Dev Gurung Claims Foreign Policy Prioritizes Third Countries, Worsening Border Issues

Kathmandu. Nepali Communist Party (NCP) leader Dev Gurung has claimed that the current government's foreign policy is increasingly focused on pleasing third countries rather than prioritizing neighbors, which has exacerbated problems like Lipulekh. Speaking at a program organized in the capital on Monday, he argued that the government's leaning towards the West has angered neighboring countries, impacting national border issues. Gurung mentioned that issues like the US-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the State Partnership Program (SPP), and various military alliances have made both India and China suspicious. 'When military alliances are made with powers across the seven seas for power and the chair, not only Lipulekh-Kalapani, but the very existence of the country is endangered,' he said. He stated that although India claims the Lipulekh region, it lacks historical proof, and China is also aware that the land belongs to Nepal. He added that with India currently in crisis and China not wanting to fight with its neighbors, this is a golden opportunity to resolve the issue through diplomatic talks. In another context, Gurung termed the government's demolition of informal settlements in Kathmandu as inhumane and illegal. He argued that the government's treatment of the landless, while citing law and constitution, mocks the rule of law. He also pointed out that the amendment of nearly 40 laws through ordinances, despite having a two-thirds majority in parliament, raises questions about the parliament's relevance. At the same program, Progressive Democratic Party (Pralopa) youth leader Manarishi Dhital also emphasized that Nepalis should unite at a time when all neighbors are angered by India's hegemonic tendencies. He expressed the view that pressure should be applied to remove the Indian army from Nepali territory and resolve the Lipulekh issue, along with demanding compensation. Dhital also accused the current government of being inactive on issues of national sovereignty and tyrannical towards the landless.