Rethinking the ‘India First’ Tradition

Barring the exceptions, Nepali prime ministers (PMs), soon after assuming office, make their first official visit to India. The PMs of successive governments formed after the 1990 Popular Movement have consistently followed this practice, as if it were an unwritten convention of Nepal’s foreign policy. Despite Nepal’s deep-rooted ties with India anchored in language, religion, geography and trade, this tradition is increasingly prompting a fundamental question: how long should this continue?