@OP if you are a Nepalese then I think there is some important aspects you have missed in your arguments. I have tried to put them below. And if you are Indian please refrain from starting these kind of threads. It is not helping us gain any goodwill worse it shows us as imperialists
I think there are two main stakeholders here that needs to be pointed out along with their motivations and responses to your proposal.
1) People of India and Nepal
For the people of Nepal and India both the countries are practically more or less part of the same federation. Esp. In India the Nepalese citizens enjoy almost the same amount of rights that an Indian citizen enjoys. Voting is one important right that Nepalese citizens don't have but then 1/3 rd of Indians don't vote anyways. So its no isssue at all. For all practical purpose the cultural and social and religious ties between a Nepalese and Indian (esp. in North, East and North East India) go on just as its the same country. Hence there is no major drive from the people to form a political union. The status quo works for citizens of both country. If this status quo is threatened you may find support for a political union but untill then nothing happening. So at best the population of India and Nepal will be at best ambivalent to the union.
2) Politicians of Nepal and India
Now coming to Politicians I feel the biggest losers will be the Nepalese Politicians. Unless there is something that threatens the Nepalese way of life (like a very aggressive China on the West) you will not find support from Politicians. Infact most will bitterly oppose it. Power is everything for them and Power of running a state in a federation can't be compared to the Power of running a Sovereign State. Indian Politicians also will be mostly ambivalent considering they are already streatched thin managing 1.2 billion people. For them there is enough to loot in India itself. Why look elsewhere.
My immediate reactions to Mr.
Bijay Rauts proposal that Nepal
should join the Indian Union were
anger and disgust. I thought Bijay
Raut was a betrayer and a pro-
Indian activist. However, after
several thoughts, I have reached
conclusions that Mr. Raut has very
good points and his hypothesis
deserves serious attentions.
Joining India will be unthinkable
and unacceptable to any patriotic
Nepali. The stories of the alleged
Indian attempt of encroachment of
the Nepalese territories are still
fresh in our memories. However,
lets now put aside those
grievances for a while and try to
focus, analyze and debate
objectively on a single question:
Should Nepal make effort to gain
statehood in the Indian Union (Like
Puerto Rico is attempting to be the
USAs 51th state)? In other words,
should Nepal join the Indian
Union?
I know many people have and will
argue against this proposal. But let
me take this opportunity to argue
for the proposal.
In my humble opinion, Nepal
should join India for the following
major reasons:
1. The purchasing power of the
Nepalese consumers will instantly
INCREASE by 60% since Indian Rs.
100 will no longer be Nepalese Rs.
160. IRs. 100 will be equivalent to
NRs. 100. The Nepalese consumers
will get the Indian goods for at
least 60% cheaper value than
before while sell their products to
Indians at higher than previous
values.
This is not big enough to justify giving up your sovereignty
2. Since India is our major trading
partner (about 2/3 of the total
trade are with India), our economy
will largely benefit from the
increase in strength of our
currency. The current trade deficit
will be less painful to our economy
then.
Better go for economic integration. That may just fly.
3. India is often accused of
encroaching not only our land but
also our culture, language and
values. Now if Nepal becomes a
part of India, what will India
encroach? Its own land!! The
culture of both Nepal and India will
flourish as well as assimilate better
than now. India, if nothing else,
represents a remarkable example of
cultural, ethnic and linguistic
assimilation. Furthermore, Nepali
is already an official language of
India, i.e., Nepali is included in the
8th Schedule of the Indian
Constitution.
There is no doubt that the closest country to India culturally is Nepal but it not enough justification. Land disputes are there between almost every neighboring country in the wolrd. Except those that were formed by drawing lines on the map. Trivial matter that should be solved through talks.
4. For Hindus, India is Mecca and
Madina. Non-Hindus Cheer up!
The Secular Indian State wont
marginalize your religious rights as
they have been in the Hindu
Kingdom of Nepal.
5. Nepal will be a separate state of
India and not a part of U.P., Bihar
or West Bengal. This means Nepal
can exercise almost all of her
present rights other than the one
involving territorial disputes with
China or other Indian States, in
which case the Federal Government
of India (which in turn is not under
control of any dominant group in
India, but headed by the
representatives of all states of the
Indian Union) will take the charge.
