PM Modi’s hit formula is a message to China

After bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed that India and Nepal will work to take their bilateral ties to Himalayan heights and resolve all matters. PM Modi also gave what he called a “Hit” formula for India-Nepal relations. These remarks signal that during the talks with Prachanda, PM Modi has been successful in scripting new chapters in relations between New Delhi and Kathmandu. Definitely, PM Modi’s assertions speak volumes about his focus on ensuring deepening of ties between India and Nepal as part of India’s neighbourhood first policy. But at the same time, PM Modi’s observations should also be viewed as his clear and blunt message to China which is relentlessly trying to expand footprints in the Himalayan nation just to foment troubles for India from there.
PM Modi’s stress on the “Hit” formula and on taking the bilateral ties to the “Himalayan heights” to “resolve all matters” assume significance in the context of China’s conspiracy to grow influence in Nepal. PM Modi’s statement describing India-Nepal partnership as “Super Hit” is also enough to give the Chinese government sleepless nights. Chinese strategists are already having nervous moments to see that the Nepalese Prime Minister chose to visit India as his first foreign trip since taking office for the third time in December of last year. Beijing was reportedly stepping up pressure on Kathmandu to ensure that Prachanda starts his overseas trip from China instead of India. Adding to that, PM Modi gave the “Hit” formula for relations between India and Nepal—Highways, I-ways, and Trans-ways. “We will establish such contacts between India-Nepal that our borders do not become barriers between us. Today Nepal PM and I have taken many important decisions to make our partnership a super hit in the future,” PM Modi said after the meeting with the Nepalese prime minister. PM Modi’s “Hit” formula is a signal about how India is keen to carry out the huge amount of developmental and connectivity projects in Nepal. PM Modi sought to suggest that when the developmental projects will strongly bind India and Nepal together, where is the question of borders becoming barriers between the two nations? In fact, China works on the strategy to woo Nepal by extending it certain development projects which it fails to complete at the end of the day. Secondly, Beijing always smells an opportunity whenever any issue related to the India-Nepal border crops up. It always tries to exploit this kind of situation to whip up anti-India sentiments along the border. With this strategy of China in the background, PM Modi’s statements after talks with Prachanda assume significance. India’s focus on infrastructure development and connectivity between India and Nepal as explained by PM Modi with reference to “Hit formula” is aimed at countering China’s move to expand its presence by trying to lure Nepal into a development trap. Inauguration of several projects including a cargo railway line and two border checkpoints by PM Modi and Prachanda has paved the way for bigger projects to take concrete shape in future, which is being seen as a setback to China’s plan to grow influence in the Himalayan nation. Significantly, PM Prachanda said that the border issues should be resolved bilaterally between India and Nepal in what is another blunt message to Beijing which always tried to instigate Kathmandu in the past in a bid to complicate the border related issues. There is no denying that China has invested in the building of airports, highways and hydropower projects in Nepal.
However, landlocked Nepal remains dependent on India for all its oil needs and many other necessities. Now, India is, as suggested by PM Modi, ready to go the whole hog in terms of strengthening bilateral ties through developmental projects like highways and other connectivity and communication methods. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra’s observations are quite important vis-à-vis the future of India-Nepal relationship. “The talks between the two PMs characterized the traditional warmth and cordiality between our two countries. The two leaders engaged in fairly comprehensive and constructive and future-oriented discussions directed toward taking India-Nepal bilateral relationship forward in a manner that is constructive, progressive and beneficial for both our societies.”