New constitution a milestone in Nepal's history: Indian home minister

भिडियो सहित हेर्नुहोस !

NEW DELHI, March 28: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has hailed Nepal's new constitution as a milestone in its history.

"The new constitution of Nepal has proved to be a milestone," the Indian home minister said while addressing a seminar on 'Nepal-India relation in the changed context and its current status', on Sunday in New Delhi.

Right after the promulgation of the new constitution, India had said that it had taken note of it instead of welcoming it.

At the two-day seminar jointly organized by the International Cooperation Council India, the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research and the Policy Investigation Council Nepal, Singh not only welcomed Nepal's new constitution as a milestone in Nepal's history but also said that India was ready to provide any kind of assistance to nurture democracy in Nepal.

"India has always extended its support to Nepal in its struggle for democracy. India is ready to work as per Nepal's expectations," he said.

Taking about the Terai-Madhes protests in Nepal, he said, "Madhesi people are Nepalis. There is no point in harbouring any misunderstandings over this issue."

He said he was worried about the situation in Nepal due to the halt in necessary supplies following the Terai-Madhes protests.

Stating that Nepali society is full of diversity, he also urged the Nepal side not to alienate any community from the mainstream.

"Nepal-India relation is not just constant but also unusual. Though Nepal and India are two different sovereign nations, we are so close and similar to each other and that sometimes the peoples of these countries even feel like there are not two different countries," he said.

"Nepal and India have cultural, social, religious and geographical relations. But as like among members of a family, misunderstandings and problems surface between the two countries sometimes," he said.

He said that India is worried if there is any problem in Nepal and same thing happens to Nepal if India is in any kind of problem. "It is all because of the close relation of the two neighboring countries," he added.

With reference to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's visit to China, Singh said that he has not taken the visit otherwise for it is natural for Nepal as a sovereign nation to maintain relations with other countries. "There is a flurry of speculation that Nepal has become close to China. But I do not think so. As a sovereign nation, it is necessary for Nepal to maintain good relations with any country in the world."

Singh said that India is ready for the regulation of movements across the Nepal-India border if Nepal so wishes. "It will benefit both countries," he added.

Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had praised the Gorkha regiments in the Indian army during his visit to Nepal, Singh also praised these regiments. "Gorkha regiments protecting Indian borders are the bravest regiments. They have protected India as their own."

Singh also responded to queries raised by participants in the seminar, which kicked off from Saturday. The seminar was organized to ease the soured relations between Nepal and India following promulgation of the new constitution in Nepal.

As many as 35 representatives from various sector in Nepal had participated in the seminar. Nepal's ambassador to India Dip Kumar Upadhyay, Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Ray and the former ambassadors of both countries participated in the two-day seminar.