Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli is in Delhi. What is remarkable about the visit is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his readiness to revise and update the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal. The revision is one of the major items on Oli’s agenda and he talked about it in his election speeches. Modi and Oli discussed issues pertaining to Nepal’s domestic situation and needs. India is anxious to look at the practical opportunities and challenges. It is because both countries share an open border. The advantages of having an open border should not be lost sight of by either country. Talks at the summit also related to the Railways network connecting Indian cities with Kathmandu. A pact in this regard is expected to be signed. Other issues discussed during Oli’s visit relate to agriculture, research, education and training.
New Delhi has been through a difficult relationship with Oli in the past few years. What rankled most was the blockade episode in 2016 triggered by the Madhesis who were alleged to have been backed by India. Oli has now won the election with a decisive mandate forming a Maoist government in Kathmandu. The Indian side is now anxious to stabilise relations with the mountainous neighbour. It has to consider the insecurity of a small country, its politics and the aspirations of its people. Oli is considered pro-China. His 10 point infrastructure agreement with China had aroused resentment in New Delhi. But India must be aware that it cannot pour as much money into Nepal as China. It has to get a grip on its paranoia about China getting Nepal on its side. It has to offer Nepal what China cannot- power generated by projects. That may lead to a constructive friendship between the two countries.