Nepal is in trouble again and as about 1000 madhesis and other minority groups scuffled with the Nepalese Police. They want more rights and representation in the country’s new Constitution. Prime Minister KP Oli warned that his government would take action. Protestors demanded the dismissal of what they called Oli’s incompetent government. The madhesis are of Indian origin which drags India into Nepal’s political crisis. What the problem is with re-demarcation of the seven province model of federal government, representation of marginalised groups- especially of ethnic communities-and proportional representation is not clear. The Constitution had to be drafted a number of times and the demands addressed to the extent possible to enable its adoption. To incorporate these against the integrity of the country should only be in the right direction.
Prime Minister Oli urged madhesis to cooperate in the reconstruction of Nepal after the severe earthquake. If work has been slow, the government had been deadlocked by the Constitutional hassle and agitation in the country. The border blockades organised by the madhesis caused economic disruption. It cannot be said that India had nothing to do with it. Furthermore, Delhi did not make Kathmandu happy, slashing its economic aid to Nepal. PM Narendra Modi’s policy of neighbourliness has decidedly been hit in Nepal. It is lucky that Oli has not yet been offered an overfriendly hand to Beijing.