Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Nepal on a two-day state visit during which he will hold talks with the country's top leadership to build mutual trust.

Nepal has been a nation in crisis since last 10 years it has suffered political crisis, earthquake and impact of demonetisation. But the last three years have been particularly difficult.

In 2015, many of the country's historic sites were levelled after an earthquake struck Nepal. It was the worst earthquake in Nepal since 1934 in which 9000 people died. Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese were made homeless with entire villages flattened. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed including many UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley, like the Durbar Square in Kathmandu, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple, the Boudhanath Stupa and the Swayambhunath Stupa.

Under the 'neigbhourhood first' policy, when the earthquake struck in 2015, India launched Operation Maitri and help reached Nepal within 15 minutes. India swiftly dispatched the teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in special aircraft with rescue and relief materials to Nepal. India's assistance, which reached Nepal within six hours of the earthquake, included 16 NDRF teams, 39 Air Force aircraft sorties with 571 tons of relief material.

And Nepal acknowledged India's help. "We are thankful for India's generous support," Nepal foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali said.

Nepal was on path to recovery but a year later, India announced its decision to scrap the existing currency under demonetisation and the Himalayan kingdom's redevelopment plans were in doldrums.

"The Indian demonetisation has hurt Nepali nationals," Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli told the country's Parliament in April. According to news agency Reuters, Nepal had about Rs 950 crore worth of old Indian bank notes.

India is Nepal's largest trade partner and the supplier of the bulk of consumer goods. Indian currency is widely used by businesses and individuals who keep their savings at homes in Indian bank notes. In Durbar Square, where life was limping back to normal, suddenly everything came to a standstill.

Central Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) officials said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) verbally agreed to allow every Nepali national to exchange up to Rs 4,500 worth of scrapped Indian bank notes in a meeting in March last year.

"But nothing has been communicated to us formally so far," NRB Deputy Governor Chinta Mani Shivakoti told Reuters.

Oli raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India last month, and has been assured that the Indian government will look into the issue. Oli is expected to bring the issue with PM Modi during his current visit.

In 2015, many of the country's historic sites were levelled after an earthquake struck Nepal. It was the worst earthquake in Nepal since 1934 in which 9000 people died.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Nepal on a two-day state visit during which he will hold talks with the country's top leadership to build mutual trust. Nepal has been a nation in crisis since last 10 years it has suffered political crisis, earthquake and impact of demonetisation. But the last three years have been particularly difficult. In 2015, many of the country's historic sites were levelled after an earthquake struck Nepal. It was the worst earthquake in Nepal since 1934 in which 9000 people died. Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese were made homeless with entire villages flattened. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed including many UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley, like the Durbar Square in Kathmandu, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple, the Boudhanath Stupa and the Swayambhunath Stupa. Under the 'neigbhourhood first' policy, when the earthquake struck in 2015, India launched Operation Maitri and help reached Nepal within 15 minutes. India swiftly dispatched the teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in special aircraft with rescue and relief materials to Nepal. India's assistance, which reached Nepal within six hours of the earthquake, included 16 NDRF teams, 39 Air Force aircraft sorties with 571 tons of relief material. And Nepal acknowledged India's help. "We are thankful for India's generous support," Nepal foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali said. Nepal was on path to recovery but a year later, India announced its decision to scrap the existing currency under demonetisation and the Himalayan kingdom's redevelopment plans were in doldrums. "The Indian demonetisation has hurt Nepali nationals," Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli told the country's Parliament in April. According to news agency Reuters, Nepal had about Rs 950 crore worth of old Indian bank notes. India is Nepal's largest trade partner and the supplier of the bulk of consumer goods. Indian currency is widely used by businesses and individuals who keep their savings at homes in Indian bank notes. In Durbar Square, where life was limping back to normal, suddenly everything came to a standstill. Central Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) officials said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) verbally agreed to allow every Nepali national to exchange up to Rs 4,500 worth of scrapped Indian bank notes in a meeting in March last year. "But nothing has been communicated to us formally so far," NRB Deputy Governor Chinta Mani Shivakoti told Reuters. Oli raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India last month, and has been assured that the Indian government will look into the issue. Oli is expected to bring the issue with PM Modi during his current visit.

From one crisis to another, tracing Nepal's journey in last 3 years

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his two-day visit to Nepal Friday, a lot will be at stake. This will be the Indian prime minister's third visit to the country. First after taking charge, then for the Saarc summit, and now this third visit. What is more important is that PM Modi’s visit happens just one month after Nepal’s PM visited India. As a tradition, India is the first destination of any Nepali PM after taking charge.

