It was not until the tenure of General Ayub Khan that Pakistan could extend a hand of friendship towards Nepal and establish bilateral relations. Despite having sought expansion in trade, strategic as well as military cooperation, our relations with Nepal have remained rather precarious. The reason being an obvious one comes in the face of an insecure, apprehensive stepmother, namely India. Soon after India’s independence, Nepal established strong diplomatic relations with India but neglected the existence of newly born Pakistan, which was India’s bitter rival. Relations worsened when Nepal became one of the first nations to recognise Bangladesh. This did not sit well with Pakistan and as soon as diplomatic relations were established with Dhaka, Islamabad retaliated by breaking off all diplomatic relations with Kathmandu.
However, in recent years, Pakistan and Nepal have moved on from the past and have strengthened ties with one another. Both countries developed military cooperation, allowing Nepal to import arms from Pakistan. During these crucial years, Nepal’s relations with India stagnated. This paved the way for Pakistan and China to strengthen their relations with the Nepalese monarchy by providing it with military equipment and assistance in order to crush the Maoist movement. It is, therefore, evident that India has always considered Nepal pivotal in its plans of spreading influence throughout the subcontinent and it views Pakistan and China as potential threats to these attempts.
The earthquake in Nepal was a tragedy that shook the entire world. The devastation is beyond comprehension and losses have come in the form of lives, houses and severe injuries. The severity of the natural disaster, like all other crises in the subcontinent, was worsened by the mismanagement of funds and resources. Nepalese hospitals are stretched to the limit and the survivors are suffering from mental distress.
Rumours originating from the neighbourhood suggested that along with packets of ready-to-eat meals, Pakistan had also sent packets of beef masala as a part of its relief package. Nepal is a Hindu-majority country where cows are considered sacred. Therefore, we could either blame it on the naivety of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for sending beef to the pure Hindu kingdom or, perhaps, we could question the credibility of the Indian media. Rejecting these claims, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam clarified that there was strictly no beef content in the food dispatched by Pakistan to Nepal. The clarifications were further strengthened by the comments of the Nepal army chief, Gauruv Rana, who thanked Pakistan and the Pakistan army for their extended support during this difficult time for the people of Nepal.
Nepal is to India what Yemen is to Saudi Arabia. Trust issues between India and Pakistan have existed for a very long time now. Pakistan refused Indian help during the 2010 floods as many within Pakistan blame India for the flooding by manipulating water flows during the monsoon season. Aerial help during the 2005 earthquake was also rejected by Pakistan as both countries failed to agree on terms due to possible security threats. The quick-fire response to the plight of Nepal is purely strategic and represents regional politics.
Due to similar religious beliefs, customs and traditions, India can spread its influence all over Nepal with ease and through Nepal all across Southeast Asia. However, much to its dismay, Nepal has also succeeded in strengthening ties with neighbouring China in recent years. Due to its strategic location, Nepal could play a pivotal role in the conflict between China and Tibet. Nepal has, time and again, provided China with assurances that it will neither support nor tolerate any anti-China political movements by the Tibetans residing in Nepal. Strong relations with Nepal could help China keep the Tibetan community at bay and not allow them to cause unrest.
The recent tragedy provides China with the golden opportunity to extend its influence in the region and compete against traditional rival India. India feels the need to keep Nepal very close to itself and away from any Chinese influence. Therefore, there are no doubts regarding Indian efforts being unmatched by China or any other superpower.
The Indian media has used the earthquake as a medium to enhance the image of the country and has presented itself as the lone saviour for the people of Nepal. The delivery of aid was portrayed as a victory of the Indian government and Narendra Modi. The Indian media has embarrassed the entire nation by focusing on their relief efforts rather than the actual disaster and, by doing so, it has also received criticism from the people of Nepal on social media platforms with #GoHomeIndianMedia trending on Twitter in Nepal.
The writer is a freelance columnist