Given Nepal's geopolitical compulsions, Nepal must toe the non-aligned foreign policy
Nepal has reiterated its One China Policy during the official visit of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China Li Zhanshu. During his meetings with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Speaker of the House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota and leaders of different political parties, Nepal made it clear that it would not allow any activities against China on its territory. Li, on the other hand, expressed China's continued support to Nepal's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Li, who is No. 3 in the Chinese Communist Party hierarchy, had arrived in Kathmandu on Monday on a fourday visit to Nepal, leading a 67-member delegation at the invitation of Speaker Sapkota. However, despite the exchange of niceties between the two sides, it is pretty apparent that the northern neighbour is wary of Nepal's commitments about China's security concerns given the flurry of activities being undertaken by outside forces in recent times 'to contain' China's growing influence.
Li is the not the first high-ranking Chinese official to visit Nepal in recent times. In March this year, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi had been on a three-day visit to Nepal, during which he too was given assurances of Nepal's commitment to the One China Policy. Especially after the ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact, which Beijing strongly disapproved, in February this year, China's uneasiness has only grown, what with a series of high level visits to Nepal by U.S. officials targeting the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. In May, U.S. Under-Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, who is also the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues of the U.S. administration, created quite a stir when she visited two Tibetan refugee camps, a visit that the Nepal government could not prevent. The last thing Nepal wants are demonstrations by Tibetan refugees, as they happened a decade back, when the government of Babu Ram Bhattarai remained a mute spectator to the daily bouts of protests by the refugees in Kathmandu, making them a grand spectacle for the Western media.
As tensions between China and the Western world, in particular the US, mount, Nepal is likely to be caught in the increasing rivalry. Inability to balance our relations with our immediate neighbours and other world powers will only put the well-being and progress of the country and its people at stake. In an apparent show of displeasure over the handling of anti-China activities in Nepal, the northern neighbour, for instance, has stopped the transport of all goods destined for the Dashain festival, which is just round the corner, although it has given the COVID-19 pandemic as a lame excuse for doing so. Given Nepal's geopolitical compulsions, the only way to stay clear of any coercion from foreign powers is for Nepal to toe the non-aligned foreign policy, as provisioned in the constitution. As for the Tibetan refugees in Nepal, it is time to resolve the issue once and for all like the Bhutanese refugee issue. This will prevent Nepal from becoming a playing ground for the foreign powers.
Shortage of books
Although the Education Development and Coordination Unit in Dhankuta has claimed that it has not received any complaints about a shortage of textbooks to be distributed by the government from primary to secondary level, many schools in the district say they have yet to receive them. It has been four months since the new academic session began. But the students from grade IV to IX have yet to receive some of the books whose curricula have changed.
Non-availability of textbooks in time has hampered the teaching-learning activities. Students have complained that they could not do their daily homework due to the absence of the textbooks.
Dhankuta is not a remote district. How can the students continue with their studies when they do not have textbooks in their hands? Janak Education Material Centre, which is responsible for printing the government-prescribed textbooks, has always failed to print the textbooks and distribute them in time.
Non-availability of textbooks in the remote parts of the country is even more problematic than in the accessible areas. The Ministry of Education and the Centre itself must find a lasting solution to this perennial problem that has badly affected the teaching activities across the country.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 15, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
