye on his foreign policy. Political analysts believe that Balen Shah is trying to create an identity separate from traditional Nepali politics and that is why his every diplomatic activity is being given special attention.