Faith diplomacy

The main focus of the visit will be faith diplomacy. The Indian PM will be visiting three cities will be visiting a temple in all three. In Janakpur he will be visiting the Janki Devi temple, the birthplace of Devi Sita. In Kathmandu he will visit Pashupatinath and in Muktinath he will visit a Shiv temple.

At the Janki Devi, PM Modi along with Nepal’s PM will flag off the Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service. It has an important symbolism since the birth place of goddess Sita will be connected with Lord Ram’s birth place.

As Indian Ambassador to Nepal told WION, "Janakpur has an abiding link with India". 
 
This will be PM Modi's second visit to Pashupatinath. He first visited the temple during his first visit to Nepal. Muktinath in north Nepal holds significance for both Hindus and Buddhists.

All these temples see a lot of Indian pilgrims visiting and offering prayers. Clearly, the Indian PM is leveraging diplomacy with faith. His mission neighbourhood is taking a new hue.

Ahead of the visit, in an exclusive conversation with WION, Nepal’s foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said that the visit is a manifestation of how broad the India Nepal relationship is and the government of Nepal has high hopes from the visit. On the blockade, he said that past is past and past cannot overshadow the future. On the growing Chinese influence in Nepal he said it’s a perception and Nepal wants to pursue an "independent" foreign policy.

The Chinese worry

China remains a worry for New Delhi. And China has been expanding its influence in Nepal. It has announced a number of connectivity projects. Nepal is a part of China's one belt one road initiative.

So is India's influence in Kathmandu. No, says Constantino Xavier, a fellow at Carnegie India. He told WION that Nepal has a certain special relation with India and Nepal’s PM Oli knows about that. Calling Indian PM Modi’s visit symbolic, he said Nepal is India’s most important bilateral.

But walk on the streets of Thamel in Kathmandu. It’s the main business area of the Nepal capital and all the sign boards are either in English or Chinese. Sometimes no English, only Chinese. We spoke to many people on the street. They confirmed what was evident. China is here to stay. With more than 200 chinese shops and hotels, China not only has presence but a growing presence.

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The growing chinese influence in Nepal. Signboards in Thamel which is the business area of Kathmandu are either in English or Chinese. <a href="https://t.co/CrtebhLKmG">pic.twitter.com/CrtebhLKmG</a>
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Eminent Nepali Journalist Yubaraj Ghimire said since India pushed a radical agenda, Nepali people lost trust. On the contrary China and Nepal have no misunderstanding and China has been able to give the impression that it operates in the national sovereignty system of Nepal.

India’s ties with Nepal suffered a blow after India failed to welcome Nepal’s constitution since it did not give much rights to Indian-origin Madhesi people. A Madhesi journalist Gopal Jha said the Madhesi issue was the internal issue of Nepal. Expressing confidence on India Nepal ties, he added that PM Modi’s 3rd visit to Nepal shows India is giving value to the relationship.

A railway to Kathmandu

But India is fast understanding, it's time to understand the needs of Nepal. It has been focusing on infrastructure and connectivity. The Indian and Nepali prime ministers will jointly, through video conferencing, inaugurate the ARUN 3 hydroelectric power project, the biggest in Nepal. On the connectivity front, India is going to build a railway line from Kathmandu to Raxaul. This will connect the Kathmandu valley to the Indian railway network. So, one day one can travel from Delhi to Kathmandu on train and it is expected to be an engineering marvel. India and Nepal will sign an agreement on waterways navigation on Kosi and both will soon announce the first meeting of India and Nepal agriculture ministers. But it is connectivity vs connectivity. China has its own connectivity plans with Nepal. No longer do the mighty Himalayas pose a geographical barrier between Nepal and China which is ready to pass right through the mighty mountains to build connecting bridges with Nepal. Beijing even suggested a China, India and Nepal connectivity plan but New Delhi wasn't enthusiastic about it. India is suspicious and rightly so. A China, India and Nepal connectivity plan can flood Indian markets with Chinese products.

Kathmandu ready to welcome PM Modi

Excitement is palpable in Kathmandu. Security has been beefed up. Nepal’s PM had a special meeting with former prime ministers of Nepal, all coming to this conclusion that national interest should be kept first.The streets of Kathmandu have already been lined up with Indian and Nepali flags. The Nepali media is all full of the Indian PM’s visit. Some lauding it, some asking to remain cautious but everyone is covering it. Delhi, Kathmandu ties might have seen many ups and down, it’s the people to people contact that are sustaining Indo-Nepal ties. But this visit is all about focusing on the specialness in this special relationship. The 3 Cs — Connectivity, Culture and Cooperation.

