KP Sharma Oli and his tumultuous reign has finally come to an end in Nepal. After flirting with China, rejecting India and nearly gifting the Himalayan nation to Xi Jinping — a five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court on Monday directed Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba to take charge as the country’s Prime Minister. A day later on Tuesday, the 75-year old leader was sworn in as the new Prime Minister.
As soon as the judgement was announced, New Delhi was quick to latch onto the opportunity as India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, visited the new Prime Minister and congratulated him.
Along with a photograph of the meeting between Kwatra and Deuba, the Indian embassy tweeted, “Honoured to call on @DeubaSherbdr; extended congratulations and best wishes on becoming PM of Nepal. Looking forward to working with his team to deepen the multifaceted India-Nepal partnership and people-to-people ties for common progress and prosperity.”
Honoured to call on @DeubaSherbdr; extended congratulations and best wishes on becoming PM of Nepal. Looking forward to working with his team to deepen the multifaceted India-Nepal partnership and people-to-people ties for common progress and prosperity.
@MEAIndia@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/zKxzLJcG1C— IndiaInNepal (@IndiaInNepal) July 14, 2021
Deuba is known for his Pro-India and Pro-Hindu stance. During his previous tenures, the relation between the two countries remained cordial, unlike Oli’s. His first Prime Ministerial stint was from September 1995 to March 1997 while the second was from August 2001 to October 2002, the third was from June 2004 to February 2005. He was relieved from the post by then King Gyanendra Shah reasoning his incompetence in February 2005.
In his last stint in the PM office in 2017, Deuba visited New Delhi on his first assignment outside the country and held fruitful discussions with PM Narendra Modi.
Deuba is the president of the party, whose members have batted for Nepal to dilute the current ‘secular’ constitution and revert to a Hindu state. In 2015, according to an Indian Express report, Debua had even informed the high-level leaders in New Delhi that he would do everything in his might to stop the insertion of word ‘secularism’ in the constitution.
According to a 2011 census, about 85 per cent of the population of Nepal is Hindu, and up until 2007, Nepal was the only Hindu Kingdom on the planet. Hence, Nepal and Hinduism are often interchangeably used entities.
Moreover, political pundits argue that it was India’s backing for Deuba, that the leader was appointed as the Nepali Congress President in 2017. Thus, one can be certain that New Delhi will benefit from Debua as the centre of power in Kathmandu.
Reportedly, President Bidya Devi Bhandari for the second time in five months had dissolved the 275-member lower house on May 22. The decision was taken at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli who had announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19. However, the SC heard over 30 writ petitions, including one filed by Deuba himself and announced its decision.
Oli – the Chinese lackey
Reported by TFI extensively, KP Sharma Oli had fallen out of favour amongst his peers and opponents long time back. It all started when India inaugurated the Dharchula-Lipulekh road link- a strategic border road that offers easy access to the Lipulekh pass. However, Oli, acting on the behest of the Chinese, started calling the Indian territory as Nepal’s.
Oli showed the Indian territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani in Nepal’s revised political map and that damaged the relations between New Delhi and Kathmandu. He further damaged people-to-people ties by blaming India for bringing the Wuhan virus to Nepal. His anti-India, hate speeches also led to Nepalese Police firing on unarmed Indian citizens.
On the other hand, true to its nature, China illegally started occupying Nepal’s land in at least seven bordering districts. Nepal’s government agencies data revealed that China was gradually moving forward in these districts with the ultimate agenda of encroaching upon more and more landmass, while Oli continued to act as a mere bystander.
Read More: China has started usurping Nepal, lands of 7 districts have already been taken over by CCP
From being the only Hindu Kingdom in the world to the birthplace of Buddha to having close bonds through marriages and familial ties, popularly known as Roti-Beti ka Rishta, India and Nepal have always enjoyed an astral connection. However, the communist in Oli overshadowed his Hindu roots. At the fag end of his tenure, Oli did try to return to the Indian fold but it was too little, too late.
China tried its best to keep Oli in power. However, with Deuba becoming the Prime Minister, Xi Jinping’s dirty games have amounted to nothing as New Delhi seeks to reassert the hold over the Himalayan country and forge a mutually beneficial partnership with Nepal.