India is currently facing two crises along its northern borders, neither of which have anything to do with Covid-19. In Ladakh, the Indian ...
India is currently facing two crises along its northern borders, neither of which have anything to do with Covid-19. In Ladakh, the Indian Army appears to be involved in a stand-off against Chinese troops at several points along the disputed Line of Actual Control. At the same time, on Sunday, the Nepal government tabled a Constitution Amendment Bill that would alter the map of the country to include hundreds of kilometres of Indian territory.
The Indian Army Chief suggested that both these issues are connected – an insensitive comment that did not help matters in Kathmandu. Yet, they present two distinct problems for New Delhi to tackle.
Nepal’ map
On Nepal, the Indian government seems to be stuck in the past.
New Delhi seems miffed by Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s tactic of drumming up nationalistic sentiments within the country as a means of putting pressure on its larger neighbour – even though it is an approach India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is fond of using at home. India would rather Kathmandu settle this friction through diplomatic talks, paying respect to New Delhi’s role as the dominant power in South Asia.
Yet, as Indian Express’ C Raja Mohan writes, “It makes no sense for Delhi to hanker after...Read more
