Nepal and Bhutan News and discussion

[kmkraoind]

India ends subsidy on kerosene, LPG supply to Bhutan - India Today

India has withdrawn its subsidy on kerosene and cooking gas to Bhutan, putting the Himalayan kingdom in a crisis, said a newspaper report on Saturday.

According to the report, prices of the two fuels have risen sharply in Bhutan as result of the decision and its government has written to India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on the issue.

It is not known why India took such a step, but there is speculation that the move aims at apparently punishing the Bhutanese government for hobnobbing with China.

The country's Prime Minister Jigme Thinley recently met his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang in Brazil's capital Rio de Janeiro and imported 20 buses from the other neighbour. {whether these buses were gift from Chinese or Bhutan imported them is unknown}.

The report, quoting a state-run Indian Oil Corporation official, said the subsidy was ended after the government said it would not reimburse the subsidy component of kerosene and LPG.

[member_19686]

Some of them even suggested that Nepali Congress surrendered before the Maoists, blindly followed its radical agenda like republicanism, secularism and federalism, and that it need to review all that. The Party felt compelled to invite Swami Kamalnayanacharya, abbot of the Mukti Nath Shrine, to address the meeting attended by more than 1,300 delegates, was a proof that it has taken the criticism seriously, but there was hardly any message that the party was going to review and rectify it. The Swami said, and delegates welcomed with applause, that Nepal is a ‘Hindu Nation’ and its identity should not be altered under any circumstances.

http://www.spotlightnepal.com/News/Arti ... arian-Path

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Kamal_Nayanacharya

[Rony]

Indian PM Modi in Bhutan.

[SSridhar]

India & Bhutan assure each other on mutual security - Economic Times

With an immediate objective to flush out Northeastern insurgents from the Bhutanese territory, India and Bhutan have agreed to closely cooperate on issues of national interests and not allow each other's territory to be used for "interests inimical to each other".

"The two sides expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the two countries related to their mutual security. They agreed to continue with their close coordination and cooperation with each other on issues relating to their national interests, and not allow each other's territory to be used for interests inimical to the other," said a joint statement issued at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Thimphu, his first foreign trip after assuming office.

ET had first reported on Monday that Bhutan's top leaders had assured Modi during the meetings on Sunday that the country would soon launch an operation to flush out insurgents from the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) and other Northeastern insurgents from its territory. In 2003, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister, the Bhutan government had launched an operation to flush out ULFA, Bodo and KLO insurgents from Southern Bhutan {IIRC, the King himself led the operation from the front}.

Modi assured Bhutan Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay of India's continued commitment to capacity building, especially in the education and Information Technology sectors, in Bhutan. Modi announced the doubling of the Nehru-Wangchuck scholarship to Rs 2 crore per year. India will also provide grant assistance for the establishment of the digital section/E-library in the National Library of Bhutan and in all 20 districts of Bhutan.

India also conveyed its decision to exempt Bhutan from any ban or quantitative restrictions on exports of items like milk powder, wheat, edible oil, pulses and non-basmati rice, according to the statement. On Monday, Modi unveiled the foundation stone of the 600 mw Kholongchu Hydropower Project, which is a joint venture project between the Indian and Bhutanese public sector units SJVNL and Druk Green Power Corporation. The construction of the project, which is located in Trashiyangtse in eastern Bhutan, will commence later this year.

Addressing a joint session of the Bhutanese parliament on Monday, Modi said that ties between India and Bhutan were very strong and assured that change of government would not alter the dynamics of bilateral ties. Describing the Himalayas as a shared legacy, Modi stressed on the need to develop the ecology of region and said India was planning to open a university for Himalayan studies. The prime minister said that Indian satellite technology could be roped in to help Bhutan.

[schinnas]

PM Modi may announce huge economic package for Nepal - TOI

It is time to get Nepal back on dharmic path. We should also help the Nepal government handle their Maoist problem. Next natural target for Modi's attention could be Sri lanka.

[RoyG]

There maoists need to be burned alive and nepal needs to declare itself a hindu country again.

[muraliravi]

There maoists need to be burned alive and nepal needs to declare itself a hindu country again.

First get rid of sushma as MEA. she has screwed up royally on bangladesh. She has no power to give statements like multiple entry visas for bd's for 5 years. Visas come under home ministry. Wait for her to screw up nepal also.

[schinnas]

There maoists need to be burned alive and nepal needs to declare itself a hindu country again.

First get rid of sushma as MEA. she has screwed up royally on bangladesh. She has no power to give statements like multiple entry visas for bd's for 5 years. Visas come under home ministry. Wait for her to screw up nepal also.

Not so fast. First of all, illegal immigrants don't come through the visa route. Visa route is needed to improve trade and cultural relations. We need Bangladeash as a transit route for NE and Bangladesh needs trade with India to survive. Utilization of oil and natural gas reserves in Bangladesh is a win-win for both India and Bangladesh.

Promoting relaxed visa for proven non-immigrant (temporary visitor) use cases does not prohibit India from pursuing iron fisted strong policies against illegal immigration. Often both should go hand in hand.

Regarding Sushma's track record, she has done a great work in securing the release of the nurses. It is one of the biggest foreign policy accomplishment of Modi Sarkar - second only to getting Bhutan back into our friendship.

[Aditya_V]

There maoists need to be burned alive and nepal needs to declare itself a hindu country again.

Funny how most of these Maoists leader studied in the venerable JNU in Delhi.

[Brad Goodman]

Have been trying to understand issues with a Nepali friend. They are still nostalgic about Vajpayee ji and BJP rule. The general feeling is that BJP cared about Nepal. Sonia is hated because she is held responsible along with CPI-M for maoist insurgency in Nepal. Modi ji should definately visit Pashupatinath and announce a package for Nepal.

My general advise to my Nepali friend was that they need to integrate with India on education, trade, sports, healthcare.. keep your independence in foreign affairs, defense and law but for other affairs they need to integrate with India that is only way they can grow.

[muraliravi]

Not so fast. First of all, illegal immigrants don't come through the visa route. Visa route is needed to improve trade and cultural relations. We need Bangladeash as a transit route for NE and Bangladesh needs trade with India to survive. Utilization of oil and natural gas reserves in Bangladesh is a win-win for both India and Bangladesh.

Promoting relaxed visa for proven non-immigrant (temporary visitor) use cases does not prohibit India from pursuing iron fisted strong policies against illegal immigration. Often both should go hand in hand.

Regarding Sushma's track record, she has done a great work in securing the release of the nurses. It is one of the biggest foreign policy accomplishment of Modi Sarkar - second only to getting Bhutan back into our friendship.

First of all, it was doval who got them, not this queen who gets her elected from BJP's safest seat and does not volunteer to even fight from her home state.

Next, India has a horrible track record when it comes to keeping a track if immigrants who have entered legally and who overstay and never return. The no. of legal immigrants from BD, pak and afg who have entered India and have not left india (overstaying their visas) in the last 10 years is an appalling 1.3 million. With such a state of affairs, why would you want to grant them multiple entry visas and more visas. The MHA is 100% correct in putting a red flag.

[narmad]

Nepal Army seeks two advanced light helicopters from India at subsidised price

Nepal Army's request to buy two HAL-made Dhruv choppers came during the two-day meeting of 'Nepal-India Bilateral Consultative Group (BCG) on Security Issues' that concluded in Kathmandu yesterday, the sources said.
The Indian side took Nepal's request positively, the sources said.

Earlier, India had provided two ALHs to the Nepal Army temporarily during the second Constituent Assembly elections held in November last year to carry out monitoring of the elections.

These military equipments were supplied by India at 60 per cent subsidy and 40 per cent cash payment.

Nepal has sought resumption of supply of military hardware from government of India, which was halted during the absolute rule by then King Gyanendra in February 2005, when civil rights were suspended.

[RamaY]

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/histo ... pal-565775

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is currently on a visit to Nepal
Kathmandu: As India makes efforts to deepen its diplomatic and economic engagement with its neighbours, Nepal today said there is a "historic opportunity" in taking bilateral ties with India to the "next level" and that it must be seized by both the countries.

Nepal's top leadership including President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala during separate meetings with the visiting External Affairs Minister Minister Sushma Swaraj hailed efforts by India's new government to improve Indo-Nepal relations. Swaraj also met UCPN-Maoist chief and Leader of Opposition Prachanda.

Ms Swaraj is in Kathmandu to chair the meeting of the Indo-Nepal Joint Commission which was held today after a gap of 23 years and to prepare for the two-day official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from August 3 -- the first visit by an Indian premier in over 17 years. The late Prime Minister I K Gujral had visited Nepal in 1997.

The Nepalese leaders, in separate interaction with Ms Swaraj, expressed their "happiness" and "excitement" over the initiative taken by India to bring new momentum in the bilateral ties while stressing on the need for stepped up engagement between the countries.

The leaders conveyed to Ms Swaraj that they were really upbeat over Mr Modi's planned visit which they think will bring the two countries "much closer".

Ms Swaraj yesterday said Nepal stands high on the priority list of the Modi government and the testimony to it is her visit here within two months of assuming office.

Sources said there was visible excitement among the Nepalese leaders about India's initiative for closer ties with the Himalayan nation during their meetings with Ms Swaraj.

The Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin described the meetings as "productive".

"In general if I have to encapsulate the views, there is a lot of excitement in Nepal about India's intention to reengage and reinvigorate the relationship. They are all looking forward to Prime Minister's forthcoming visit and all feel that this is a historic opportunity to move to the next level in terms of our engagement with each other," he said.

Mr Koirala, who had his meeting with Ms Swaraj at his official residence in Baluwatar, sought India's help and goodwill as Nepal moves forward on the path of development by drafting a new democratic Constitution.

