Baburam Bhattarai’s tilted bridge

How Nepal might see relations with India

This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.

During an interaction in March this year, Baburam Bhattarai, now prime minister of Nepal, made some points that should interest observers of international relations.

(These were made before he became prime minister and might indicate his personal thoughts and inclinations.)

Nepal sees itself as being located in between South Asia and East Asia. It is now engaged in a democratic restructuring of social, cultural and international relations.
Nepal wishes to become a bridge between India and China. For reasons of history, culture and geography this bridge will be a “tilted bridge”, inclined towards South Asia. That said, Nepal seeks an “objective and balanced relationship” with its neighbours and is not “courting” one or the other.

(He also made two points which I interpret as being designed to coerce India into getting over its reluctance to support a Maoist-led government)

While Maoists will not be able to take over Nepal given the internal balance, a “people’s revolt” cannot be ruled out of the constitutional processes remain suspended, and if the Maoists are denied the share of power that they won at the elections.
If the political process breaks down, a relapse of armed conflict could make Nepal like another Afghanistan, which would draw in regional and international powers.

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