India and Nepal: A Changing Relationship Book

No two countries in the world are as closely placed, geographically, culturally, historically, economically and strategically, as India and Nepal. It is, therefore, almost natural for them to have extremely intimate and extensive relationship with each other. The tone, temper and thrust of this relationship has been changing according to the changing contexts of regional and international politics, rising economic and nationalistic aspirations of the peoples of the two countries and the dynamics of internal political pressures within their respective systems. The book focusses attention on the changing nature of India-Nepal relations with regard to their critical areas of interests. After clinically analysing the linkages between the domestic political imperatives of each country and their bilateral relations, the study goes into the details of the erosion of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950 which constitutes the foundation of their relations for the past forty years. The significance of Nepal's 'zone of peace' proposal enunciated by King Birendra in 1975, on the India-Nepal politico-strategic interaction has also been discussed. The other areas of Indo-Nepal relations covered in the book include trade and Indian participation in Nepal's development projects. The study concludes with a survey of the historic change in Nepal from the King-dominated Panchayat systems to multiparty democracy under constitutional monarchy. The author finds prospects of Indo-Nepal cooperation promising as a result of recent changes within Nepal and also at the global and regional levels.