Round The World
New
Delhi, 7 February 2019
Trump’s
Gaffe
NEPAL,
BHUTAN PART OF INDIA!
By Dr.
D.K. Giri
(Prof.
International Politics, JMI)
The US
President Donald Trump’s apparently preposterous perspective that Nepal and
Bhutan are parts of India is laughable, politically outrageous and a clear
diplomatic faux pas. It will disappoint the Indians, Nepalese and Bhutanese, as
India will soon be misconstrued as being a big brother and the two countries
would feel belittled and besmirched as independent and sovereign nations.
Since the
statement is serious to upset many politicians and observers, and
diplomatically a dangerous trend, but it has come from the head of the “most
powerful country” in the world, it is worth engaging with it. I wish to do so
in order to decipher it in all its nuances and the thinking behind it, however,
flippant it may be.
Understandably,
there are two interpretations of Trump’s statements, ‘goof-ups’ as his critics
call it, as well as of his personality. One, that his supporters advance, i.e. he
is not a run-of-the-mill politician and he has original and authentic ideas, unconventional
they may be. He is consistent with his views, unpalatable and radical they may
be, to the conservative media used to so-called diplomatic niceties and
political correctness. I, somehow, have some sympathy for this viewpoint, as I
was shown by a Trump supporter a video of his interview by the famous talk-show
host Oprah Winfrey way back in 1988. And I was startled to see and hear Trump’s
views on American politics, some of which he has held till today. So obviously,
there is consistency.
Interestingly,
Trump is addressing a particular segment of American electorate, which voted
him to victory. Just before the elections, I was talking to an American friend
who vehemently and embarrassingly argued that Trump could never win as he was
an arriviste in American politics. But lo and behold, to the shocked surprise
of many political pundits, he won! I had said to my friend, he might win, as he
was coming up with fresh and audacious ideas for Americans, one may disagree
with. But that is another matter.
The second
interpretation is critical, certainly not charitable. That is, Trump is
mentally unsound, he was almost forced by his critics to undergo a brain test.
He displays ‘stubborn disregard’ and ‘wilful ignorance’ when his own assessment
and beliefs are contradicted. He is impetuous, unpredictable and uncanny in his
utterances and behaviour. To be fair and impartial, a great many politicians across
the world are known for their gaffes, slips-of-tongue, and dumb quotes.
American
journalist and satirist Daniel Kurzman has compiled funny quotes of Americans
in two of his books. Remember, when Trump made that snide remark, mocking Modi,
on the library building India built in Afghanistan, his supporters said he was
perhaps confusing the library with the parliament building etc.
Having
gone through Trump’s supporters’ and critics’ characterisation of him and
interpretations of his ‘clangers’, let us examine the thinking behind this
statement. Let me hasten to add that, we are, not for a second, endorsing what
he said. But could it have sprung from the belief that Nepal and Bhutan are the
closest neighbours India has?
These are the
only two countries where Indians do not need visa to enter. Nepal and India are
one and the same in social and cultural spheres; even politically both reflect
each other. There are millions of Nepalese working in India, owning property
and business and vice-e-versa. Many Nepalese say they have roti (bread) and beti
(daughter) relations with India, which means livelihood connection and giving
away daughters in marriage, a civilisational connection. From the people’s names,
both Indians and Nepalese, one could not distinguish one from the other, even
in ethnic features, as both ethnicities in Nepal have similarities and sameness
in India, in North and North-east of India.
Although,
not having socio-cultural similarities, Bhutan is close to India in its politics
and external relations. Indians have easy visa-free access to Bhutan and Indian
money is usable there. Much of Bhutan’s development work is done by India. Narendra
Modi made Thimpu his first foreign
destination since he took over as Prime Minister, which more than shows our
closeness to the country and importance we attach to it. In this column, we
have shown the depth and breadth of India-Bhutan and India-Nepal relations. Of
course, we did not need Trump to show us that with a controversial and
unacceptable statement. But, it shows how the world leader thinks that
India-Nepal and India-Bhutan relations are too close to see them separately.
The
closeness between India-Nepal and India-Bhutan is what may have prompted Trump
to make this puerile pronouncement. I would like to believe so without
apportioning any motive. And our concern should be-- shall we not maintain this
proximity between these two countries? Worryingly, both countries are drifting
a bit, mainly at the behest of China, which is calculatedly poaching on our
neighbours.
Of late,
China has been wooing Bhutan with its ‘soft’ power, by encouraging tourists to
visit the Himalayan Kingdom, by offering scholarships to students to study in
China. Even the Chinese diplomats from Delhi are making frequent dash to
Thimphu to meet politicians before their next general elections. China’s Foreign
Vice-Minister Kong Xuanyou made a rare trip to Bhutan in July 2018. Bejiing has
deep pockets, and Chinese tourists bring in substantial money. The young Bhutanese
generation is open to new opportunities and luxuries. The unemployment rate at
about 10 per cent also worries Bhutanese youth students. China’s offer thus
appears tempting for them.
Likewise,
Nepal has been ladled out funds by Beijing for its various projects. Another
close neighbour, with its own economic problems and development challenges, has
been eyeing the surplus money in China. The former Nepalese ambassador to India,
while swearing by India-Nepal friendship, confessed in a seminar in Delhi that
Nepal is reaching up to China to tap into its surplus money.
No doubt,
China’s interference in both countries is a matter of grave concern for New
Delhi. Nepal and Bhutan are two buffer States wedged between India and China. In
fact, the geo-strategic importance of Nepal grew dramatically since 1950, when
Beijing’s annexation of Tibet brought China right up to India’s poorly-demarcated
Himalayan border, causing a dispute that led to a war in 1962, and continues to
vex the bilateral relation even today.
Nepal’s
unstable democratic politics makes things a bit more difficult to negotiate.
Ironically, the relations were smoother when Nepal was under the king. But,
that is history, and India, as a champion of democracy must learn to deal
better with Nepal’s growing democracy and its custodians.
Likewise,
Bhutan with 800,000 people should be easier for New Delhi to handle. It is quite
important to India with its huge hydro-power potential that provides India with
cheaper electricity. Bhutan has no diplomatic link with China. New Delhi will
have to make a serious mistake to push Bhutan into ‘Chinese sphere of
influence’. But Kathmandu’s inching towards Beijing is obvious. It has already
signed the Belt and Road Initiative of China, and has many other agreements.
New Delhi
will have to play a defter diplomacy to dissuade Nepal and Bhutan to drift into
Chinese side. Many of India’s neighbours may do the same; play China off against
India to their interest. But is New Delhi not doing the same with the US and
China? This policy of either non-alignment or having best of both worlds may
not work, at least with a leader like Trump, who makes no room for
double-crossing. He has pulled up Pakistan for doing so. New Delhi should play
its cards as per principles and its political values along with its national
interest. Others in the region then will surely follow suit.---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
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