KATHMANDU: The anti-India feelings that had gripped the Nepalese for a temporary period during the trade blockade three years ago, have become a thing of the past now. The trade blockade had taken place in September 2015 after a new constitution of Nepal was announced as it was seen as anti-Madheshi (Nepalese of Indian origin).
The Sunday Guardian spoke to several local businessmen, government officials, travel agents, domestic helps who were impacted by the blockade. They all stated that those few months were a period of immense hardships which led to strong anti-India sentiments, but that phase has faded out now.
“We are totally dependent on trucks that come from India for our essential supplies. During that period, the price of essential commodities like petrol, kerosene, sugar had gone out of reach of the common people here because trucks were not allowed to cross the border. Everyone thought that India was doing it. However, that is a thing of the past now and the locals have no more resentment against the Indians,” said Deepak Lamichhne, who operates a travel agency here that caters to officials of UN and other expatriates.
During unofficial economic blockade which lasted for 3-4 months, petrol was sold at Nepalese Rs 500 per litre from the black market against its normal rate of Nepalese Rs 110.
According to government officials here, while high commodity prices created anti-India sentiments, it was also magnified by certain media organisations acting at the behest of China, which is trying to replace India as the strongest, all-weather ally of Nepal.
“Certain influential individuals, who are in power for the last 5-6 years in Nepal, are closer to China than India. And when the blockade took place, they used the situation to discredit India. However, it could not hold traction for too long as by heart, Nepalese are very close to Indians,” an official told this newspaper.
According to another official working with an international agency, China has not been able to enter the hearts of common Nepalese and is still viewed with suspicion when compared to India. To upstage India, either China will have to do something extremely big for a long time or India will have to do something incredibly stupid,” he added.
Chinese tourists have also gone up significantly in Nepal by almost 40% in the recent years. Some 11 lakh Chinese tourists visited Nepal in the last year as against 14 lakh Indians visited Nepal as tourists in the last one year.
Indian aid to Nepal has seen an increased trend in the recent years. It was Rs 380 crore n 2013-14 but stands at Rs 650 crore now. “Due to the acrimony in relations, the aid was decreased from Rs 450 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 300 in 2015-16. However, it has been increasing after that,” he further said.
Indians, who are the major contributors to Nepal’s economy, are given special preference in the country with a special immigration lines for Indians and almost all shops and taxi drivers giving discount to Indian travellers. Indian currency notes, except the newly introduced Rs 2000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 notes, are accepted country wide.
“Nepal is being aggressively wooed by China and we are seeing more and more Chinese tourist coming to our country. But India needs to understand that traditionally we are more close to India than to China. Our sign boards are in Hindi, locals do not understand Chinese but speak Hindi. Temples in Kathmandu represents temples of India with idol of Ram, Sita and Hanuman. Hence, a redux of 2015 might damage the relations very critically,” warns Sanchita, who works with an international NGO.