The great game in the Himalaya

Kathmandu must tread strategically in devising its foreign policy to maximise its interests.

The Himalaya are known for their unmatched beauty and natural splendour. They are also impenetrable buffers that geographically separate the Tibetan plateau from the Indian subcontinent. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, once remarked that the Himalaya stood as a natural border for India against China. Nehru’s observation in the Indian parliament sparked controversy in Nepal. Nepali leaders quickly admonished his comments as akin to undermining Nepal’s sovereignty. In his attempt to subdue India’s fear about the development of the Araniko Highway with Chinese assistance, King Mahendra later remarked that communism wasn’t about to arrive in a taxi.