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The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and Nepal’s Ministry of Finance recently held a Projects Portfolio Performance Review Meeting, marking a ‘milestone’ in  Nepal-India development cooperation framework. In the meeting held under Nepal’s Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and India’s Ambassador Naveen Srivastavasa with representatives of concerned ministries and departments, the two sides deliberated on the potential sectors of collaboration in the future. 

India remains Nepal’s largest development partner, marking a profound relationship since the 1950s and the Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty forms the bedrock of bilateral relationship. 

After Maoist party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s return to the political arena as Prime Minister of Nepal and Indian PM Narendra Modi’s insistence on neighborhood first policy, issues like regional connectivity, security and a departure from politics of the yore have gained prominence. There has been an increased focus on regional economic growth through the revival of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN ) initiative and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). Notably, India’s development cooperation has been an important factor in Nepal’s economic vision.

A tight-rope walk

Despite political differences within the ruling coalition, there’s no denying that ties with India are extremely important for Nepal, considering the territorial proximity, historical bonhomie and trade dependence in the region. 

In this context, Prime Minister Dahal’s pragmatic approach with respect to India and China, Nepal’s two neighbors, is necessary for “balancing the scale”. During Dahal’s previous stint as PM, Kathmandu had a tumultuous relationship with New Delhi, but this time, his government has practised ‘matured statesmanship’ in resolving the border dispute and making the transformation of the economic landscape of the sub-region as the “real priority”. Dahal’s visit to Delhi earlier this year focused largely on economic and development partnership, pointing that Nepal’s foreign policy has to accommodate New Delhi’s interests even if it means not raising issues like the Eminent Persons’ Group (ESG) report.

Dahal's last visit to India garnered acclaim at home for advancing a crucial long-term power deal between the two nations, promising to import 10,000 MW of hydroelectricity from Nepal within a decade. This initiative not only held the potential to significantly reduce Nepal's trade deficit with India but also signaled increased foreign investment in Nepal's hydropower sector. The visit had been marked by a shift in focus, emphasizing mutually beneficial economic aspects over contentious political issues. Notably, in recent times India and Nepal have expanded their cooperation beyond bilateral agreements, allowing Kathmandu to export electricity to Bangladesh through the Indian grid. While the economic landscape flourishes with memorandums of understanding and groundbreaking ceremonies for key projects, Dahal's temple visits in India and Nepal have sparked discussions, seen by some as a nod to a larger Hindu constituency and an illustration of the growing influence of the BJP and RSS in India's Nepal policy. Despite these nuances, the economic collaboration between India and Nepal is making substantial progress, fostering a new era of bilateral relations.

Caught between BRI and MCC

During an eight-day visit to China earlier this year, Prime Minister Dahal signed a joint statement with Premier Li Qiang, part of which reads: “The Nepali side supports the Global Development Initiative (GDI)”. Dahal hastened to add later that the security partnership under the umbrella of Global Security Initiative (GSI) was not in the interest of Nepal  and it would offset the strategic balance it needs to maintain with India and the United States. A closer look at  China's push for Nepal to join the GSI underscores China's aim to establish security partnerships with developing nations in the pursuit of peace and development.

China has been significantly interested in its engagement with Nepal in various domains, showcasing a multifaceted approach, as high-profile visits from China have shown. 

As part of a China International Department delegation, Secretary of Communist Party of China (CPC)’s Sichuan Province Wang Xiaohui and Yuan Jiajun, a CPC Political Bureau member, held discussions with Nepali leaders, fostering political ties. 

China’s footprint extends beyond politics, evident in the launch of WeChat Pay in Pokhara and the China-Nepal Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival, emphasizing cultural bonds. 

Xi’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to enhance Nepal's infrastructure, although the progress has been subject to scrutiny and differing narratives back home considering it as a risky amount of debt to pursue its strategic plans in Nepal. While China asserts that key projects like the Pokhara International Airport fall under the BRI framework, Nepal maintains that project discussions are ongoing. Nepal's perception of GSI as a military alliance and its stance on the Global Cybersecurity Initiative (GCI) remain pivotal aspects of maintaining neutrality in the region. 

At the same time, China considers the presence of the United States and India in the regional dynamics, often called the India+1 strategy to assist Nepal, challenging to navigate. Beijing seems to have perceived the ratification of the US’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact as a threat to its BRI aspirations of Beijing, taking MCC as an extension of the Indo-Pacific Strategy to contain China. Although there is considerable opposition against MCC in the CPN (Maoist Center), there is a growing acknowledgement of it being a strategic debate which needs further deliberation for Nepal’s strategic balance.

As India’ former Ambassador to Nepal, KV Rajan, has stated, “The real challenge for Nepal is to depoliticize cooperation with India”. Nepal faces the intricate task of navigating a sensitive geopolitical landscape, strategically balancing the interests of India, China, and the United States while advancing its goals. 

