New Delhi, Aug 25: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said Nepal-India relations are unique and unparalleled in character. People of the two countries share special bonds and affinity.
“From Janakpur to Ayodhya, Lumbini to Bodhgaya, or Pashupatinath to Vishwanath, we share a common set of values, culture and civilization, PM Deuba said, sharing his views on Nepal-India relations from the perspective of democracy and development during the civic reception organized by India Foundation here Thursday.
PM Deuba who is on a five day State visit to India said the advent of democracy has further honed people-to-people contacts and deepened mutual trust across a wide spectrum. Beyond solidarity, India is also one of our most important partners in development. It has been a reliable friend and neighbour in need and hardship, he added.
PM Deuba expressed gratefulness for India’s generous support towards socio-economic change, and humanitarian assistance in Nepal going back decades.
Nepal and India also share several regional and global platforms. It is the firm conviction that international cooperation is not a choice but a compulsion. Nepal aspires to grow together with SAARC and BIMSTEC countries. “Our main priority is better connectivity of infrastructure, technology, energy, markets, ideas and high culture. We also seek meaningful cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and finance,” he underscored.
Transnational challenges such as terrorism, climate change, natural disasters, and food security pose a new generation of challenges, according to him. The PM further said terrorism remains the biggest threat to peace, stability, development and democracy. He reminded that Nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Nepal calls for concerted efforts to combat this menace.
In addition to natural hazards like the earthquakes of 2015, Nepal is also bearing the brunt of climate change despite negligible contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
He pointed out the need of stronger partnership and deeper collaboration among all to
deal with these transnational challenges.
Economic prosperity and political freedoms must go hand in hand
The PM expressed his firm belief that economic prosperity and political freedoms must go hand in hand in the 21st century. Few development challenges must be confronted together, he asserted.
PM Deuba categorically said the first is about the young demography, and the challenge of finding decent, well-paying jobs on a mass scale at a time when the world is witnessing the fourth Industrial Revolution.
Harnessing renewable resources, such as hydro-power, and mitigating climate change, is another point to mull while the generational challenge of times draws equal concern. It is about ending absolute poverty by 2030, narrowing inequality within and across countries, and reducing vulnerabilities.
The issue to grapple with both the challenges and opportunities comes with intense urbanization.
The PM further the development challenge of our times will be to adapt to new patterns of production, trade and employment that are being disrupted by technological breakthroughs. How we manage dislocation of established patterns of livelihoods is worth mulling.
“But my emphasis is on the fact that the more policy challenges become complex, the greater the salience of democracy to garner consensus and mediate likely conflicts, ” he argued.
According to him, the world watches Asia with great interest today. While this region is the world’s brightest spot in the 21st century, there are also major challenges staring at us. We need to work together to make the most of existing opportunities.
“A shared vision of prosperity based on the foundation of peace, stability and democracy, would uplift us all, ” he said, adding, “And, we believe that Nepal and India — as one of the closest neighbours in the world — have a vital bearing on this march towards greater freedoms and progress.”
Moreover, PM Deuba lauded that democracy has been India’s gift to developing world.
He also reminded the active participation of great Nepali leaders like BP. Koirala in India’s freedom movement. They responded to the call of Gandhiji, boycotted government schools and joined the Quit India Movement in 1942.
BP Koirala, as he said, believed that when the British rule ends in India, it would be Nepal’s turn for democracy. He was prophetic.
Nepal’s constitution most democratic, inclusive
In seven decades of struggle, democracy has seen ups and downs in Nepal. “We are grateful to the people and the Government of India for their goodwill and moral support for all democratic movements in Nepal since the 1950s,” he added.
He informed that after the historic people’s movement in 2006, Nepal today is in midst of a profound transformation. The constitution Nepal promulgated in 2015 was written in the most democratic and inclusive manner.
Aspirations of diverse ethnic groups, guarantee of woman right to lineage and right to property without discrimination, full and fair gender balance in all high offices of state are some significant features of Nepal’s constitution.
He further reminded that three days ago, Nepal voted on an important amendment to address the concerns raised by people from Tarai-Madhesh. Though the amendment did not muster the two-thirds majority of votes required, the process brought to the forefront the wider acceptance and importance of the issues raised.
The PM expressed commitment to redress grievances of its citizens. “Democracy is a process. For democracy to mature, it is necessary to overcome the legacy of the past,” he said, adding that Nepal would take everybody along on the journey towards greater prosperity, inclusion and dignity.
Democracies must deliver to stay relevant
Democracies must deliver to stay relevant in a world that is deeply inter-connected. Today’s citizens demand better governance to advance their rising aspirations, he underscored.
Nepal’s foreign policy is dictated by the interest of the Nepali people and the principles of Panchasheel. The five principles of peaceful co-existence that are derived from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautam — the enlightened son of Nepal.
Moreover, the PM said Nepal judges every issue on its merits without fear or favour in consistent with its national interests, the principles and purposes of the United Nations, and principles of non-alignment.
Nepal’s foreign policy priority begins with its neighboring countries, and extending it to wider international community, he stressed. RSS
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