&nbsp;

China remains a worry for New Delhi. And China has been expanding its influence in Nepal

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his two-day visit to Nepal Friday, a lot will be at stake. This will be the Indian prime minister's third visit to the country. First after taking charge, then for the Saarc summit, and now this third visit. What is more important is that PM Modi’s visit happens just one month after Nepal’s PM visited India. As a tradition, India is the first destination of any Nepali PM after taking charge. Faith diplomacy The main focus of the visit will be faith diplomacy. The Indian PM will be visiting three cities will be visiting a temple in all three. In Janakpur he will be visiting the Janki Devi temple, the birthplace of Devi Sita. In Kathmandu he will visit Pashupatinath and in Muktinath he will visit a Shiv temple. At the Janki Devi, PM Modi along with Nepal’s PM will flag off the Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service. It has an important symbolism since the birth place of goddess Sita will be connected with Lord Ram’s birth place. As Indian Ambassador to Nepal told WION, "Janakpur has an abiding link with India". This will be PM Modi's second visit to Pashupatinath. He first visited the temple during his first visit to Nepal. Muktinath in north Nepal holds significance for both Hindus and Buddhists. All these temples see a lot of Indian pilgrims visiting and offering prayers. Clearly, the Indian PM is leveraging diplomacy with faith. His mission neighbourhood is taking a new hue. Ahead of the visit, in an exclusive conversation with WION, Nepal’s foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said that the visit is a manifestation of how broad the India Nepal relationship is and the government of Nepal has high hopes from the visit. On the blockade, he said that past is past and past cannot overshadow the future. On the growing Chinese influence in Nepal he said it’s a perception and Nepal wants to pursue an "independent" foreign policy. The Chinese worry China remains a worry for New Delhi. And China has been expanding its influence in Nepal. It has announced a number of connectivity projects. Nepal is a part of China's one belt one road initiative. So is India's influence in Kathmandu. No, says Constantino Xavier, a fellow at Carnegie India. He told WION that Nepal has a certain special relation with India and Nepal’s PM Oli knows about that. Calling Indian PM Modi’s visit symbolic, he said Nepal is India’s most important bilateral. But walk on the streets of Thamel in Kathmandu. It’s the main business area of the Nepal capital and all the sign boards are either in English or Chinese. Sometimes no English, only Chinese. We spoke to many people on the street. They confirmed what was evident. China is here to stay. With more than 200 chinese shops and hotels, China not only has presence but a growing presence. The growing chinese influence in Nepal. Signboards in Thamel which is the business area of Kathmandu are either in English or Chinese. pic.twitter.com/CrtebhLKmG — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 9, 2018 × Eminent Nepali Journalist Yubaraj Ghimire said since India pushed a radical agenda, Nepali people lost trust. On the contrary China and Nepal have no misunderstanding and China has been able to give the impression that it operates in the national sovereignty system of Nepal. India’s ties with Nepal suffered a blow after India failed to welcome Nepal’s constitution since it did not give much rights to Indian-origin Madhesi people. A Madhesi journalist Gopal Jha said the Madhesi issue was the internal issue of Nepal. Expressing confidence on India Nepal ties, he added that PM Modi’s 3rd visit to Nepal shows India is giving value to the relationship. A railway to Kathmandu But India is fast understanding, it's time to understand the needs of Nepal. It has been focusing on infrastructure and connectivity. The Indian and Nepali prime ministers will jointly, through video conferencing, inaugurate the ARUN 3 hydroelectric power project, the biggest in Nepal. On the connectivity front, India is going to build a railway line from Kathmandu to Raxaul. This will connect the Kathmandu valley to the Indian railway network. So, one day one can travel from Delhi to Kathmandu on train and it is expected to be an engineering marvel. India and Nepal will sign an agreement on waterways navigation on Kosi and both will soon announce the first meeting of India and Nepal agriculture ministers. But it is connectivity vs connectivity. China has its own connectivity plans with Nepal. No longer do the mighty Himalayas pose a geographical barrier between Nepal and China which is ready to pass right through the mighty mountains to build connecting bridges with Nepal. Beijing even suggested a China, India and Nepal connectivity plan but New Delhi wasn't enthusiastic about it. India is suspicious and rightly so. A China, India and Nepal connectivity plan can flood Indian markets with Chinese products. Kathmandu ready to welcome PM Modi Excitement is palpable in Kathmandu. Security has been beefed up. Nepal’s PM had a special meeting with former prime ministers of Nepal, all coming to this conclusion that national interest should be kept first.The streets of Kathmandu have already been lined up with Indian and Nepali flags. The Nepali media is all full of the Indian PM’s visit. Some lauding it, some asking to remain cautious but everyone is covering it. Delhi, Kathmandu ties might have seen many ups and down, it’s the people to people contact that are sustaining Indo-Nepal ties. But this visit is all about focusing on the specialness in this special relationship. The 3 Cs — Connectivity, Culture and Cooperation.