Kathmandu's impartial approach to China is crucial for fostering peace in the Himalayan region. By adeptly employing policy tools, Nepal can leverage MCC to bolster its economy and signal openness to China, especially in the context of BRI. Yet, the journey ahead is not without obstacles. Effectively managing Tibetan refugee concerns, maintaining political stability and active participation in global forums will be tests of Nepal's resilience and diplomatic finesse. Amidst unpredictable currents of political shifts and unexpected alliances, Nepal must steer its geopolitical course with care, considering the potential impact on the developmental aspirations supported by India and the US. In conclusion, Nepal's strategic acumen and adaptability will be vital in charting a course that aligns with its national interests while navigating the complexities of the global stage.

Basu is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, India and also serves as a Non-resident Fellow in International Development and Security Cooperation, the Philippines. He writes on Indian Foreign Policy and South Asian Politics

Acharya is a Research Assistant at the National University of Singapore under Dr Sahana Ghosh. She is also associated with Tillotama Foundation as a Senior Coordinator (South Asia)

A famous example of human-robot collaboration is Nike’s warehouse robots that provide its service in its fulfillment centers. One example is Locus bot. These robots can help to improve the warehouse productivity by freeing the worker cumbersome carts dramatically and reducing the waste of walking time. The robots will bring the items to human pickers so that  they can be packaged and labeled for dispatch. Locus comprises multiple products that use greater capacity and productivity for the warehouse. 

Locus multibot solutions deal with the design, construction, operation, and use of robots and computer systems for their control, information processings and sensory feedback. Locus intelligent clustering algorithm continuously reviews orders from the warehouse management system to maximize productivity and chooses order to optimize work density.

Locus directly uses the optimal pick container and dynamically calculates the smartest path through the warehouse and proceeds to the first pick where the associates meet the bot. The bot displays the pick information on an easy to read display in the associates preferred language. Then the associate will pick the item and scan it with the integrated system and place it in the appropriate bin. After the pick, the bot directs the associate to the next closest robot for more work while the robot moves to its next task, often with a different associate. The associate engaged with the multiple robots to complete more tasks faster. 

With locus, one can get true task interleaving which helps associates to be able to switch between picking and put away. Locus continuously evaluates the order pool associate proximity and even congestion resulting in shorter cycle times and greater productivity to better meet service-level agreements. There is no need to log in or slow down or carry other devices because the robots are shared resources that bring the work to the associates. One can use any combination of the container type including existing containers or shipping cartons. 

The bot charges automatically and can work round the clock and locus is flexible automation allowing it to easily scale seasonally. Locus adds innovatively industry leading reports and dashboards analytics which gives the team powerful actionable information that they need in the real time helping to drive continuous improvement. Locus robots are working to pick up a wide variety of products in warehouses around the world where clients see two to three times greater productivity and measurable return on investment in just a few months. 

Artificial Intelligence increases human robot interaction, collaboration opportunities, automates repetitive tasks, improves efficiency and productivity. AI helps robots mimic human behavior more closely which will further act and think more like people which can integrate better into the workforce and bring a level of efficiency unmatched by human employees. Repetitive task automation and automated chatbots will remain major milestones in the years to come. This will not only increase productivity and strengthen the economy, but will also diversify the revenue streams, improve employment and earning opportunities. 

The constitution of Nepal guarantees equitable participation of different communities in state mechanisms. Its preamble envisages an equitable society based on proportional, inclusive, and participatory values in order to combat prejudice, and to advance social justice, equality, and diversity.

The federal system of governance, pluralism, egalitarianism, rule of law, inclusivity, and good governance are the basic tenets of the 2015 constitution. The goal is to establish “sustainable peace, good governance, development, and prosperity through the federal democratic republican system of governance,” as stated in the final section of the preamble. 

The federal structure was adopted to ensure that the provinces, while remaining independent in their jurisdictions, combine themselves for the national purpose. The administrative powers are divided between the center and province; and both are supreme in their respective areas. In a federal democracy, there appears to be “effective innovation within the system both at the federal and state level” argues John Warhurst, professor of political science at Australian National University.

 In a paper presented at International Conference on Federalism, Devolution of Power and Inclusive Democracy in Nepal and Asia organized by Kathmandu University School of Law in Kathmandu on Nov 22-23, Prof Warhurst argues, “The federal system has survived wars, pandemics and natural disasters with mixed success. Its operations have evolved to meet new circumstances and the aspirations of different political leaders and political movements and parties.” 

He is of the view that the benefits of federalism could be seen in its flexibility to deal with regional differences, including economic and financial disparities and to respond to local cultural differences and varying needs. In Nepal’s case, Madhesh is considered as the flagbearer of federalism, as the people and the Madhes-based parties have been the most vocal advocates for the strengthening of the provincial system. 

