Rahul Barua is the Secretary General of the South Asia Foundation. He holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now IIT-BHU), and currently serves as a Visiting Faculty at Malaviya Peace Research Centre, Banaras Hindu University. In 1997, he established the first-ever crafts development center in Sikkim, introducing microcredit and self-help groups in the region.
He also developed a potter’s village on the outskirts of New Delhi, named Kumhargram. Additionally, he founded the South Asia Centre for Peace Research and Sustainable Development in collaboration with Lumbini Buddhist University. Baruwa has played a significant role in peace-building efforts in Nepal, facilitating meetings between Nepali and Indian political parties. He worked alongside prominent figures such as Sitaram Yechury and Dr DP Tripathi as well as Nepali leaders like Pradeep Giri, Girija Prasad Koirala, Krishna Prasad Mahara, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, among others. ApEx talked to him on wide-range of issues related to Nepal-India relations. Excerpts:
What is the South Asia Foundation? Please tell us about its activities.
The South Asia Foundation is a Nepal-registered organization. In collaboration with the Lumbini Buddhist University, we established the South Asia Centre for Peace Research and Sustainable Development. A few years ago, around 5,000 people visited the Maya Devi Temple — a sacred site for followers of Buddha’s teachings — daily. Today, the number has risen to 7,000, with an additional 15,000 visiting Lumbini. Gautam Buddha is not just a figure for Nepal or India, he is a South Asian face for global peace and humanity. His teachings — tolerance, peaceful co-existence, compassion and moving away from materialism — are more relevant than ever in today’s conflict-ridden world.
This center was conceptualized years ago, and it is very encouraging that Lumbini Buddhist University has provided it with land and necessary infrastructure. The center not only disseminates knowledge about Buddha but also offers academic diploma courses designed in collaboration with the university. Many top universities of India and South Asian, along with experts, academicians and retired government officials are eager to engage with the center to share their knowledge and expertise with students.
We aim to facilitate Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Lumbini Buddhist University and other universities all over the world. We are in negotiations with the best universities of the South Asian countries. Best minds have come forward and we are collaborating in multiple forms. Several MoUs have already been signed.
What are the other areas that the Foundation and the Center are working on?
We are working on several bilateral issues such as water sharing and border management among others. In 2017, former Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, highlighted how Nepali living in India are contributing significantly to the Indian economy. Gone are the days when Nepalis were limited to roles like security guards or menial jobs. Today, they are entrepreneurs running restaurants, manpower agencies and online service providers.
One area of focus is Nepal’s potential to supply dairy products, especially ghee, to South Asia. Milk production is falling in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, as well as in the Nepal-India border regions. Nepal can fill this gap by supplying dairy products not only to India but also to other South Asian countries. There should be duty-free agreement on these items between Nepal and India. The Foundation operates without foreign funding, relying entirely on internal resources. We are training Nepali women to become entrepreneurs and have partnered with India’s dairy giant Amul to make the dairy sector organized. There are many areas where we can work together.
Can you please tell us about the light and sound program being launched in Lumbini?
We have signed a MoU for this project and are raising funds locally. Several banks have agreed to support us, though they have their own terms and conditions as per the law and banking regulations. This light and sound program is the first of this kind in Nepal and one of the few in the world dedicated to narrating the story of Lord Buddha. Our goal is to spread the message of peace, compassion and Buddha’s teachings which are relevant even today. We are doing a lot of work on DPR and research from our own funds. We are receiving technical assistance from a British company. The idea for this light and sound program was proposed to me by Sujeet Shakya of Kathmandu Guest House.
Last week, you organized an important seminar in New Delhi. What were the key outcomes?
The seminar was organized to facilitate knowledge-sharing between Lumbini Buddhist University and other universities in India. Renowned professors, academics and historians participated in the seminar and shared their insights. They also pledged to support our initiatives.
Five universities and two institutions have agreed to collaborate with the Lumbini Buddhist University and the Center on joint research, student and faculty exchange programs, seminars, conferences and academic partnerships. We also held sideline meetings with Nepali political leaders and other stakeholders.
Many more universities have expressed interest in supporting Lumbini Buddhist University. During the seminar, Nepali delegates also engaged with Indian leaders and diplomats, discussing Nepal’s ongoing development and its emergence as a dynamic nation. Over the past two decades, not only has India undergone rapid changes, but Nepal has also transformed significantly. These changes need to be acknowledged, understood and embraced.
How do you assess the current state of Nepal-India relations?
Nepal and India are both sovereign countries and must mutually respect each other. Both sides share the responsibility to strengthen this relationship. The two countries are equals, each holding their own vote in the United Nations and other multilateral organizations. There is no thing as a ‘big’ or ‘small’ country. Mutual respect is essential to foster a healthy relationship. India’s prosperity should benefit Nepal as well, and vice versa.
What are your suggestions for future prospects?
There has been significant progress in energy cooperation, which is a positive step. However, we should expand student exchange programs on a large-scale, moving beyond limited scholarship schemes. Other potential areas of collaboration include agriculture and dairy productions. India should encourage joint projects in Nepal to further deepen bilateral ties.
How do you view the growing Chinese influence in Kathmandu?
I do not consider Chinese influence as a dominant factor in Nepal-India relations. China has its own aspirations of becoming a geopolitical leader, but what often gets overlooked is the unique and special relationship between Nepal and India rooted in shared social, historical and cultural ties and linguistic similarities.