PM Modi's Nepal visit: Focus on infrastructure and connectivity, but mostly faith

Nepal is all set to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will begin his official trip from May 11 and will visit three cities - Kathmandu, Muktinath and Janakpur - in two days.

Speedy implementation of key India-assisted projects and building trust will be among the focus areas of the visit. Government sources said that during Modi's two-day visit, India will seek to consolidate relationship with the new Nepalese government of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli who has returned to power riding on a spectacular electoral victory and now leads a stable dispensation after years of political instability.

PM Modi will arrive in Janakpur's Baarhabigha on Friday by a chopper from Patna in Bihar. The Prime Minister will address a public rally and visit the historic Janakpur temple where he will be accompanied by his Nepalese counterpart. Modi will be given a civic reception at Janakpur. In the afternoon, he will travel to Kathmandu where he will meet the Nepalese President, Vice President and hold wide-ranging talks with Oli.

Modi and Oli are likely to sign a number of pacts and lay the foundation for Rs 6,000-crore Arun 3 project, the biggest hydel power project being built in Nepal. It is expected to generate around 900 MW of power.

In Kathmandu, Modi will also meet former Nepalse prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, besides the leaders of two Madhesi parties.

The remote Mustang region is also a part of PM Modi's itinerary. In Mustang, the Indian PM will visit pilgrimage site of Muktinath which is a sacred place for both Hindusand Buddhists. Within Hinduism, it is called Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of liberation or moksh". This temple is considered to be 106th among the available 108 Divya Desam considered sacred by the Sri Vaishnava sect.

The leaders of the two countries will also take this opportunity to deliberate on implementation of the ambitious rail project to link Kathmandu with Raxaul in Bihar and connecting landlocked Nepal with river transport system with India, apart from several other key connectivity projects, sources said.

Modi's visit to Nepal comes a little more than a month after Prime Minister Oli visited India. Oli had invited Modi to his country. During Oli's visit, both sides had vowed to step up the overall engagement and take the relationship to newer heights on the basis of "equality, mutual trust and respect".

The intention is to build on PM Oli's visit and and carry forward pending proposals.

India is Nepal's largest trade partner and the largest source of foreign investment, besides providing transit for Nepal's traders. India accounts for over two-third of Nepal's merchandise trade, about one-third of trade in services, 46 per cent of foreign direct investment, almost 100 per cent of petroleum supplies and a significant share of inward remittance on account of pensioners and workers.

This will be Modi's third to Nepal after taking over as PM in 2014. After talks with Oli last month, Modi had said India would always stand by Nepal in its quest for all-round growth, asserting that deeper cooperation between the two neighbours would strengthen democracy in that country.

(With inputs from agencies)

Modi's visit to Nepal comes a little more than a month after Prime Minister Oli visited India.

