FORMER INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL RAKESH SOOD SAYS: He (INDIAN PM NARENDRA MODI) wisely refrained from anything more, while expressing support for a federal, democratic Nepali republic but steering clear of the “secular versus Hindu rashtra” debate. Wanting to build up on his successful visit in August, Modi had wanted to visit Janakpur (site of the historic Janaki Mandir), Lumbini (birthplace of Gautam Buddha) and Muktinath (Vishnu temple), in addition to the SAARC engagements in Kathmandu. Janakpur borders Sitamarhi (Bihar) in India and Lumbini is barely 22 km from the Indian border. At both sites, Modi sought to address public gatherings which would have attracted huge numbers, including from Indian border towns and villages. Initiatives regarding border connectivity, the tourism potential of the Ayodhya-Janakpur circuit and the Lumbini-Bodhgaya-Sarnath circuit, and development of irrigation in the Terai which is the breadbasket of Nepal would have resonated with the audience and presented Modi as the tallest leader in the region. This evidently made Nepali political leaders uneasy. Nepal’s government has therefore cited security concerns to turn down the idea of public gatherings, proposing civic receptions instead where Nepali leaders would share the platform and Modi’s interaction would be limited to (selected) local community leaders. The key reason is the deep-rooted suspicion about the Indian agenda which surfaces time and again
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 09:03:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015