By Pranab Dhal Samanta
Nepal: As opposition to India’s border road plan grows, agreement reached on widening Kathmandu-Lhasa road
New Delhi, December 2 – While India struggled last week to allay Nepalese concerns over a proposed highway along the Indo-Nepal border amid outrage over a Nepalese parliamentary committee report, China has had a pleasant experience with Kathmandu formally requesting Beijing to extend the well-known Tibet rail into Nepal.
Having firmed up an agreement to resume the Kathmandu-Lhasa bus service from January next year, Nepal Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan is learnt to have formally requested a high-level Chinese delegation headed by Wang Jiarui, head of the international liaison department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, that Nepal would welcome speedy consideration of extending the Tibet rail into Nepal.
While China has indicated in the past that it could consider extending the Tibet rail into Nepal, sources said the Nepalese government had not identified this as a major priority initiative. More so, at that time, the rail to Tibet was still to be completed. But Pradhan has given fresh impetus to this on grounds that there should be greater connectivity between Nepal and China.
While India does feel that such a project would pose a major technical challenge given the tough terrain bordering China, there is grudging acceptance of the fact that Kathmandu is keen on creating a viable “China option” to reduce dependence on India. Already, the two sides have agreed to widen the single-lane Kathmandu-Lhasa road.
Nepal has also stepped up diplomatic efforts in pushing for oil supplies from its northern neighbour. Fuel requirements and geographical accessibility are the key aspects that define the extent of Nepal’s practical dependence on India.
India, on its part, is “bewildered” by the sudden outcry in Kathmandu’s political circles in the past week about a proposed highway along the India-Nepal border. Fears are being raised of encroachment and possible inundation on the Nepalese sided as the road may be elevated at most places. New Delhi is yet to conduct a proper feasibility study of this project and feels it’s premature to have these concerns.
Despite the fact that India is committed to build some 1400 km of roads within Nepal, Pradhan conveyed Nepal’s concerns to Indian Ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee who was surprised by the row the proposed Indian project has caused.
While India battles this opposition, Pradhan’s warm attitude towards the Chinese has New Delhi a bit concerned though the overall approach is one of keeping the peace process alive and take up these matters with an elected government at the end of the political process.
On a political level, sources said, Wang’s visit was aimed at building stronger ties with Nepalese political parties, particularly the Maoists. Beijing had always maintained a strong relationship with the palace and the Nepal monarch, which is why it seemed to have lesser political influence once the political parties grew in stature. This also held true with the Maoists. But on the face of it, China seems to be moving quickly to gain “lost ground”.
