Three Cs (Communism, Christianity and China) are Causing Rift Between Nepal and India

  It is cliché to say that the Nepal-India relationship is very old. In fact, it is inseparable, and the credit goes to the people of both countries. If something turns wrong between India and Nepal, the palpitation of the hearts of the people on both sides automatically go up. Sometimes misunderstandings develop and then the responsibility falls on the governments to remove them, but officials are often found to be caught napping. Lately, some vested interests have become overactive to create differences where there are none and drive the wedge where there appear to be some. India, being the large country, in the area as well as in population, has the bigger responsibility to see that misunderstandings are nipped in the bud.

   The role of a section of Indian media has been quite reprehensible besides being highly irresponsible. Nepal is the only country, whose citizens can freely come, work, and settle down in India except in some states. They can apply in any government service except in a few All-India services. General Manekshaw, the hero of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, who belonged to the Gorkha regiment had once reported to having said that ‘if anybody says that he is not afraid of death then he is either a liar or a Gorkha’.  The Gorkha Brigade is proud of the Indian army.  Very large numbers of Gorkhas have settled down in different parts of India after their retirement from the army and their hearts beat or pulsate only for India.

  Recently some incidents, which have taken place in cities like Varanasi, where some hoodlums got a Nepali citizen’s head forcibly tonsured and wrote ‘Shri Ram’ on his scalp have caused worries in both countries. It is good that the administration in Varanasi immediately swung into action and has rounded up the miscreants. The goondas took the plea that it was in reaction to the statement of the Nepali PM Oli that the original Ayodhya was in Nepal. These idiots do not know that there are three hundred Ramayanas and in many of them, Ayodhya has been described to be in some other places. If somebody claims to have more proximity with Lord Rama, let him/ her have it. What is objectionable in it?

   We believe that Lord Rama is everywhere and so long anybody does not damage the cause of other’s belief that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya of India, why should anyone be violent? There are many, who believe that Lord Ram was born in Afghanistan/ Haryana/ Raipur/ Srilanka or even in Kampuchea, let them go by their faith, there is no need to be offended over it. After all, Hinduism is not a regimented sematic religion like Judaism, Christianity or Islam, where a believer cannot differ even a millimetre from what is written in their Book.

  Therefore, the irresponsible media and some people in India are playing spoilsport to cause a rift between the two countries. It must be publicly denounced and deprecated. Let me put my appreciation on record for Pandit Arjun Prasad Bastola, who feels deeply pained if any misunderstanding creeps up between India and Nepal. He is closely associated with world-famous Pashupatinath Temple of Kathmandu. He is like an unofficial ambassador, who tirelessly works for the peace between the two countries. He has been immensely sorry to learn that a section of media in India has gone haywire and it circulated the totally false news that the priests (Pujaris) of Pashupatinath Temple, who are traditionally from Karnataka, have been asked to leave Nepal. He feels unhappy that sometimes some diplomats in the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu behave in a manner which is unbecoming of them. The government of India must take note of it.  

   However, we must not put our heads in sands like an ostrich and have the false feeling of everything being hunky-dory between Nepal and India. There are three Cs (Communism, Christianity, and China), which have been working hard to sour the relations between the two and the people of both countries need to be cautious about them. The governments will do well to rope in some genuine persons, who can work in unison for the peace and prosperity of both countries.