The Madhesi community, one of the underprivileged groups, believed that federalism could be the best alternative to achieve self- rule at the province and shared rule at the center. The federal practices could be meaningful in many respects. It could help us to champion the regional or local expectations and aspirations. We should enact laws and policies in furtherance of the local demands and culture. The center should coordinate and cooperate with the provinces as our constitution has been modeled on the principle of cooperation, coexistence and coordination, as enunciated under Article 232. 

Federal features

Article 56 of the constitution envisages that the federation, provinces, and local governments are the political entities that exercise the sovereign power. The charter has empowered all the three tiers of the government to legislate in line with the matters enumerated under the Schedules. Our constitution provisions that the laws enacted within the jurisdiction of Federal List would prevail over the laws framed under concurrent or Provincial List. And, the laws of Concurrent List would prevail over the Provincial List. At this juncture, the constitutional mandates of India and Nepal stand on the same page.

The supremacy of the constitution is yet another essential element of federalism. Article 1 declares the charter as the fundamental law of the land which itself has a rationale that the constitution is supreme in the state. Laws that are inconsistent with the constitution shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void. The independence of judiciary and bicameralism further supplement the notion of federalism. In the federal system of governance, the power is divided between the national government and provincial governments. 

The federal system of the United States has not been fully adopted even in India because the American model may not have suited India. Further, India had followed a more or less Canadian system rather than the United States of America’s system of federation. In the United States, the residuary powers are reserved to the states by the constitution. While in India, the residuary powers are given to the center under Article 248 because India has followed here the Canadian system, vesting the residuary powers in the union. Much like India, the residual power rests with the federation in Nepal (Article 58, Constitution of Nepal).

Blame game

Some argue that federalism has become a costly affair. Some say corruption is at its zenith due to federal structure. In fact, none of the systems of governance could give you a magic stick to give solutions to every problem. A system of governance could work as a lamppost showing vivid paths. 

In Nepal’s case, there has been a trend of blaming the constitution to cover up all the mistakes committed by the political actors, and as a result of which, we are witnessing the seventh constitution in hand. As a matter of fact, no self-respecting nation should allow its fundamental law of the land to be used like a playing card at the behest of certain political actors. Our constitution guarantees the right to employment as a matter of fundamental rights, but the state has failed to stabilize and stop the outflow of migrant workers.

Remittances are the foundation of Nepal’s economy, constituting about one-third of the GDP, sustaining the national economy as well as adding to the household income. In contrast, right to education and healthcare are also acclaimed as the fundamental rights, but the government-aided educational institutions and hospitals have measurably and miserably failed to stand up to the peoples’ expectation. Resultantly, there appears to be privatization in the education and health sectors. Can we blame the constitution for all these problems?

Way forward

If every political party had their own interpretation of the constitution, in such a case, the premier book would be rendered meaningless. In Nepal’s case, the political leaderships had never adhered wholeheartedly to any constitution. The reason is that they always wanted to stick to the chair and milk money; and to that end, they used various players and shaped the constitution to suit their needs.

To tell you the truth, Nepali federalism has been designed on the basis of working of federalism in US, Canada, Australia, India, and others. Yet, it deviates from those federalism in many respects as it establishes its own distinctive features suiting its national interest. The center’s strong influence could favor centralizing tendencies but cannot subvert federal fabrics. Nepal’s constitution provides ample opportunities for the provincial and local governments to recognize and address the local concerns. As Prof Warhurst argues that federalism favors local and regional concerns, the legislation could be enacted by the provincial and local governments to address the regional and local needs and aspirations.

From ensuring federalism to rule of law, to good governance and inclusivity, the latest constitution has everything progressive for the people. The only thing we need is to implement the constitution in a true and material sense. After all, our federal democracy deserves to be nationally integrated, politically and economically coordinated and intellectually uplifted. And, for that to happen, this current constitution needs to be upheld.

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“Whenever Nepalis go out to eat at a restaurant, they go through the entire menu for 15 to 20 minutes and then order either momo or chowmein,” is a famous Nepali saying that encapsulates Nepalis’ dining out experience. This saying underlines the popularity of chowmein, standing proudly as the second most loved dish in Nepal. You can find the raw noodles, neatly packed in plastic bags, at the vegetable stalls in the bustling Kathmandu market, adding a touch of authenticity to the local food experience.

Beyond the common stir-fried noodles, Nepal offers a delightful twist to the chowmein saga with the renowned chowmein soup, known as thukpa. In the town of Dharan, situated in the east, thukpa is even a breakfast delight. It’s a hot and tangy noodle soup that helps you kickstart your day with a burst of energy.