"The Prime Minister has asked for India's cooperation, goodwill and support as Nepal moves towards democracy, political stability and development by promulgating the new Constitution," Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Dinesh Bhattarai said.

Ms Swaraj wished for good health of the Prime Minister and extended best wishes that Nepal would be able to conclude the peace process by promulgating a democratic and inclusive constitution within the stipulated time frame, according to Mr Bhattarai. Mr Koirala has just returned home from New York after spending nearly a month for treatment of his lung cancer.

[RamaY]

http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/07/26/top ... 92699.html

Modi’s trans-Himalayan link to bring Nepal, India, China together


KATHMANDU, JUL 26 - Amidst all the recent controversies surrounding the Nepal-India power trade agreement, Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj arrived in Kathmandu on Friday in a bid to give Nepal-India ties a new economic footing.

Swaraj’s Nepal visit, her second foreign trip after visiting Bangladesh in June, continues to underscore the Narendra Modi government’s emphasis on ‘neighbour-first’ diplomacy. Modi’s own visit to Nepal, scheduled for August 3-4, will be his third trip since he took office—after Bhutan and Brazil, where he attended the BRICS gathering.

Swaraj is expected to set the tone for Modi’s ‘pragmatic diplomacy’, whose core focus will be economic prosperity with an eye on greater regional integration. Modi’s Nepal outing will mark a step toward his broader ambition for high growth for India, where Nepal’s development fits neatly into trans-Himalayan regionalism fuelled by stronger connectivity.

It is likely that commercial interests will be paramount, trumping the age-old diplomatic rhetoric of South Asian bhai-bhai and ‘special relationships’. Modi’s arrival will also mark the assertion of ‘political ties’, a departure from Nepal-India relations that, of late, have been dominated by bureaucracy and security agencies.

“At the heart of Modi’s Nepal policy will be economic prosperity,” says Amresh Kumar Singh, a Nepali Congress lawmaker, who had a 20-minute meeting with Modi in Delhi in June. “His emphasis on greater connectivity with Nepal and China is strong.”

A potential game-changer

The last Indian prime minister who advocated greater engagement with the region was Inder Kumar Gujral. Gujral warmed Nepali hearts during his 1997 visit when he emphasised that New Delhi should not look for reciprocity from its smaller neighbours. However, Gujral was seen as a well-meaning political weakling and his efforts did not go very far. His mandate was narrow and his legacy short-lived. Since then, Nepal-India relations have been marked with the inevitability of asymmetry, mutual suspicions and unease.

Nonetheless, it is clear that there are major differences between Gujral and Modi. For one, Modi is seen as a potential game-changer, who is perhaps the first Indian prime minister in recent memory with the capacity to take on the Indian security and business establishments. Modi’s foreign policy approach is so ambitious that some believe it has the potential to transform the Nepal-India relationship. There is a chance that Nepal will finally be able to leverage its strategic location between the world’s two fastest growing big economies to its benefit.

“Modi was elected as prime minister on the economic plank of investment and prosperity,” says Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former ambassador to India. “Since his election as prime minister, Modi has pursued a broader foreign policy agenda, which makes him the undisputed leader of the region. The time has now come for us to pursue joint venture investments and trade liberalisation in the region with new openness.”

But Thapa also mentions how New Delhi, in 1998, rolled back provisions in the bilateral trade treaty and opted for ‘regimented trade’ in face of opposition from business lobbies in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. A similar challenge to Modi’s plans by vested interest groups could still occur.

“Modi, just like Gujral 17 years ago, talks about trade, commerce and investment and openness, but it remains to be seen how Modi’s vision for a prosperous neighbourhood and mutual benefits will play out in the days ahead,” cautions Thapa.

Beyond rhetoric

By all indications, Modi’s regionalism seems more enduring for the simple reason that it is based on mutual economic benefits and not merely on vague rhetoric about South Asian brotherhood. In addition, Modi also sees China as an integral partner in the game.

China’s Ambassador in New Delhi, Wei Wei, recently proposed trans-border cooperation with India under the Trans-Himalayan Economic Growth Region. This path-breaking regional initiative will be led by China and India.

“Instead of being defensive, Delhi must seek more details on this very interesting idea and offer a vision of its own for productive engagement with Beijing all across the Tibetan frontier,” writes C Raja Mohan in his column for the Indian Express (‘Chinese takeaway: Panchasheel blues,’ June 25, 2014, ).

Raja Mohan was in Kathmandu early this week addressing two public forums, one of them organised by the Centre for South Asian Studies headed by Nischal Nath Pandey.

“He [Raja Mohan] spoke about the need for better connectivity in the region,” says Pandey. “China is building so many roads and rail networks around the region that India is forced to make this policy change.”

Under Modi, expansion of rail and road networks will remain India’s top infrastructure priority, as much as already evident from the new budget.

Modi is the first Indian prime minister to invite South Asian neighbours in the swearing-in; he has firmly placed Bhutan, Bangladesh and now Nepal on his foreign policy road map. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi visited Delhi soon after Modi was sworn in. “I do see Modi as a game changer,” says Pandey.

