Leaders of opposition parties in India have suggested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to interfere in the internal affairs of Nepal by acknowledging it as a sovereign country. They also urged Modi to have a ‘big heart’ towards visiting Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. 

PM Oli arrives in India on Friday on a three-day state visit. The opposition parties’ leaders say New Delhi should address Nepal’s concerns like the economic blockade that has disheartened Nepali people. They urged PM Modi not to compare the centuries-old Nepal-India ties with other neighbours. 

“India should wisely present itself to Prime Minister Oli during his India visit. India can win the hearts of people of that country only when it lets the sovereign country work as it wants,” said Mani Shankar Aiyar, a member of the Indian National Congress (INC). Both the prime ministers should give due importance to the concerns and expectations of each other’s countries, he said.  Aiyar claimed the attitude of not recognising Nepal as sovereign nation in Indian rulers is the major hurdle of the bilateral relationship. “The true relations will be promoted between the two countries when Nepal and Nepalis have trust in India. So, respecting Nepal’s  sovereign status is the sole base of Nepal-India relationship,” he said.

The leaders of the opposition parties are confident that Nepal-India relations would again take the same old course if the Indian PM expressed commitment not to interfere into Nepal’s internal affairs in the future. 

General Secretary of Nationalist Congress Party DP Tripathi has taken PM Oli’s visit as an opportunity to sort out differences between the two countries. 

“India should respect PM Oli accordingly,” he said, adding that it was natural for Nepali people to be sad while remembering the hardships caused by the economic blockade. 

Nilotpal Basu, a central secretariat member of Communist Party of India (Marxist), said it was a mistake to interfere in Nepal’s internal affairs by the Indian government. He asked the Indian government to do serious homework to make PM Oli’s visit to improve bilateral relations. 

The opposition leaders have also welcomed Nepal’s initiatives in making Saarc active. Despite having an immense potential over partnership on energy and tourism, they think Saarc lags behind compared to other regional organisations.  Tripathi said the Saarc process should not stop due to differences between India and Pakistan. Nepal has done well by reviving Saarc, he added. 

“Nepali people will gradually forget India’s mistake if PM Oli’s India visit opens a way to Saarc issues,” said Tripathi, adding success of Oli’s visit depends on the decision over the issue of Saarc. 

The opposition leaders are wary of Nepal-China relations as another challenge facing the Nepal-India ties. India should take the growing ties between Nepal and China in the 21st century positively, they said. 

“Why should we be concerned over the rights of an independent country to expand relations with its neighbours?” said Basu, adding that Nepal has its right to decide what kind of relationship it should have with its neighbours for maximum benefits.