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There has long been a tradition of unrestricted cross-border migrations. Nepal has a population of 29 million people and covers an area of 147,181 square kilometres. It shares a border with five Indian states— West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh – in the south and the Tibetan autonomous territory of the People’s Republic of China in the north. The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship is the cornerstone of the special relationship between the two countries. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is also a member of both countries (SAARC). As of June 2020, Indian-Nepali relations have deteriorated due to the long Kalapani problem. Kalapani is a slight stretch of land on the India-Nepal border, adjacent to the India-China border’s Lipulekh Pass, one of the allowed places for trade relations and the route for Tibet’s Kailash-Mansarovar yatra. Since independence, the issue has been a sore point in Indo-Nepal diplomatic ties.
Why PM Modi’s visit to Nepal is strategically important
In terms of development, the Prime Minister of India and Nepal have launched the 900-megawatt Arun III program and agreed on a timeframe for finishing critical projects, such as developing a railway line between Kathmandu and Raxaul. The Arun III is the first of five large hydropower projects to start development, two of which are sponsored by Chinese corporations. The two prime ministers also announced the inauguration of a bus service connecting Janakpur, the holy birthplace of goddess Sita, and Ayodhya, the birthplace of god Ram, completing the so-called Ramayana circle.
There is sincerity and determination on the part of the Indian party to build this diverse collaboration, Prime Minister Oli remarked. “Nepal seeks to form a cooperation with India to take advantage of the potential presented by our growth in the economy and the rise of the Indian economy,” he said. “Both prime ministers gave orders that we must be focused on delivering development projects and support as quickly as possible,” he said.
Both emphasised the value of connectivity as a catalyst for economic growth and migration; the importance of taking initiatives to improve physical and economic connectivity by land, water and air; and the importance of promoting civil aviation cooperation, including more air entry connections to Nepal;
It was decided to increase cooperation in water supplies such as river training, inundation, flood management, and irrigation and speed up the implementation of current bilateral projects.
Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty
Nepalese citizens have had unrivalled advantages in India due to this treaty’s stipulations, with equal access to amenities and opportunities as Indian residents. Nepal was capable of overcoming the difficulties of being a landlocked country due to this treaty. Many Nepalese regimes have called for the pact to be revised throughout time. India has stated that it is open to reviewing all bilateral agreements to deepen ties. The Nepalese side hasn’t presented any specific ideas yet. In November 2005, the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists struck a 12-point understanding in Delhi.
The Government of India has continuously responded with an urgency to the needs of the people and govt of Nepal in ensuring the success of the peace process and institutionalisation of multi-party democracy through the framing of the new Constitution of Nepal, as laid out by the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement of November 2006, towards political stabilisation in Nepal via peaceful reconciliation and inclusive democratic processes.
Cooperation in Water Resources
One of the most critical points of bilateral relations is cooperation on water resources, particularly related to common rivers. Many minor and major rivers flow from Nepal to India, forming an essential component of the Ganges river basins. These waterways can provide Nepal and India with significant irrigation and power. A three-tier bilateral system developed in 2008 to discuss water resources cooperation, flood management, hydropower and inundation between the two countries has been successfully established.
Education
One of the primary components of bilateral cooperation has been India’s support for developing Nepal’s human resources over the years. Every year, the Government of India awards roughly 3000 scholarships/seats to Nepalese people for various PhD, Bachelors, Masters and–two programmes in India and Nepal. These scholarships cover medicine, fine arts, engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, computer application, veterinary sciences, music, business administration, etc.
Conclusion
In the above chapter, we have read about and discussed the importance of Modi’s visit to Nepal. The Modi visit to Nepal has been crucial to internal security, education, military relations etc. Refining oil has been imported in a vast quantity, providing economic assistance to Nepal. This year PM Modi has made three visits to Nepal. Each visit was different in terms of both atmosphere and results. This is due to the political context in which it occurred, which reflected Nepal’s evolving domestic political shift from a central monarchy system to a federal republic and the complicated nature of the Indian-Nepal relations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland on September 23, 2015. It was the second time an Indian Prime Minister had visited Ireland. The first being Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit in 1956. Ireland is an island nation located in Northwestern Europe and surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, had hosted PM Modi during his visit. The PM was attended by other dignitaries such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, and Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Feilim McLaughlin. The main aim of the visit was to create stronger ties and improve trade and cultural relations. Described below is the impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Impact on trade and commerce
India and Ireland have strong bilateral trade and business relations. Before the PM’s visit, trades with Ireland were valued at €650 million in business in 2014. This included exports worth €248m and imports worth €402 million.
