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Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s visit to India signals an important recalibration of bilateral(द्विपक्षीय) ties(संबंधों). While the focus of the official pronouncements(घोषणाओं/मत) has been on connectivity, it is the perceptible absence(अनुपस्थिति/अभाव) of tensions in public interactions(बातचीत) and official meetings, including with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that gives hope that the rupture(टूटना/संबंध विच्छेद) in ties over India’s reservations about Nepal’s new constitution is being repaired. The visit follows a great deal of preparation by both Delhi and Kathmandu. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made an unusual departure from protocol to visit Mr. Oli in Kathmandu and congratulate him for his election win even before he had been sworn(शपथ ली) in. It was a significant shift from 2015-17, when the five-month-long blockade of truck trade at the Nepal-India border and Nepal’s ties with China placed a severe strain(तनाव) on the relationship. For his part, Mr. Oli put aside the anti-India rhetoric(बयानबाजी) of his election campaign, and came to India on his first post-election visit abroad(विदेश में)seeking ‘friendship first, and friendship second and third’. Bilateral meetings at Hyderabad House were devoid of any sermonising and defensive postures, steering clear of contentious issues on the constitution and China; Mr. Modi promised support on development projects that meet “Nepal’s priorities(प्रधानता/प्राथमिकताओं)”.
The reset is long overdue, and should be accompanied(साथ/सहित) by a transformation in the tenor(आशय) of the relationship. Kathmandu has been too susceptible(अतिसंवेदनशील/भावुक) to conspiracy(साजिश/मंत्रणा) theories about Indian meddling, while New Delhi and its diplomats in the Nepal embassy have sometimes lent credence to the theories by adopting apatronising(संरक्षण/सहायता देना) attitude. A first step to the reset would be the completion of the ongoing process of updating the 1950 Treaty(समझौता/संधि) of Peace and Friendship. Nepal would acknowledge that its citizens have benefited from the ease of employment and residence in India that the treaty provides. But India must recognise(स्वीकार करना/मान्यता देना)that as in all other developing economies, Nepal’s aspirational(आकांक्षा) young population is also looking beyond the open Indian border for opportunities(मौक़ा/सुविधा), and Mr. Oli’s desire to turn his “land-locked” country into a “land-linked” country with a merchant navy must be considered positively. From here on it will be the deliverables, such as road and railway links, power projects and post-earthquake reconstruction commitments, that will determine the success of the partnership, not just the announcement of new initiatives(पहल/आत्मबल). India has residual concerns over enhancing the constitution’s provisions for Nepal’s plains-based Madhesi population, but these should be taken up discreetly(सावधानी से/विचार-पूर्वक) and diplomatically(कूटनीतिक/कपटपूर्वक). Recovery in the relationship is still fragile(नाजुक,), and any grandstanding must be avoided.
Important Vocabulary
1.Rupture(टूटना/संबंध विच्छेद)
Synonyms: breach, fissure, fracture, hernia, schism
Antonyms: agreement, closing, closure, harmony, peace
2.Sworn(शपथ ली)
Synonyms: affirmed, bound, confirmed
3.Interactions(बातचीत)
Synonyms: communication, cooperation, synergy, intercommunication, reciprocal action
4.Treaty(समझौता/संधि)
Synonyms: accord, alliance, arrangement, bargain, bond
Antonyms: antagonism, disagreement, discord, misunderstanding, refusal
5.Conspiracy(साजिश/मंत्रणा)
Synonyms: plot, scheme, sedition, treason, cabal
Antonyms: faithfulness, honesty, ignorance, loyalty
6.Discreetly(सावधानी से/विचार-पूर्वक)
Synonyms: deliberately, intentionally, carefully, cautiously, consciously
Antonyms: unintentionally
7.Fragile(नाजुक,)
Synonyms: delicate, feeble, frail, weak, brittle
Antonyms: able, firm, healthy, strong, durable
Credits To The Hindu News Paper
