The Indian that Nepal loved back

You would be forgiven thinking this was Kashi, you would even be forgiven thinking this was in the heat of the summer elections just concluded in India. It could have been a scene from literally anywhere in India. The scene witnessed in Kathmandu was simply jaw dropping & the man responsible was none other than the Indian Prime Minister. Such is the dynamism & charisma he exudes, Modi received in Nepal what even Nepalese politicians don’t…pure adulation from a section of the crowd seen chanting, “Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi”!!

 

 

As Nepal woke up to an inspiring speech he made yesterday, the chatter around town seems to have awoken to the man who uniquely combines culture & history in putting his point across. Political parties, from the extreme right to the extreme left, all have hailed this historic visit & are trying to cash on the political goodwill it has created.

 

 

Social media has been abuzz with almost all Nepali posters praising the Indian Prime Minister. Television analysts seem to have overcome traditional cynicism & are talking about the Modi phenomenon. Calls are pouring on radio & people are seen talking on street corners with gushes of … “Yesto po neta” – this is what a leader should be.

 

 

Day two & the final day of his visit has been a mundane affair, a far cry from what was witnessed yesterday. The day started with PM Modi visiting the Pashupatinath temple & offering a Rudraabishek. Modi spent about an hour inside the temple, sanctioned a grant of Rupees 25 crores for the preservation of this 5^th century temple, renovation of the old age home inside temple premises & cleaning of Bagmati River. As the PM was leaving the temple, the waiting crowds barricaded by the police some distance away, threw rose petals in the air amid shouts of Hindu Hridaya Samrat ki Jay!!!

 

Later, the PM paid a courtesy call to President Ram Baran Yadav, who hosted a luncheon in his honor. He spent the afternoon meeting leaders of various political parties separately at his hotel. A host of issues, from streamlining border issues, atrocities committed by the Indian Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB), concessions on trade & tariffs, to double taxation etc were discussed.

 

 

A delegation of industrialists met Modi for about 20 minutes and with that, the official visit of the Indian Prime Minister concluded formally. Prime Minister Modi flew back to India at about 5:00 PM local time.

This visit has given fillip to the age old Indo-Nepal relationship & the vision unleashed by the Prime Minister has given hope to Nepal for a sustainable growth especially in critical areas such as Water resources, Hydro capabilities & linking of rivers through his H-I-T catchphrase. A host of bilateral agreements were signed & India expressed commitment in revising old treaties, taking Nepal’s interests and objections into account.

The visit also underscored the political willingness of Modi to tackle vexing foreign affair issues and a leader with gumption to rectify years of archaic Nehruvian dogma which has crippled India for over 65 years since independence. That Modi is a leader par excellence is no longer a question mark- he deftly managed to incorporate Nepali concerns & sensibilities, in polity, while managing to regain India’s eroded soft power capabilities lost during UPA reign.

Mr. Prime Minister, you make us proud!! As the visit comes to a close, with apologies to Julius Caesar, let me paraphrase what he said eons ago. You came, you spoke & you conquered- the hearts of common Nepalis- Bravo!!

Author: Ekta Patro