The indigenous exports increased from €32 million in 2012 to €55 million in 2014. In 2019, the total bilateral trade was around €1.2 billion. The exports and the imports have also increased to €636 million and €480 million respectively. Currently, the total trade between India and Ireland is valued at €4.2 billion. This resulted from improved bilateral ties between the two nations, owing to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland.
Indian Companies in Ireland
Many Indian companies carry out trade and commerce in Ireland. They provide services to Irish markets and consumers across various industries. Pharmaceutical giants such as Reliance Genemedix and Amneal Pharmaceuticals operate in Ireland. Major IT companies such as Wipro, Infosys, TCS, and HCL also have a strong presence in the country. The trade relations were bolstered after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland.
Other companies like Crompton Greaves, Deepak Fasteners, Jain irrigation systems, and Shapoorji Pallonji provide consumer goods and services. Likewise, many Irish companies conduct their business in the Indian market. These companies include pharmaceutical and nutrition players like ICON and Glanbia, IT firms like Globoforce and other companies like Keventer, CRH Taxback Group, and Connolly Red Mills.
Impact on Education
Ireland has been a coveted destination for higher education for Indian students. Over 5000 Indian students have enrolled for higher studies in various institutions in Ireland. The students are admitted to engineering, technology, medicine and management colleges. More than 30 research agreements have been signed between the two nations that allow institutes in both countries to collaborate.
Many reputed institutes like Trinity College, Dublin, and Thapar University, Patiala, have signed MOUs for engineering and science disciplines programmes. Thus, Ireland is an essential collaborator in graduate and doctoral research. This collaboration is also considered an impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Indian Community in Ireland
Ireland is diplomatically significant for India also due to the large number of Indian citizens residing there. The Indian origin population is approximately 45,000 people, of whom 18,500 are Non-Resident Indians (NRI), and others are Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The majority of the residents are working professionals employed in engineering, healthcare and management positions.
It has helped in establishing many policies for the Indian origin population. Two such policies in practice are wearing hijab as a part of the police uniform and the non-requirement of obtaining an additional work permit for the spouse or the partner of Critical Skill Employment Permit holders.
Cultural Impact
As a result of a large population of Indian origin citizens in Ireland and the relationship between the two nations, Ireland promotes Indian culture in various forms. One such example is the celebration of Diwali in Ireland since 2008. The event is organised every year in collaboration with Irish and Indian committees.
Further, an annual contemporary film festival is also a part of the celebration of Indian culture. The promotion of such events indicates the importance of cultural exchange between the two nations. The Irish communities also take a keen interest in conventional practices such as cultivating and consuming Indian herbs and spices. This connects the agricultural practices between the two nations. The cultural ties between the countries were strong, and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped strengthen them further.
Another significant practice is the celebration of International Yoga Day in Ireland. The Irish communities have accepted Yoga as a form of a healthy lifestyle. The practice is similar to the Indian tradition.
Tourism
India attracts around 44,000 Irish tourists every year. Indian tourists too visit Ireland in similar numbers. This was facilitated by the introduction of the common British-Irish visa scheme. This scheme allows the tourists to visit the U.K. and Ireland under one visa, rather than applying for two separate visas. It is valid for short stays. India also extended its Electronic Tourist Visa facility to Ireland to digitally facilitate visa approval and generation. The impact of the PM’s Ireland visit was such that it has also helped establish the tourism sector in both countries.
Conclusion
The diplomatic ties between Ireland and India have been impacted positively after Prime Minister Modi visited Ireland in 2015. It was an essential step toward strengthening the bilateral relationship between these two nations. India and Ireland have been important to each other since the 1900s.
In 2010 and 2017, two honorary consulates were established in Chennai and Kolkata. Later in 2019, a formal and fully functional consulate general in Mumbai. Ireland and India have also shown their allegiance to fighting terrorism after the Pulwama attack. India has also hosted several Irish dignitaries on various occasions. These visits were directed toward engagement in business, education, health and tourism.
Further, many agreements were signed to provide opportunities for employment to people of both countries. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped revive relatively stagnant relations between these two nations. Several cultural and historically similar instances bind these two nations. From Yeats and Tagore to cricket and Diwali, the cultural semblance between these two nations has helped create a strong tie between them.