Towards regionalism

Delhi and Beijing are likely to expedite modernising the infrastructure at the Nathu La, a pass connecting Tibet and Sikkim, and initiate full-fledged trade. They could also find ways to expand the current limited opportunities for Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims who want to visit places of worship on both sides of the border and Indian access to the holy sites of Kailash Manasarovar, suggests Raja Mohan.

Under the trans-Himalayan regionalism, both India and China are keen to have stronger North-South connectivity through Nepal, something the Indian security establishment has been resistant to for years. This will vastly enhance access to and from China to the Hindi speaking heartland of India in UP and Bihar.

UP and Bihar is Modi’s core constituency, where he swept the 2014 elections, and Modi sees Nepal as an important player in that China-Nepal-UP/Bihar connectivity.

For Modi, the crown jewel in regional connectivity would be a railway link between Pashupatinath and Banaras. “Granted, this is a long way off,” says Singh. “But Modi is a dreamer and this could be his dream project.”

[RamaY]

http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/07/21/hea ... al/392455/

Nepal seeks clarity on Indian proposal: Nepal-India Power Cooperation


KATHMANDU, JUL 21 - In its response to the draft agreement on “Cooperation in Power Sector”, the government of Nepal has asked if the Indian proposal is to be ratified by Parliament or to be approved by the Cabinet.

The four-page draft obtained by the Post on Sunday does not explicitly commit on two contentious issues as have been quoted in the media in recent days: India’s monopoly over Nepal’s hydropower development and the need to take Indian consent to develop Nepal’s power sector.

This agreement will become a bridgehead for facilitating joint cooperation in the power generation and transmission, says Article 1 of the draft agreement. “It will also enable export of power between Nepal and India on mutually acceptable terms.”

The most contentious clause, according to Nepali stakeholders, is Article 3 which talks about generating investment in power generation and transmission, including the joint venture investments. India has proposed 100 percent Indian investment or joint ventures with Indian entities.

Article 3a says that the parties will facilitate investments in each other’s country in the fields of power generation and transmission, including joint venture investments between the two countries subject to their extant policies and legislation. Article 3b says, the parties will cooperate in effective harnessing of Nepal’s hydropower potential through facilitation and speedy construction of hydroelectric power projects in Nepal, either with 100 percent Indian investments or joint venture with Indian entities.

According to Nepali officials, this clause gives an impression of denying involvement of other countries as well as Nepali companies in power generation and transmission. “The content of the draft gives the impression of an umbrella agreement, which could be detrimental to Nepal,” said an official.

With the article remaining silent on involvement of investors of other countries, Nepali officials fear that investors from other countries could not be allowed in Nepal. Similarly, India has proposed to provide non-discriminatory access to the interconnection for all participants of the common electricity markets. The Nepali side has suggested tariff and non-tariff barriers on trading electricity, adding “except for reasons of safety, stability and reliability standards applicable to the power grids of the both countries, parties will not impose any quotas, ceilings, restrictions or other measures that the cross border exchange or trade of electricity.”

Nepali has proposed that “electricity traders of both countries will have access to marketing arrangement, marketing channels and pricing options that are available to domestic companies conducting similar business in their domestic markets subjects to the laws, regulations and structural requirements of the respective countries.”

An official at Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal termed the Indian proposal “ambiguous” and needs to be cleared. In a statement, the India Embassy said on Sunday that the clauses in the draft proposal were open for negotiations. The Nepali side has also sought explanation and amendment to the preamble of the Indian proposal for “a long-term open access to each other’s power markets” and “nondiscriminatory treatment in the field of power exchange power generation, grid connectivity, energy efficiency and development of renewable energy.”

Delhi visit after PM’s return: Ministry

The Energy Ministry on Sunday said the visit of its high-level delegation to New Delhi was postponed as the government waited for Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to return from the US before it could hold talks with India on power sector cooperation. The date for the talks would be decided after Koirala’s return.

The ministry, however, defended its decision not to disclose the draft of the ‘Cooperation in Power Sector’ agreement sent by India. Energy Minister Radha Gyawali, during a press meet at the ministry, said they would not make any content of the document public.

The ministry also clarified that bilateral talks between Nepal and India have not started over the matter. Energy Secretary Rajendra Kishore Kshetri was supposed to leave for Delhi for talks with India on power sector cooperation. “We have sent our conditions while the Indian side has also forwarded its view,” said Gyawali, adding that her ministry has been reviewing the Indian proposal. (PR)

PDA plan ‘stuns’ CPN-Maoist

The CPN-Maoist on Sunday said it was stunned by the government’s preparations to sign a power development agreement with GMR, India for Arun-3 hydel project. In a statement, party chief Mohan Baidya sought the government’s position on the proposed PDA with GMR. “Our attention has been drawn to reports on the preparations to sign a deal on water resource with India and an export-oriented PDA.” (PR)

[chaanakya]

NaMo Effect.

