Another source of concern for India is the United States. As Deb Mukherji, a former Indian ambassador in Kathmandu, pointed out at a recent seminar, Washington’s growing influence in Nepal – more than India’s role – could alienate China. This, according to Mukherji, could exacerbate New Delhi’s woes in the long run. The United States has built an ultra-modern embassy in Kathmandu, signaling its long-term interests in Nepal.
In some ways, India and China have created a quiet arrangement whereby Beijing has conceded New Delhi’s predominant role in Nepal, given the common religious, cultural and social heritage. It is when China has felt its interests threatened, such as the growing American military engagement with the palace in the prelude to the royal coup, that Beijing has reacted more aggressively. India must calibrate its Nepal policy independent of other governments, in tandem with Nepali aspirations and in cognizance of its broad range of interests.
The pro-Tibet demonstrations in Kathmandu over the last two months may have shifted the Nepali mindset. The manner in which the Chinese embassy virtually ordered the Nepali government to crack down on the protesters did not go down well with ordinary Nepalis. As a result, a nation committed to building a new democratic structure came under heavy criticism from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other international organizations for its “autocratic” tendencies.
The fact that the Chinese were so aggressive in asserting their interests may allow Nepalis to understand India in a new light. How new, of course, would depend on India.
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