Under Indian Constitution, states
are granted vital rights ranging
from levying of the taxes to
maintaining internal security, as
well as deriving own educational
and cultural policies. Nepal should
be glad to become a part of the
larger body. Any achievement of
India will automatically be the
achievement of Nepalis and vice
versa.
No difference between Indians and Nepalese as far as movement in India and Nepal is concerned. So no motivation here either.
The staus quo works best for India, Nepal and China.
6. While state leaders of Nepal will
work hard to improve the lives of
Nepalis, it will be the responsibility
of the Federal government of India
to counsel the policies of the
states, promulgate federal policies
for the whole country, provide the
Nepalese state with frequent funds
as well as take the immediate
charge of the natural emergencies
like flood, earthquake, etc. The
state leaders of Nepal will have
better chance of building the
Nepalese nation than now, since
there will always be someone at the
back for assistance and guidance.
Giving up Power is very hard. Don't expect Nepalese Politicians to give up Power.
7. The largest natural resource we
have is water. Unfortunately, the
amount of hydro-electricity
generated from it is minimal. The
Arun -III, the multi-billion dollar
hydro electricity project, was
terminated because The World
Bank drew off its support,
primarily due to the lost of the
Banks faith in the Nepalese
government that was characterized
by sharp political instability. The
Federal Government of India, with
its huge budget and capacity to
lure large multinationals and
international lending agencies, can
easily get several of such Hydo-
Power projects going. This will but
benefit Nepal and Nepalis in large
because the electricity will now be
sold not only to China but to
several other Indian states with
very little hassles.
Economic Integration is the key.
8. The legendary Gurkha soldiers,
who now constitute a significant
portion of the Indian Army, are
working not for their motherland
but for a foreign land. These
Gurkhas, in one sense, are not
soldiers but just mercenaries (hired
army motivated by money rather
than love for motherland or
national glory). If Nepal were to be
a part of India, these brave soldiers
would be working for their
motherland and their bravery will
count as glory and not just paid
service.
Not enough motivation. Also for most Hindus India is also a spiritual home so unfair to call all Gurkhas mercenaries. Also many of them settle in India after completing ther service.
9. One may argue against the
proposal of the unification by
saying that India has very little
incentive to have Nepal as its state
because India will have to guard
hundreds of miles of the Nepal-
China frontier, which might suck
up its already strained military and
economic resources. This is not
true. India has already been
guarding the China-Nepal frontier
indirectly. Just imagine when China
invades Nepal, do you think India
will sit down there and keep
watching? Never. Directly or
Indirectly, India has and will have
to guard the Nepal-China frontier.
In case Nepal becomes a part of
India, India will have to divert little
extra of its military resources to
the frontier.
The Indian population won't have any issue with Nepal joining India. Its the Nepalese people who have to decide. AT this moment there is just no motivation for them to do that.
10. Finally, I believe, and many of
you will agree, that Nepal lacks
resources to function as an
independent country. About three
quarters of the countrys land is
mountainous, and the fertile
quarter is over populated and
prone to erosion, flood, and other
ecological hazards. Two-third of
the population is illiterate while
over 40% live below poverty line.
The majority of educated
population is unproductive since
they are stuck up in the inefficient
government services. Natural
resource other than water is rare
and tourism sector is on the verge
of decline because of the negative
ecological impacts as well as
polluted cities. Furthermore, Nepal
has one of the highest per capital
foreign debt despite she gets large
sums of foreign grants each year.
The remittances of the Gurkha
soldiers and that of Non-Resident
Nepali are not enough to support
economy, and there has been
continual migration of Nepali, both
seasonal and permanent, to India
and other countries in search of
work and other economic
opportunities. Nepal definitely
needs both
guidance and assistance of the
Federal Government to boost up its
economy and maximize the utility
of her limited resources. Only
unification with India will bestow
Nepal with such power and
opportunity.
Please feel free to agree/disagree
with my comments
Again can be solved by economic integration.
So to sum up there is no motivation for political integration so your proposal won't find support esp in Nepal. Most of your point can be taken care with economic integration. I think that is a cause worth pursuing.
AK&ifdim=region&hl=en_US&dl=en&ind=false