Govt swings into action in view of flood threat from Nepal; Modi closely monitoring the situation
Press Trust of India | New Delhi | August 2, 2014 6:00 pm

A landslide in Nepal has led to creation of an artificial dam on river Kosi, triggering possibility of a flood that could affect parts of Bihar,
government said here on Saturday as it swung into action to control any possible damage.

The Crisis Management Committee (CMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, held an emergency meeting here in view of the development and a decision was taken to rush some experts to Nepal besides 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to Bihar.

When contacted, Seth said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed all help should be rendered to Bihar as well as Nepal to meet any eventuality.

Significantly, the development has occurred a day ahead of Modi’s two-day visit to Nepal. Officials said the Prime Minister was concerned over the situation and spoke to Seth to do all the needful.

The Cabinet Secretary spoke to Bihar Chief Secretary and promised all assistance from the Centre. A team of experts has been rushed to Nepal to help them with technical support, the officials said, adding if need be more experts could be sent.

Eight teams of NDRF have been sent to Bihar from Delhi and seven from Kolkata to help in rescue and relief. The priority is evacuation of people and animals from the areas that could bear the brunt of the floods.

Due to the landslide, about 20-27 lakh cusecs of water has got collected in the artificial dam, the officials said. Nepalese authorities are making “controlled breaches” in it so that water can be released slowly and in less quantity.

However, if these efforts do not succeed and the artificial dam bursts, parts of Bihar could face “temporary floods” within 14-18 hours, the officials said.

Places like Madhepura, Supaul and Saharsa could face the maximum damage if floods occur, the officials said, adding places like Madhubani and Khagaria could also have some impact. About six years back, floods due to breach in Kosi river had led to massive devastation in Bihar.

Already NaMo said Nepal would also be helped as per India TV news. Eight NDRF teams are sent to Districts under threat. Evacuation has been ordered. CMC met today and CabSec has assured all help to Bihar CS and no politicking on this. Specialists Team has been sent to nepal to help them.
What a refreshing change from past practices and that too from the same bureaucracy. Just what an Indic Leader can do!

I have called my village people and alerted them and asked them to contact District Admin and check if they are also to be on alert.

[chaanakya]

PM Narendra Modi to visit Nepal tomorrow
Press Trust of India | New Delhi | August 2, 2014 4:57 pm





PM Narendra Modi to visit Nepal tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a visit to Nepal on Saturday with an aim of taking the bilateral relations to a higher level through further cooperation in economic and other areas.

Modi will be in Nepal for two days during which the two countries are expected to sign agreements in sectors like power. India may also announce economic aid for that country.

This will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Nepal in 17 years, after I K Gujral had travelled there in June 1997, and underlines Modi’s focus on priority to India’s neighbourhood.

The Prime Minister will hold talks with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala and have the honour of addressing that country’s Constituent Assembly, only the second foreign leader after former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl who had done it in early 1990s.

He will also address Nepalese business community and visit the famous Pashupatinath Temple where he is expected to participate in a special puja. Modi is also expected to meet leaders of various political parties.

During the trip, India is expected to announce economic assistance and the two sides are likely to sign pacts in sectors like power and culture.

Modi’s visit comes just a week after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had travelled there. Modi, who has made it clear that neighbourhood will be the priority of his foreign policy, is making Nepal his second foreign destination in bilateral terms after Bhutan. Koirala had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Modi as Prime Minister at the latter’s invitation on May 26.

India is making efforts to boost bilateral ties in all aspects, including defence, security, training, exercises and connectivity. Cooperation in management of common rivers is a key element of India-Nepal ties. India, which at times, faces floods because of the rivers originating in Nepal, has been imparting training to Nepalese officials to deal with the problem. It has given Rs 200 crore to Nepal for the purpose.

Abhay Thakur, Joint Secretary (North) in the MEA, said there is a need for realtime exchange of flood data. “We are ready to extend assistance in this regard,” he said, adding India is already providing assistance on improving embankments of rivers.

The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited Nepal in 2002 but it was in the framework of multilateral SAARC Summit.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said India would like to upscale the relationship beyond 2014 amidst its desire to see stable, democratic and peaceful Nepal

[Guddu]

" India's relation with Nepal is as old as the Himalayas and the Ganga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday addressing Nepalese parliament." "Our only wish is that Nepal's progress reaches as high as the Himalayas."
NaMo's rhetoric is Panda like...only thing missing is "as deep as the ganges"

[Muppalla]

NaMo is first creating a close friendly relations or working relations with neighbors. He will then embark on look-East with improved and deeper relations. A more south-south cooperation in the form of BRICS. Lastly deal with western powers as pure business and nothing else. Bottomline - resume swiftly where PVNR & ABV left on a fast track.

