Foreign Policy Expert Indra Adhikari Discusses Nepal's Geopolitical Sensitivity

Kathmandu. Foreign affairs and security expert Indra Adhikari has stated that rulers have been aware of the sensitive geographical location of Nepal since historical times in the conduct of Nepal's foreign diplomacy.

Although Nepal's sovereignty has been protected by leadership across various political systems, she analyzes that in some diplomatic practices, an 'inferiority complex' is reflected.

According to Adhikari, although Nepal maintains its sovereignty legally (de jure), it has been found to present itself practically (de facto) as weak or 'inferior'. Especially connecting to the context of Prithvi Narayan Shah's advice of 'a yam between two stones', she commented that this narrative has portrayed Nepal as a naturally weak state unable to maneuver.

Clarifying the subject of Nepal being considered a 'buffer zone' (intermediate area), she informed that Nepal has never formally accepted itself as a 'buffer state'. She argues that to be a 'buffer state', a state must have the capacity to prevent conflict between two large and powerful nations, and there must be a formal or informal agreement by those powerful nations to limit their influence only up to the borders of that state. She clarified that there is no such international recognition or agreement in Nepal's case.

She said, 'Although that statement had practical importance in the context of that time, making it the main mantra of foreign policy is itself an inferiority complex. It has created a narrative that makes us always feel weak and insecure.'

Discussing the concept of 'buffer to bridge' that the Nepal government is trying to adopt in the current context, Adhikari emphasized the need to turn Nepal's geopolitical sensitivity into an opportunity.

She suggests that Nepal must firmly present its sovereign status by maintaining balanced diplomacy between the two neighboring countries.