As if a tradition, the visit to India by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has courted controversy.

Talking to Nepalnews on Monday, former Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Yadav Kant Silwal, said lack of long-term strategy brings in controversies in every visit of prime minister to India.

Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh

Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh
(File Photo)

“We don’t have long term vision regarding to what extent should Nepal enter into agreement with India in various issues like use of water resources, encroachment of border areas, dam construction, trade and customs and several other such issues,” he said.

According to Silwal—who has also served as Foreign Secretary—Nepal needs to revise the 1950 friendship treaty and formulate a long-term strategic policies to foster relations with her southern neighbour. “Unless this is done, every prime minister visiting India will be accused as if he has concluded a treaty or entered into an agreement as per his/her party’s interest,” he added.

Foreign relations experts like Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa and Shailendra Kumar Upadhya opine that the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Koirala should be limited to a goodwill tour to extend a thanking note to the government and people of India for their support in the recent people’s movement.

On Sunday, members of Parliament expressed dissatisfaction over what they called lack of information regarding the visit of the Prime Minister to coalition partners.

Prime Minister Koirala

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
(File Photo)

They even raised suspicion if Koirala would sign any controversial treaty with India at this juncture as well. In his first visit to India as premier in 1991, Koirala had signed the Tanakpur Treaty with India, which was highly criticized by the then opposition.

Deputy leader of the CPN (UML) parliamentarian party, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, warned that the prime minister should not enter into any kind of agreement with India that could have long-term effect in the Nepali politics. He said the prime minister’s agenda should include issues like seeking India’s support for involving United Nations in Nepal’s peace process and institutionalizing democracy in the country.

Responding to queries put forward by the legislators, deputy prime minister and foreign minister K. P. Sharma Oli assured the House that the prime minister would not sign into any agreement while in Delhi against the national interest. “It is only a goodwill visit. This government will not do anything that would compromise the national interest,” he added.

Officials say Nepal will request Prime minister’s visit has been schedule with short notice. Earlier, it was notified that he would go for personal visit to Thailand for health check up from June 5. It is expected that India is going to announce a huge package of economic assistance to Nepal during the visit of Koirala.

The visit of Koirala—which is taking place at a time when the government is negotiating with the Maoist rebels and had vowed to conduct elections for the Constituent Assembly that will decide the fate of monarchy, among others—has left many to suspect that India will impose its agenda upon weak and vulnerable Nepal. Maoists are among them.

Senior Maoist leader and member of the Maoist talks team, Dinanath Sharma, expressing his views on the Prime Minister’s visit to India beginning tomorrow, at a program in Kathmandu, Monday, June 05 06. nepalnews.com

A member of the Maoist negotiating team, Dinanath Sharma, said the government should first ensure internal political instability before accepting any economic package from donors including India. “Koirala’s visit to India is an abrupt and untimely decision,” he said.

Addressing a face-to-face programme at the Reporter’s Club on Monday, Sharma also cautioned the government not to enter into any agreement with India.

He further said his party has asked prime minister Koirala to take initiation for the release of the Maoist detainees lodged in various Indian jails. Around 137 Maoists are being detained in Indian prisons including senior leader Mohan Baidya alias Kiran.

For 84-year-old Koirala, upholding the national interest and sentiments of the people at the same time winning over Indian leadership and their goodwill is not going to be an easy job. How and whether he will be able to do that will determine not only his political future, but the future of the nation as a whole to the large extent.