[svinayak]

PM Narendra Modi addresses Nepal Parliament

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTwEX1BeeaQ

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Nepalese Parliament on Sunday. He began the address in Nepali language and said this country has rich cultural heritage. PM met his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala at Singha Durbar Secretariat and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key sectors like trade and investment, hydropower and agriculture, the news agency reported.

[Satya_anveshi]

Thanks for the video. Great message of love from Indians to Nepalis communicated by NaMo in a very inspiring way.

[SanjayC]

Nepalis shouting "Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi."

[youtube]5-DOM-3ETrk#t=97[/youtube]

[chaanakya]

This reminded me of SriPrumbudur. His security should be of prime concern.

[Guddu]

This seems to be a major security hazard..he probably should not be walking around in a foreign country.

[KLNMurthy]

This reminded me of SriPrumbudur. His security should be of prime concern.

Terrifying.

[svinayak]

Link

How it is done

[KLNMurthy]

PM Narendra Modi addresses Nepal Parliament

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTwEX1BeeaQ

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Nepalese Parliament on Sunday. He began the address in Nepali language and said this country has rich cultural heritage. PM met his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala at Singha Durbar Secretariat and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key sectors like trade and investment, hydropower and agriculture, the news agency reported.

Yet another classic Modi masterpiece of a speech.

Truly brilliant joining of Somanath-Viswanath-Pasupatinath. And a brazen and calm expropriation of so-called secular constitutional ideals into the Hindu Rishi ethos. I think, if I were a Nepali I would feel truly good and happy. As an Indian I feel proud of Bharati-putra Mahanarendra Modi.

[sudarshan]

Yes, it is terrifying when Modi does that. But here's the way I figured it. Imagine a burning house with somebody trapped inside. Fire chief and subordinates all standing outside, crowd waiting for action from them, instead the entire fire department looks away, with the chief singing under his breath: "Ponal pogattum poda...."**

Crowd gets disgusted, lynches fire chief, appoints somebody with a reputation as a doer as the chief on the spot. Now what does this new chief do? Rushes into the building and grabs the trapped person to bring him to safety. This restores the crowd's faith in the fire department, and also sets an example to the demoralized subordinates, that this is the way it should be done.

Nepal and Bhutan were both burning, getting to the point of no return. I think it's a calculated risk on Modi's part to win some faith in India and her new leaders, from both Bhutan and Nepal. And a signal to the minions in the Indian departments that these nations are a priority.

Chalk it up as a risk that Modi calculated, be thankful that nothing happened, and move on - for the moment. Modi being an out-and-out Karmayogi, would not shy away from a risk that he perceived as being vital for India's interest. BUT there's no need to go repeating the feat every time. Watch whether Modi does it again in either Bhutan or Nepal. If he does, we Namo-bhakts need to call him out on it. Watch, especially, whether he does the same thing in Japan, where there's absolutely no need for him to pull any stunts of this kind. If he does - that would be rank foolishness, and again, he needs to be called out on it. That's my humble opinion.

** Tamil song, whose translation (in this particular context) means: "Nobody lives forever in this world anyway, so if somebody is dying, whyphor to do anything, let them die onlee."

[chaanakya]

Modi concludes historic visit to Nepal

"Nepal is a truly sovereign nation. We have always believed that it is not our job to interfere in what you do but to support you in the path you decide to take," he said while addressing the Constituent Assembly yesterday.

The focus of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Nepal was on 4 Cs — cooperation, connectivity, culture, constitution, Akbaruddin said.

On cooperation, the spokesman said, India had yesterday announced USD 1 billion line of credit (LoC) to Nepal. He mentioned that the prime minister himself has said the USD 1 billion is in addition to any other existing LoC.

The Pancheswar Development Authority will be set up and a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be finalized within a year. The two sides also agreed to conclude a Power Trade Agreement (PTA) — a framework pact for the commerce and power sector within 45 days.

The two Prime Ministers directed the concerned authorities to conclude negotiations within 45 days on the Project Development Agreement (PDA) between the Investment Board of Nepal and GMR Group of India for the development of Upper Karnali hydropower project, he said.

[kmkraoind]

India to build pipeline to Nepal for oil products

n a move to deepen economic ties with Nepal, India today agreed to build a pipeline from Bihar to Kathmandu for supply of petrol, diesel and ATF. Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday signalled India's willingness to build the Rs 200-crore pipeline to supply fuel during his visit to Himalayan nation, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 17 years. "The Nepalese side requested and the Indian side agreed to take up the project for the construction of Raxaul (in Bihar) to Amlekhgunj (in Nepal) petroleum pipeline in the first phase and extend it to Kathmandu in the next phase to facilitate the transport of petroleum products," a joint press statement issued after the two-day visit said.

