The week that was

This week, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba made an official visit to India at the invitation of Indian Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar. While her discussions with Jaishankar focused on bilateral issues, her meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi garnered the most attention. It is rare for Nepali foreign ministers to meet Modi during their visits to New Delhi, and those who do often gain significant political traction back home.

In Nepal, Rana’s meeting with Modi has sparked various interpretations. Some view it as a sign of the high priority India places on its relationship with Nepal. Others suggest that recent developments in Bangladesh may have prompted New Delhi to engage more closely with its neighbors. CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal quickly added to the speculation, claiming that Rana’s meeting with Modi might have unsettled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Dahal hinted that India’s treatment of Rana as an equal to the prime minister might have been a calculated move, especially as Oli awaits an invitation to visit New Delhi. 

There is now speculation about a potential visit by Modi to Nepal, which would reverse the traditional pattern of Nepali prime ministers visiting India first. People are curious whether India has formally invited Oli to India.

Another important news this week concerned the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). It has been a year since MCC came into effect in Nepal. This week, the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-Nepal) shared an update on the progress made over the past year. MCA-Nepal announced that it has completed the procurement for some contracts and made significant strides in preparing sites for contractors. However, doubts remain about whether the two MCC projects—a transmission line and a road upgrade—will be completed within the five-year timeline, given that four years now remain. Although political opposition to the MCC has waned, frequent changes in government and bureaucratic reshuffling continue to pose challenges. The successful implementation of the MCC is a priority for the US, particularly given opposition from communist parties and China.

 

Talking about the growing American interest in Nepal, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R Verma visited Nepal this week. During his visit, he met with top political leaders and made significant announcements, including US support for the Nepali Army. Foreign Minister Rana, via a post on X, announced that the US would provide Nepal with two Skytrucks and two additional Bell helicopters to support disaster management efforts.

There was also a welcoming development for young content creators and small business owners this week, as the government made an announcement to lift the ban on TikTok, which was imposed a year ago. Following directives from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Ministry of Communications has begun preparations for the ban’s removal. Last year, the government, led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, banned TikTok citing concerns about social cohesion. After the ban, TikTok representatives lobbied intensively, promising to remove objectionable content. They argued that the government banned the app without providing any specific reasons, noting that Nepal is one of TikTok’s largest markets in South Asia. At the time, the ban had broad political support despite concerns about free speech.

Now onto the ongoing internal conflict inside CPN (Maoist Center). It appears that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Janardhan Sharma have reconciled following a tense exchange at the party meeting. Sharma is the first leader since Mohan Baidya and Baburam Bhattarai (2006-2015) to openly challenge Dahal’s leadership. He made two strong points: Dahal should pass the party leadership to younger leaders, and Dahal used state agencies to punish Sharma and others when in power. Currently, three leaders—Sharma, Barsha Man Pun, and Narayan Kaji Shrestha—are vying to succeed Dahal as party chair. However, Dahal is reluctant to relinquish power and is instead working to strengthen the party by forming alliances with fringe Maoist factions and the CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal. Dahal is reportedly trying to convince Nepal to support party unification by offering him the position of prime minister.

This week, the federal parliament passed a bill to amend some controversial clauses in the transitional justice Act. While major political parties support the bill, some human rights organizations and conflict victims have criticized it, arguing that it does not meet international standards. This opposition could undermine the effectiveness of the two transitional justice bodies, as has happened in the past. On a positive note, most major countries, except India, have welcomed the passage of the bill, which will be crucial for the success of transitional justice mechanisms. Attention is now focused on upcoming appointments to the transitional justice bodies.

Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Bidya Bhattarai revealed this week that officials at the Tribhuvan University (TU) have been receiving threats. In a social media post, she requested that the Ministry of Home Affairs provide security for the officials and address the growing problem of hooliganism in educational institutions. She emphasized that turning educational institutions into arenas for political conflict is a troubling trend that political parties must take seriously.

In another story this week, the Ministry of Health and Population raised concerns about the risk of monkeypox infection, which is spreading rapidly in Asia. Ministry Spokesperson Dr Prakash Budhathoki warned that with the infection spreading in neighboring India, Nepal is also vulnerable. It’s worth noting that a 60-year-old foreign woman was diagnosed with the virus in Nepal last year.

Also this week, the news about the devastating flood caused by a glacial lake outburst at a village in the Everest region raised alarms, particularly among climate scientists and environmentalists. Although no casualties were reported in the incident, the scale of the flood was huge. The flood, which tore through the village of Thame, underscores the growing risk posed by glacial lake outbursts in Nepal. According to a 2020 study by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), there are around 2,070 glacial lakes in Nepal, many of which are at risk of bursting. Government authorities need to address this issue urgently.

That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend!