Chinese Interference

Editorial

Nepal has been in political turmoil over the past few weeks. China has openly jumped into the fray to save the Government of Nepal’s current Communist Party Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Hao Yanki, China’s female ambassador to Nepal is making strategic moves to save the Government. The Gurkha community in Nepal is seen as soldiers or security guards; however, now the Chinese ambassador seems to be working as a security guard to protect the Government in Nepal. She has succeeded in defending the Government in the first phase, and at least for now, the Oli Government has survived.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is acting like China’s keep. Therefore, he is being helped by China. Oli is running a Communist Government and China is also a Communist country. This is why they are good friends; however, Oli has been challenged by his own Communist Party.

The party’s Working President and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has demanded Oli’s resignation at a party meeting. Prachanda is backed by party leaders and former Deputy Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar and Khanal; however, Oli has rejected the demand for his resignation.

Against the background of this demand, Oli tried to involve India without mentioning India’s name. Oli said, “Meetings are being held in a hotel by the embassy of one country to remove me from office”. While replying to this charge, Prachanda said, “We are asking for your resignation. India has nothing to do with it”.

Oli is being opposed by Prachanda over his failure to control the coronavirus outbreak in Nepal, as well as the border disputes with India and the Citizenship Reform Act. It is for this failure that they are demanding Oli’s resignation. “India has nothing to do with this,” he said. As it is, Prachanda never had good relations with India. When Prachanda was the Prime Minister, he was also acting like China’s keep. Now if he is opposing Oli, then he is pursuing his own political interests. It also appears that relations between him and China are not good at of now. This may be one reason for opposing Oli. Since Oli is a staunch supporter of China, China is helping him despite opposition from Communist Party leaders in Nepal.

India’s intervention is required

Nepali people are opposing Hao Yanki’s political interference in Nepal’s politics. Yanki is being criticised by political leaders and experts too. Nepali people have also started protesting on social media. They are saying – ‘The ambassador of another country becoming active in such a way to save the Government of our country is an attack on the sovereignty of Nepal’. Yanki also called on Nepal’s President Vidyadevi Bhandari in this context. Yanki also held discussions with Prachanda of the Communist party, who opposes Oli.

It is clear that this kind of action means that China is directly interfering in Nepal’s internal affairs. China has clarified over opposition to Yanki. China says, “We do not feel that there should be a split in the Communist Party of Nepal. We want the leaders of this party to work together. We have good relations with all of them”. This shows how close China is to the Communist Party of Nepal. Secondly, one can say, ‘People in the Communist Party are not loyal to the country, but to their own party, be it the Communist Party of China, Russia or any other country’. It has often been noticed that the Communists in India are also close to China and Russia than to India.

From the current situation, it seems that Oli will not resign. Therefore, a split in the Communist Party is inevitable. As a result, MPs supporting Oli and Prachanda will be divided and Oli’s Government will be in minority. In such a situation, Oli will stabilise the Government with the support of the Nepali Congress and other opposition parties. Yanki can once again play an important role in this process. If this Government survives, it will be a nuisance to India; however, if Prachanda’s Government comes to power, it is impossible to predict his help to India and opposition to China.

No details have come to light whether Prachanda has taken covert help from India, or India has helped him overthrow the Oli Government. Therefore, nothing can be said with certainity. However, given the ongoing political turmoil in Nepal, India needs to play a supportive role in Nepal. India needs to have rulers who think of national interest and self-respect by dismissing Chinese interference. India should try to create such a situation. Perhaps such efforts are going on.

Nepal has become an important country for India in the context of China. The more Nepal falls into the hands of China, the greater the threat to India. India needs to hurry now. If Hao Yanki is openly trying to save the Government, then India should also try to overthrow the Nepali Government and bring in a Government that is close to Indian culture. This is what the Indians expect.