[Prem]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/world ... .html?_r=0
Visit From Indian Premier Signals a Political Shift in Nepal

KATMANDU, Nepal — Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India continued his wooing of the people and leaders of Nepal here Monday by praying at the country’s most important Hindu temple and meeting top political leaders.Mr. Modi promised not to interfere in Nepal’s internal politics, but his graceful speech before the country’s legislature on Sunday and his rapturous reception by the country’s people and media shifted the country’s political debate.On Monday, the country’s Maoist leaders, who have made anti-India rhetoric central to their politics, looked decidedly uncomfortable as they praised Mr. Modi after meeting with him at the palatial Hyatt Hotel here.Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India after meeting with his counterpart, Sushil Koirala, in KBaburam Bhattarai, a former Nepalese prime minister and a leader of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), told Indian and Nepalese reporters that there was no reason to play India and China off against each other, a tactic his movement has employed successfully for decades. Impressively, Mr. Bhattarai made these remarks in fluent Nepali, Hindi and English.“Both countries are good neighbors with Nepal,” he said, contradicting years of charges that India was anything but a good neighbor.
Leaders of Madhesi parties asked Mr. Modi if he would support their proposals to create separate electorates based on ethnicity, and in response Mr. Modi repeated a line from his speech on Sunday that Nepal’s Constitution should bind Nepal’s people together, strongly hinting that he favored electorates divided by geography, not ethnicity.And while Mr. Modi met leaders of Nepal’s royalist party, he did not meet former King Gyanendra despite hints through intermediaries that the former king would welcome a get-together. The refusal provided another hint that India did not support the return of a monarchy.Before leaving, Mr. Modi wrote in the visitor’s book: “Pashupatinath unites Nepal and India, and I pray that he continues to bless the people of the two countries. This is what I seek.”Like India’s population, Nepal’s is 80 percent Hindu, and Mr. Modi’s obvious devotion plays well in both countries.At the end of the visit, an Indian diplomatic spokesman said that Nepalese reactions to Mr. Modi’s visit had been universally positive.“Every interlocutor we have met since this morning, starting with the president of Nepal, said that this is something that they had never heard from anyone else; this is something that had touched both their hearts and minds, this is something that Nepalis would remember for a long time,” said Syed Akbaruddin, the diplomatic spokesman.Moments later, Mr. Modi walked out of the Hyatt and entered his black sedan for a short trip to the airport. Only once he was seated inside did the heavens open with a steady rain.

[g.sarkar]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28673174
Is Indian PM Narendra Modi's 'foster son' a public relations triumph?
.....
To be fair, Mr Modi has never claimed that Jeet Bahadur was his foster son, and it seems to be fairly clear that the media have got this detail wrong.
Then, intrepid reporters dug up this picture from Jeet Bahadur's Facebook account showing him with his family in his native village in Nepal in 2012.
....
So how was India's government claiming that Mr Modi helped reunite Jeet Bahadur with his family? A leading news website accused Mr Modi of "misleading Nepal". The diplomatic editor of The Hindu newspaper, Suhasini Haidar, aptly summed up the confusion in a tweet saying she found the accounts puzzling.
.....
Jeet Bahadur, who describes Mr Modi as his "elder brother", has admitted in an interview with BBC Hindi's Ankur Jain that he has met his family in Nawalparasi district several times since 2012, when his family was tracked down with a help of a Nepal-based businessman.

"But Mr Modi met my family for the first time over the weekend. He wanted to personally hand me over to my family," he told the BBC. It is not clear what he meant by "handing him" over since Jeet Bahadur, who is now 27, plans to return to India and complete his studies.

In the end, most believe that Mr Modi's meeting with his family in Nepal and "handing" their boy over was a public relations masterstroke. Kathmandu-based commentator Yubaraj Ghimire put it succinctly: "Mr Modi's decision to bring Jeet Bahadur along, get his entire family to Kathmandu, pose with them for a photo-op and give them gifts, generated such publicity that this affair appears to have paid him the biggest dividend of his Nepal visit."
....
Gautam

[KLNMurthy]

^^^
These people are scum who can't wrap their minds around a simple act of personal goodness. Nowhere did Modi claim anything about Jeet meeting his family for the first time. It was a re-union. It was the first time for Modi, so the occasion calls for him to say, here is your son, hope I have done well by him. That is the "handing over."

What worthless degenerates these media people are .

[Neshant]

India helps in evacuation of 126 Nepalese nationals from Libya

PTI Aug 16, 2014, 03.39PM IST

NEW DELHI: India has facilitated evacuation of 126 Nepalese nationals from Sirte area of strife-torn Libya.

The assistance by India came after Nepalese embassy in Cairo sent a note verbale to its mission in Tripoli seeking assistance for evacuation of the Nepalese nationals, officials in the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The Nepalese nationals were working with M/s Doosan Heavy Industry and Construction in Sirte.

The assistance by India came nearly two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "historic" visit to Nepal.

The Nepalese workers were understood to have been staying without visa and working with the company illegally as they were not originally recruited by them. Therefore, they were abandoned by the company.

The illegal status of these workers made things more complicated, sources said.

The Indian Ambassador in Tripoli personally coordinated the efforts to facilitate evacuation of the Nepalese citizens.

