With Nepal coming closer to passing its second Constitutional amendment bill in the House of Representatives to legalise the new map of the country it has drawn, India is clearly peeved. The bill is likely to be passed tomorrow. It expects to see an easy passage in the upper house, too.
The new map includes territory that India has always shown as part of its domain, and includes the disputed 350 square km of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyudhura near Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
Nepal, whom India has accused of cartographic aggression, claims that talks can continue despite this legislation. However, India clearly seems in no mood for any conversation right now. In his weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava refused to give any indication of when the Foreign Secretary level talks would take place. India had earlier said that it was up to Nepal to create an atmosphere conducive to talks. Clearly, Nepal seems in no mood to create that atmosphere.
However, he pointed out India's contribution to the welfare of Nepal in general, and specially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "India has extended all possible technical, medical and humanitarian assistance to Nepal. We have supplied about 25 tonnes of medical aid to Nepal, including paracetamol and hydroxychlorquine, test kits and other medical supplies,'' he said.
He added that the Indian government has also ensured that there was no untoward disruption in the trade and supply of essential goods to Nepal, despite the lockdown on both sides. India has also helped in repatriation of Nepalese nationals stranded abroad on humanitarian grounds.'
Srivastava said that India's overture to Nepal was part of its outreach to "friendly neighbourhood countries'', in line with Prime minister Narendra Modi's initiativce to chart out a common strategy to combat COVID-19 in the region.
While the Nepalese leadership has been making unsavoury comments against India, both within Parliament and outside, India has refrained from retaliating in the same language. The spokesperson reiterated that "India deeply values its civilisation, cultural and friendly relations with Nepal. Our multi faceted bilateral partnership has expanded and diversified in the recent years with increased focus and enhanced Government of India's assistance on humanitarian, development and connectivity projects in Nepal.''
In fact, even as the Nepalese leadership was busy taking potshots at India, India's development work in Nepal, including the construction of quake-resistant school buildings, continues.
