KATHMANDU: India has made it clear that she has no hegemonist designs over Nepal. Addressing a reception organized by the Nepal India friendship association here on Monday, Indian ambassador to Nepal Lt General S. K Sinha said the fear that India wanted to establish hegemony over Nepal on the plea of security was completely baseless.
“There is total equality and complete reciprocity in the security clauses of the Delhi agreement. Neither side is required to do more than what the other has to do. All that has been agreed to is that neither side will allow any activity which would prejudice the security of the other,” he said.
The Indian Ambassador said the two countries would have mutual consultations, in pursuance of the Delhi agreement, while engaging in defense co-operation with a third country that may pose a threat to either country.
He said there was a demand for restoration of status quo ante, but Bhattarai had been able to achieve was not only status quo ante, but status quo plus. “This, he said “is reflected in three important areas. Status quo ante demanded exemption of basic customs duty for goods with 80 percent or more of Indo Nepalese content. In October 1988, Nepal had asked for this to be reduced to 70 percent. The recent Delhi agreement has reduced this to 65 percent.” It is interesting to remember that identical claims were made a few years prior to the annexation of Sikhism a tiny kingdom to the east of Nepal in the late 1970s.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 22, 1990