The Embassy contacted the Libyan Labour Minister and explained to him the position with a request to issue a letter to Libyan Immigration authorities to facilitate their departure through Libya.

Separately, the Embassy deputed its representatives with the letter to the Tunisian border, which is 200 km from Tripoli, beforehand and got a 'No objection' endorsed from the Immigration in charge at the Libyan border.

[Victor]

Chinese rail to Nepal and India’s concerns

“The Kyirong Port enjoys a long history of being the largest land trading port between Tibet and Nepal....will serve as a link between China and the South Asian countries. It is expected to bring a big number of visitors into Tibet and boost its tourism.”

One of the consequences of a new port is that it could facilitate the escape to Nepal of Tibetans resenting the Chinese rule. This makes Lhasa extremely nervous.

The purpose of Gyaltsen’s visit to Kathmandu was to tell the Nepalis to watch out and not accept anymore ‘refugees’.

India should also watch carefully the afflux of Chinese tourists as it can turn out to be a serious security issue in the years to come.

Not sure what the open border between Nepal and India accomplishes that can't be accomplished with a proper, well-sealed and guarded international border. Seems all we have got is a bunch of jehadis strolling in and out of Nepal at will. To "correct" Nepali behavior in the past, India has imposed an economic blockade that the Chinese couldn't help with. Now we should properly seal the border and guard it with BSF citing this new "security risk", specially along the jehadi UP/Bihar belt. It will squeeze Nepal's export of manpower (who will be checked much more thoroughly with many being turned back due to inability to prove Nepali citizenship) and hence a major source of repatriated income from India but it won't stop Indian exports to Nepal. It will also send the right message. In the end, while having to live with and prosper from both India and China, Nepal must unequivocally throw in its lot with India in a visible and convincing way or risk losing not just its territorial, economic and political integrity but also its culture. I wonder if they even care since they have already dumped the word "Hindu" from their constitution.

[Paul]

Modi maintained his silence on “secularism”. But his silence and Chinese concerns appear to have converged on the issue. Chinese authorities are believed to have warned some senior CPN-UML leaders of the ruling coalition that the way Nepal’s secularism is being practised may have larger political and security implications for China in future. They fear that the unchecked freedom to proselytise in Nepal might invite a “faith-based” approach from the West, mainly the US, with the intention of making China more vulnerable. -

Both the RSS and Beijing have asked Nepal to consider seriously curbs on Western NGOs and strict monitoring of uses of money for religious conversions. - See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinio ... RAipt.dpuf

See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinio ... RAipt.dpuf

Indo-Chinese interests conerging in Nepal?

I have mooted earlier the point that it may be better to have Tibet under Chinese influence rather than have it as an independent state prone to western influence or even under under Indian influence as long as India is ruled by Macaulay inspired clerks?

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinio ... ormula/99/

[kmkraoind]

Once upon a time in Kathmandu

[jagga]

Bhutan: The Indian Army’s Front Line

In late October, on the dirt road that winds north from the Bhutanese town of Paro in the direction of the border with Chinese-controlled Tibet, I pass an Indian army base of more than 600 soldiers. They are packing up to return to India for the duration of Bhutan’s harsh winter months. On the same road just after sunrise, I encounter an Indian Army squad of special forces soldiers with Himalayan features running in formation, sandbags roped to their backs, with the squad’s commander shouting “No photos, sir!”
Adjoining the Indian Army base is a camp for approximately 120 Bhutanese soldiers who train with the Indians on joint exercises in the rugged mountains that rise up from the Paro Valley. Just another kilometer or so further up the road is a Bhutanese army camp of 24 soldiers and their families. The camp’s sole purpose is to maintain 80 horses to cart supplies to military units higher still on the trail to the Bhutan-Tibet border region.

China, with its increasingly aggressive moves along its Himalayan borders, seems to be employing the same methodology it has used in its ongoing takeover of the near-entirety of the South China Sea. This gives the Indian government good reason to worry that Beijing might also muscle its way into its lands, just as it has annexed territory over the objections of South China Sea claimants Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and, most recently, Indonesia.

This probably explains why the road leading up from the Indian and Bhutanese military bases in the picturesque Paro Valley is rapidly being widened and paved, almost entirely by imported Indian laborers, often working by hand. Residents say the Indian government, for decades a protector of sorts for a deeply Buddhist Bhutan that sympathizes with Tibet, is paying for the road-building out of its worries about China. Locals expect that the road will soon be paved all the way to the rudimentary base at Gunitsawa, far up the valley. It is conceivable that next year the Indian army will also provide heavy-lift helicopters to supply the Bhutanese checkpoints high in the Himalayas, allowing the Bhutanese army to put its hard-working horses out to pasture, while increasing its vigilance on the border with China

[Tuvaluan]

http://www.nepalnews.com/index.php/econ ... lly-opened

China opens border point with Nepal

[Tuvaluan]

http://www.nepalnews.com/index.php/inte ... ence-nepal

PM Modi seems to have won some goodwill in Nepal.