With the PM of Nepal KP Sharma Oli accusing India for his troubles, his own party has shown a divergence of opinion, that is being lead by a familiar face.
Crux of the Matter
Oli On India The Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made several statements against India recently. Oli accused India of spreading the Covid-19 in Nepal and claimed that the Indian government has been planning his overthrow. Oli further deteriorated ties with India after the Nepalese government claimed Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura territories of India on the map of Nepal. On Behalf Of China All the statements of Oli have come after the recent clashes of India with China, with the latter showing aggression on borders at Sikkim and Ladakh. Nepal enhanced Chinese impact in the nation by making Mandarin language compulsory in several schools. Nepalese Communist Party (NCP), the ruling party in Nepal, is backed by the Communist Party of China (CPC), the ruling group in China. The Chinese embassy has reportedly mediated several times between the clashes of opposing factions in the NCP.
Disapproval From Inside In a recent meeting, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Chairman of the NCP, raised strong objections to Oli’s claims of Indian conspiracy to overthrow his government. The criticism was followed by several senior leaders of the party demanding Oli to show the proof against India or resign from his post.
The Prime Minister’s remarks that India was conspiring to remove him was neither politically correct, nor diplomatically appropriate… such a statement by the Prime Minister may damage our relations with the neighbour. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman, Nepalese Communist Party
Who Is Prachanda? Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the chairman of NCP, is also known as ‘Prachanda’ in Nepal. He served as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the periods 2008-09 and 2016-17. In the civil war, he was the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) against the Nepalese monarchy. Prachanda resigned from his post both in 2009 and 2017, with the earlier resignation coming due to his attempts of removing the Army Chief, which were blocked by President Ram Baran Yadav. Prachanda’s Relations With India In 2006, Prachanda refused help from Pakistan’s ISI, which wanted to “destabilize” India. He also acted as the key figure in establishing the relations of his party with India. However, he broke the tradition of Nepalese Premiers visiting India first, and made his first foreign visit as a Prime Minister to China in 2008. In 2009, he made attempts to sack the Nepalese Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal, which were opposed by India. In 2015, Prachanda blamed India for the blockade at the Nepal border, which was reportedly created by the local parties of the Madhesi region. Prachanda formed the Nepalese Communist Party by merging Oli’s Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) party with his own Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists). However, Oli reportedly fears the toppling of his government by Prachanda.
Curiopedia
Sagarmāthā was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal until the restructuring of zones into provinces. Sagarmāthā is a Nepali word derived from sagar meaning “sky” and māthā meaning “head”. It includes mountain districts of the Himalayas (including Mount Everest).
Colonel Sir George Everest was a British surveyor and geographer who served as Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. He is best known for having Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, named in his honour.
In Himalayan folklore, the Yeti is a monstrous creature. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their folk beliefs. Alleged Yeti footprint was found by Michael Ward and photographed by Eric Shipton taken at Menlung Glacier on the 1951 Everest Expedition with Edmund Hillary in Nepal.
Curated Coverage
The Indian Express – Explained: Why Nepal PM Oli blames India in tussle with old rival Prachanda
NDTV – Nepal’s Ruling Party Seeks PM Oli’s Resignation Over Remarks On India
Hindustan Times – All you need to know about Prachanda’s complicated relationship with India
The Economic Times – ISI offered help to destabilise India: Prachanda
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