Nepal is all set to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will begin his official trip from May 11 and will visit three cities - Kathmandu, Muktinath and Janakpur - in two days. Speedy implementation of key India-assisted projects and building trust will be among the focus areas of the visit. Government sources said that during Modi's two-day visit, India will seek to consolidate relationship with the new Nepalese government of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli who has returned to power riding on a spectacular electoral victory and now leads a stable dispensation after years of political instability. PM Modi will arrive in Janakpur's Baarhabigha on Friday by a chopper from Patna in Bihar. The Prime Minister will address a public rally and visit the historic Janakpur temple where he will be accompanied by his Nepalese counterpart. Modi will be given a civic reception at Janakpur. In the afternoon, he will travel to Kathmandu where he will meet the Nepalese President, Vice President and hold wide-ranging talks with Oli. Modi and Oli are likely to sign a number of pacts and lay the foundation for Rs 6,000-crore Arun 3 project, the biggest hydel power project being built in Nepal. It is expected to generate around 900 MW of power. In Kathmandu, Modi will also meet former Nepalse prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, besides the leaders of two Madhesi parties. The remote Mustang region is also a part of PM Modi's itinerary. In Mustang, the Indian PM will visit pilgrimage site of Muktinath which is a sacred place for both Hindusand Buddhists. Within Hinduism, it is called Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the "place of liberation or moksh". This temple is considered to be 106th among the available 108 Divya Desam considered sacred by the Sri Vaishnava sect. The leaders of the two countries will also take this opportunity to deliberate on implementation of the ambitious rail project to link Kathmandu with Raxaul in Bihar and connecting landlocked Nepal with river transport system with India, apart from several other key connectivity projects, sources said. Modi's visit to Nepal comes a little more than a month after Prime Minister Oli visited India. Oli had invited Modi to his country. During Oli's visit, both sides had vowed to step up the overall engagement and take the relationship to newer heights on the basis of "equality, mutual trust and respect". The intention is to build on PM Oli's visit and and carry forward pending proposals. India is Nepal's largest trade partner and the largest source of foreign investment, besides providing transit for Nepal's traders. India accounts for over two-third of Nepal's merchandise trade, about one-third of trade in services, 46 per cent of foreign direct investment, almost 100 per cent of petroleum supplies and a significant share of inward remittance on account of pensioners and workers. This will be Modi's third to Nepal after taking over as PM in 2014. After talks with Oli last month, Modi had said India would always stand by Nepal in its quest for all-round growth, asserting that deeper cooperation between the two neighbours would strengthen democracy in that country. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Modi begins his Nepal visit on Friday, to focus on building trust

Just walk around the bazaars of Kathmandu and one can't miss noticing China's omnipresence all across the city. From sign boards to Chinese tourists to businesses to hotels. Go to shops and you will find the Chinese owning many of them. Chinese currency changers are everywhere. Signboards in Thamel, Kathmandu's business area, are either in English or Chinese. Even the beer shops in Kathmandu have Chinese names.

China has quietly flooded Kathmandu, at first slowly, now in a rapid way.

Tourism, which forms an essential part of Nepal's economy, has a major Chinese role today. China is the second- largest source of foreign tourists to Nepal. Over 100,000 Chinese tourists visit Nepal annually.&nbsp;

Many shopkeepers confirmed to us that China is here to stay.

But what best way to know about Chinese tourists than to go through a tourist guide which, interestingly, had more than 80 per cent of the signs in Chinese. The government of Nepal has waived visa fees for the Chinese tourists effective from January 1, 2016.

So what is making China-Nepal ties stronger? Yubaraj Ghimire a Nepali journalist believes China-Nepal ties haven't been impacted by any issues. There has been no misunderstanding, the boundary issue between the two countries was solved, China advised the Nepalese that it cannot substitute India and it also respects Nepal's sovereignty.

During the low period of India-Nepal Ties, China was making rapid progess. In recent years, China has emerged as one of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) contributors to Nepal, as economic engagement between the world's second-largest economy and the Himalayan country grows.

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Just walk around the bazaars of Kathmandu and one can't miss noticing China's omnipresence all across the city

Just walk around the bazaars of Kathmandu and one can't miss noticing China's omnipresence all across the city. From sign boards to Chinese tourists to businesses to hotels. Go to shops and you will find the Chinese owning many of them. Chinese currency changers are everywhere. Signboards in Thamel, Kathmandu's business area, are either in English or Chinese. Even the beer shops in Kathmandu have Chinese names. China has quietly flooded Kathmandu, at first slowly, now in a rapid way. Tourism, which forms an essential part of Nepal's economy, has a major Chinese role today. China is the second- largest source of foreign tourists to Nepal. Over 100,000 Chinese tourists visit Nepal annually. Many shopkeepers confirmed to us that China is here to stay. But what best way to know about Chinese tourists than to go through a tourist guide which, interestingly, had more than 80 per cent of the signs in Chinese. The government of Nepal has waived visa fees for the Chinese tourists effective from January 1, 2016. So what is making China-Nepal ties stronger? Yubaraj Ghimire a Nepali journalist believes China-Nepal ties haven't been impacted by any issues. There has been no misunderstanding, the boundary issue between the two countries was solved, China advised the Nepalese that it cannot substitute India and it also respects Nepal's sovereignty. During the low period of India-Nepal Ties, China was making rapid progess. In recent years, China has emerged as one of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) contributors to Nepal, as economic engagement between the world's second-largest economy and the Himalayan country grows.

China's growing influence in Nepal: A ground report

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Sidhant Sibal

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