Kathmandu, Jan 10: Nepal and India need broader dialogue not only at the government-to-government level but also among scholars, journalists, artists, scientists, youths and women and other social entities to dispel misunderstandings among the respective governments and societies.
“Affinity not only among the political leaderships but also among the civil society of both the nations is essential to reinforce goodwill,” Indian Envoy to Nepal Shyam Sharan said at a talk programme on Nepal-India Relations today. The programme was organised by the Nepal Council of World Affairs. ”An in-built early warning mechanism for their management of relations, which must enable both neighbours to prevent differences from gathering up and corroding the most positive sides of the bilateral relation, is what both countries should look for.”
The complacency, which seldom arises out of the assumption that shared history of political, commercial, cultural and religious interactions can follow good relations in the natural course of things, may lead to the ignorance of consequences of divergent perceptions and differences of opinion.
Envoy Shyam Sharan said that the extraordinary thing about Nepal and India is the degree of complementarity between the two nations, which awaits being explored to mutual advantage. “Judicious projects for the utilisation of Nepal’s water resources could meet India’s growing needs for power and could address the problems of floods and drought. This could be a win-win situation for both countries rather than being a source of recrimination and mistrust.”
Nepal can capitalise on its proximity and privileged access to India’s vast market, and can take huge benefits from India’s US $ 7 billion a year Information Technology market besides making use of India’s space science and biotechnology to its own development.” “Nepal can further gain from the five million Indian tourists who visit foreign countries annually. India can also be a major source of investment.”
Shedding his views on the Maoist problem, the Indian envoy said that the Maoist menace is affecting the security of both the nations. Sharing of intelligence on either side of border holds the key to fighting the menace, said the Indian envoy.
While surveillance of the terrorists’ movement at the border is essential to build up pressure on them, the deeper aspect of the Maoist problem needs to be addressed. “Addressing social and economic problems as well as taking military action to contain the terror is the need of the hour.”
India can help Nepal in launching economic activities and creating employment opportunities for the youth living in the remote areas so that they are not lured to Maoist camps, envoy Shyam Sharan said.
He said that the open border between the two nations was an asset and not a liability for the people living near the border. But we are aware about monitoring and checking the activities and movements at the border that can be inimical to the interests of both nations.
On queries about India’s role in solving the Bhutanese refugee problem, the Indian Ambassador said that India regarded the problem from a humanitarian perspective but it would not involve itself in the bilateral issue between Nepal and Bhutan. “Both nations are capable of sorting out their problems, and India does not want to interfere.’
He also said that Indo-Pak tensions can be resolved if greater contacts among the people of both the nations are allowed.
Shyam Sharan said that the SAARC and South Asia can prosper economically if we explore and exploit its advantages.
At the function, Nepal Council of World Affair President Keshav Raj Jha, Himalaya Kumar Singh and Gopal Pokhrel also spoke.