The origin of chowmein in Nepal is a tale of cultural exchange and migration, where influences from Chinese, Tibetan, and Nepali culinary traditions come together. The term ‘chǎo-miàn,’ meaning ‘stir-fried noodles’ in Chinese, dates back to over 4000 years. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s, with the arrival of Tibetan refugees, that chowmein found its way into the hearts and taste buds of Nepalis.

The Tibetan diaspora not only brought momo and thukpa but also ignited a culture of street food and small eateries across Nepal. The infusion of Chinese sauces, including green chili, chili garlic, and hot garlic from Calcutta, added a local twist to the flavor palette. The culinary landscape of Nepal further evolved with the return of the Nepali diaspora from the United States and the Burmese Nepalis, who contributed their noodle variations to the mix.

Before chowmein took center stage, Nepal had a tradition of noodle soup influenced by Tibetan culinary practices. However, the 1980s saw the emergence of instant noodles and dried egg noodles, solidifying chowmein’s status as an integral part of Nepali street food culture.

The noodle narrative expands beyond Nepal’s borders, seamlessly blending into India’s culinary heritage. Northern India’s introduction to noodles, through ‘sevai’ or vermicelli, traces back to trade along the Silk Route with Persia and Arabia. Chowmein, with its humble beginnings and inspiration from Hakka-style stir-fried noodles, embodies resourcefulness and adaptability.

Today, chowmein stands as a symbol of cross-cultural fusion, reflecting Nepal’s history of migration, trade, and shared culinary legacies. From bustling cities to remote villages, the presence of chowmein on menus across the country symbolizes the integration of diverse flavors, celebrating the harmonious blending of traditions into a beloved culinary delight for both Nepalis and visitors.

Following are a few variations of the versatile chowmein:

The stir-fried edition

Variations such as chow mein, Shanghai fried style, and Singaporean style are essentially Chinese in nature. Stir-fried with an extra kick of spices is particularly popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Burma, featuring diverse styles like Ribbon noodles, Pad Thai, Khao Swe, and Yakisoba.

Keema noodles

This is the new hit in town. The ingredients are boiled noodles, bok choy, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili oil, spring onions, salt, minced meat (keema), and onions. First, let’s make the chili oil/sauce. In a bowl, combine chili flakes, crushed Sichuan pepper, and salt. Heat mustard oil, and then pour the hot oil into the chili flakes mixture.

Next, let’s prepare the minced meat. Heat oil in a pan and add onions, ginger, and chopped garlic. Once the onions are see-through, add minced meat and tomatoes. Stir-fry continuously until the meat changes color. Add spices, salt, and soy sauce. Mix everything well and cook until the water evaporates.

Now, boil water for the noodles. Add a little oil and salt to the boiling water. Boil Chinese egg noodles, and when they’re done, add bok choy. Finally, mix all the prepared items and serve.

Soup it up

Thukpa in Tibet and Nepal offers a spice-infused broth with meat and vegetables, flavored with Sichuan pepper.

China and Hong Kong present various dumplings, roast duck, and fish balls with egg noodles soup. Japan has miso, while Vietnam boasts pho.

Noteworthy mentions include the tom yum soup noodles from Thailand and curry laksa from Malaysia.

Noodles glazed with sauces

This style involves stir-frying noodles and finishing them with rich sauces, meats, vegetables, and fish.

Indo-Chinese versions like Hakka, garlic chili noodles, and Ma Yi Shang Shu (Ant Climbing a Tree) from China, along with curry udon from Japan, Mie Ayam from Indonesia, and kimchi from Korea showcase a diverse array of flavors.

Special ingredients and flavors vary by region, with Nepalis incorporating Sichuan peppers, Malaysians adding lemongrass, curry leaves, and lime leaves, and Vietnamese using cardamom, mint, and coriander.

Noodles with salad

The fundamental noodle remains constant, with variations in the type of noodles used and the serving temperature, whether hot or cold.

Examples include the refreshing ramen salad from Japan and the spicy Noodle Salad Yum Woon Sen from Thailand.

Noodles as stuffing or wrapping

Noodles find versatile uses, serving as stuffing in Vietnamese-style spring rolls or Japanese-style omelets. Notable Nepali mentions include the colorful and deep-fried homemade snack jhilinga, a staple at festivals, weddings, and special ceremonies. Additionally, the Indian subcontinent boasts sevai dessert, especially popular among Muslim communities, along with sev, a spicy savory snack, and the well-known Anglo snack, Bombay mix.

The story of Nepali chowmein is a captivating journey through time and culture, showcasing the resilience of Nepali culinary traditions in the face of evolving influences. From its modest beginnings to its current status as a culinary icon, chowmein is a testament to Nepal’s ability to embrace and transform its rich gastronomic heritage.

The author is a UK-based R&D chef