Nepal approves new map with Indian territories day after Nepal forces kill Indian at the border, but Indian govt is silent

Vinesh Kumar, 25, an Indian citizen was killed and three others suffered gunshots in Nepal yesterday by Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF). Locals on the Indian side claimed that the confrontation began when APF troops objected to the presence of Lagan Yadav’s daughter-in-law in their area after they saw her talking to some people from India. Lagan Yadav’s daughter-in-law is from Nepal.

The objection of APF personnel led to a heated argument and some more villagers joined Lagan Yadav from the Indian side while Nepali villagers also called others from their side. And this is where things went south, APF which is claiming that guns were snatched from them, opened fire at the villagers which ultimately led to Kumar getting shot in the abdomen and succumbing to his death.

The incident took place 75 meters inside the Nepalese territory, after the no man’s land between the two countries. A situation that could have been handled calmly was allowed to spiral out of control by ‘professional’ Nepalese APF. This happened a day before the Nepalese parliament approved the new Nepal Map which marks several Indian territories as Nepalese.

Guns snatched? Sounds flimsy!

The incident is shocking because the India-Nepal border for the major part of both countries’ existence has been open and friendly for the citizens who routinely cross the borders without any fuss to meet their relatives, attend weddings and do myriad little things. Shooting and fighting is an extremely rare instance on the Indo-Nepal border.

The claims that guns were snatched from APF sounds so flimsy and made up that it is hard to believe the authenticity of the aforementioned assertions. And is it a coincidence that it has happened when China has been misleading Nepal to start a mutiny against India by bringing up the Kalapani border issue?

One cannot rule out the possibility that the recent escalation in bilateral tensions from Nepal’s side could have played its role in the events of yesterday.

Whatever the altercation may have been between the APF and villagers—no altercation warrants firing of guns and killing of innocent people. 

Why is the Indian side silent on the entire fiasco?

Nepal is at fault and not only in this instance but in the entire proceedings of riling up and evoking the border issue with India. But the Indian side has been extremely lax and aloof in its handling of the Nepal situation too. The Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs, both, have not batted on the front foot yet since the drama started erupting. And even after more than 24 hours of the incident, there has been no stern statement issued from the South block. Mum is the word.

The question is pertinent and worth asking that why the Indian side has not come up with any statement to condemn the killing of Vinesh Kumar. Nepal has been on the verge of crossing the line in the past two months but the ‘killing of an Indian citizen’ certainly crosses that invisible line.

The MHA, MEA cannot hide behind the legal disclaimer of ‘We are waiting for an official preliminary report’ rhetoric. Now, is the time that India puts the foot on the pedal makes sure to pass along the message to Nepal that enough is enough.

Off late, India has been unwilling to participate in addressing the issues of Nepal. However baseless Nepal’s claims might be, as a responsible and mature neighbor, India needs to step up and address the bone of contention.

Unlike previous UPA governments which gave Nepal the step-brotherly treatment and introduced Maoism and Communism in the political circuits of Nepal which has led to a culmination with Oli, the Indian government needs to press the reboot button.

For a country like India, foreign relations with Nepal are more important than say a country far from the Indian border, like France. Nepal is the buffer state between India and China and with the communist Oli and Xi Jinping colluding together, China as inching closer to the Indian borders with its sinister motives.

Oli under Chinese stupor

Meanwhile, KP Oli, heavily inebriated under the Communist stupor is swaying to the tunes of Dragon. Oli has done everything in the book to sabotage the century-old relations between the two nations which traverse religious, cultural, and familial ties.

It all started when the Nepalese government started hampering India’s security interests by aligning with the vile Chinese. Nepal, at the behest of China, raked up the minor Kalapani border dispute after India inaugurated the Dharchula-Lipulekh road close to the Sino-India border.

The Communist agent planted by China as the PM of Nepal has been acting as a minion of China all while spitting venom with his vicious talks.

“Indian virus looks more lethal than Chinese and Italian now”. deranged Oli had said on the record. Sharma’s speeches in the Nepalese parliament have also been full of anti-India rhetoric and it does not take much to figure out that he is drenched in the sea of Chinese communism.

Oli, short-sighted by his misplaced beliefs about communism is playing into the hands of Beijing. It is not in the interest of Nepal to become China’s client state, especially because nearly 6 million Nepalese citizens live and work in India, bringing huge remittances for the Himalayan country.

Meanwhile, in the wake of Friday’s events, India needs to get its guard up and try to assume an active part in the talks. You draw a line at the killing of Indian citizens. It does not matter if it’s our neighbour Nepal or the nefarious Pakistan—nothing is more important than an Indian citizen’s life, nothing outweighs it.