Immediately after the Prachanda-led government was formed, China opened its border town of Kerung with Nepal that had been closed for nearly three years due to the corona pandemic. It could not be a mere coincidence. Was it a symbolic gesture or its goodwill towards the newly-formed government or does it mean China was comfortable with the new alliance? Well China knows, it could be a pseudo leftist alliance for the time being not lasting long. China does not trust these leaders as they have shown their true colours time and again in the past, but China has no option but to stay with these flip flops as long as possible. It is hard to rely on them. The future will clear the picture when the alliance comes into action.

After election results were out, hectic movements of Indian agents, trying to form a government in their favour, were reported in the media. The then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was not in their good book as he is believed to be a devout American.

India wants a leader solely devoted to India. It also has managed to have an option or choices, when things do not go smoothly with a particular one, including Taraibased parties that can play as a trump card whenever in need. So, with these in mind, it has managed to maintain relations with almost all party leaders.

Though leftist, lately Mr. Comfortable has become their favourite. He has moved their agenda forcefully, like the Citizenship Bill in the HoR. The bill is believed to be a long-term agenda or strategy of India on the way to Sikkimisation of Nepal. The people believe most of the political leaders receive financial support from the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.

Leaders like former prime ministers Babu Ram Bhattarai is believed to be a paid agent of RAW, which he has not refuted yet. Some time back, Bhattarai publicly blamed Prachanda, Deuba and Oli for embezzling huge amounts of money in the Mahakali deal with India.

He also accused Prachanda of grabbing millions in funds allocated for the victims of the Maoist insurgency. Now, shamelessly, he is a close associate of Mr. Comfortable, helped him win the election in Gorkha and form the government under his prime minister ship.

On the other hand, Prachanda had told the press in an interview that he would never accept any invitation from K.P. Oli for an alliance whatsoever. Flip flop, double standards and fooling the people are their ideology under the guise of communism. Mr Comfortable even invited the Rastria Prajatantra Party (RPP), a neo-feudalistic party, against whom 10 years of the Maoist insurgency was launched at the cost of more than 17,000 lives, brushing aside his communist ideology.

Now, Deuba, flat on his back, is having unimaginable nightmares and sleepless nights. He was dumped under the bus by Prachanda. Oli, Chairman of the CPN-UML, is believed to be a key player of this drama behind the scene. To be fair, all the cronies deserve the same fate as Deuba.

Some believe American pressure was the major factor that led Deuba to resist Prachanda's demand for the prime ministership. More recently, Deuba is said to have offered the PM's post to RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden to bring down Prachanda's government as a vengeance, no matter what fate awaits the country as a result of the instability.

In response, the RPP chairman offered a very good reply that must have made Deuba blush that 'they were not on sale'. It seems for the political cronies of Nepal, democracy is a game they love to play to serve their interest. During the election campaign, no political party displayed in public, their vision and future plan on major issues. No reform plan came to address the burning issue of corruption, mismanagement, inflation and law and order.

They were solely intent on winning the election by hook or by crook. Money and power were misused widely throughout the campaign. Buffoons like Deuba were the prime target of public outcry for the misdemeanor or felony in the campaign period, distributing money for votes in his constituency in Dadeldhura.

Besides helping Mr. Comfortable to topple the Deuba-led Government, now the news is that our 'Roti Beti ' neighbour is meddling in our internal affairs, poking its dirty nose in the micro-management of our internal affairs. The purpose of Roti beti could be to employ its henchmen and move up its agenda smoothly through the channel and remove all the possible obstacles. Even some henchmen may have lobbied them behind doors for their inclusion in the upcoming expansion of the ministry. Now that Prachanda has gotten approval from the House, he may be pressured into tabling the Citizenship bill in the House and passing it through.

Chances of passing the bill are high as Deuba and Oli both are in support of it. The only obstacle could be the newcomers like Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane and the members of his party.

So, who is comfortable with the Prime Ministership of Prachanda, China or India, or both, is an interesting question. Chinese diplomacy is soft, delicate, sophisticated, not wanting to offend others unless the circumstances are unavoidable and tries to maintain sweet and harmonious relations with its neighbours. Roti beti, on the other hand, lacks delicate maneuvering skills. In a way, you can learn a lot on diplomacy from China.

Lastly, Nepal is becoming important recently due to its geopolitical location with the economic growth of China as a viable counter force to the world order. Defending our territorial integrity, independence, free from foreign interference and maintaining equidistance with the neighbours must be our priority in our foreign policy. Let us have cordial and friendly relations with our neighbours. Nepal should be happy if both the neighbours are happy and comfortable with us.

Gauchan is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Nepali Army

A version of this article appears in the print on January 13, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.