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By P.R. Pradhan

What dirty games that the Americans are playing, patriotic Nepalis are seriously worried about the recent suspicious activities of the American officials.

After the controversial visit of Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights and U.S. special coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya, Commanding General of the United States Asia-Pacific Army Charles Flynn spent four days in Nepal. The Nepal Army officials said the visit was a goodwill one, however, many Nepali intellectuals and political leaders have become suspicious of the four-star general’s visit to Nepal. Very soon, CoAS Gen Prabhuram Sharma is scheduled to visit the USA, also, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is paying an official visit to the USA at the invitation of President Joe Biden.

After the ratification of MCC from Parliament, the frequency of such high-level visits has intensified. At a time, when India joined the Indo-Pacific Strategy and QUAD club developed by the USA to contain China, the American activities in Nepal have been surprisingly intensified.

MCC and Indo-Pacific Strategy:

Although it is said that the Millennium Challenge Corporation is purely a grant project, many intellectuals believe that MCC is the economic pillar of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. The Indo-Pacific Strategy is an American military alliance such as NATO. Nepal, as a founding member of the non-aligned movement (NAM) and considering its geopolitical location, Nepal cannot join any of the military alliances following its foreign policy principles. However, the present government’s closeness with the Americans has raised doubts about the intention of the present five-party alliance government and its captain Sher Bahadur Deuba and his spouse Dr Arju Rana Deuba.

Dev Gurung, leader of the Maoist Center, a partner in the present alliance government, speaking at Parliament, demanded clarification on the visit of the American military official. He also asked the PM and CoAS to cancel their proposed USA visit amidst controversy.

UML leader and MP Dr Bhim Rawal, addressing the Parliament session, said that Nepal joining any military alliance will be against the country’s foreign policy based on non-alignment which is described by the country’s constitution.

For the security and welfare of Nepal, the country should be declared a Zone of Peace, MP and former deputy prime minister Rawal demanded.

American proposal for “State Partnership Programme”:

The visiting American General insisted to sign on the “State Partnership Programme (SPP)” between armies of the two countries during his meetings with PM Deuba and CoAS Gen Sharma. Deuba is positive about the proposal, whereas, CoAS Gen Sharma has expressed Nepal’s reservation about it.

The American officials are continuously pressurizing Nepal to ink on the SPP between the two army forces of the two countries. In 2015, the US Army, for the first time, sent the draft of the SPP proposal. When the Nepal side didn’t reply to the American proposal, in 2018, the Americans had reminded Nepal for endorsing it. The then foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali recalled it.

Two months ago, according to a report that appeared in the Nepal Khabar online portal, the Americans sent a modified draft of the agreement to the Nepal government and the Nepal Army. PM Deuba, who is also looking after the Defence portfolio, has given a positive gesture for inking the agreement, however, the Defence Ministry officials believe that the SPP is a part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, a military alliance developed by the USA. Therefore, being a non-aligned nation, Nepal cannot sign an agreement for a military alliance.

The Defence Ministry officials have analysed that Nepal’s participation in the SPP would decimate the message of joining a military alliance, furthermore, considering the geopolitical location of Nepal, it would invite a crisis for the country.

The Nepal Army also believes that SPP is still an issue to be studied by the NA in detail. It is thus believed that there will be no agreement on SPP during CoAS Gen Sharma’s America visit.

Former defence minister Dr Milendra Rijal informed that the US government had sent the draft of the proposal. He was invited for a visit to Pentagon to discuss the proposal in the last week of January. In the meantime, Rijal quit the government following his defeat in the party election. He also informed that the government is positive about the SPP.

The online portal has also reported that there is the possibility of inking on the American proposal during Deuba’s US visit. To develop an environment, the American General has visited Kathmandu, it is reported.

However, PM Deuba has not discussed the American proposal with other partners in the government.

UML MP Dr Bhim Rawal even said that the government is learnt to have preparing grounds for the deployment of the Utah National Guard under the US Army in Nepal. He said that signing on SPP and deployment of the US Army on Nepali soil is against the non-aligned foreign policy of the country.

He also objected to PM Deuba’s US visit preparation which has been conducted by the Defence Ministry instead of the Foreign Ministry.

What does “Land power” mean?:

Visiting American General Charles Flynn appreciating the Nepal Army’s professional role, described it as an old military force and a “land power”. Although NA is an old defence institution in the world, with less than one hundred thousand personnel, it is just a ceremonial force. When the American commander decorated this force with a “land power”, it sounds meaningful.

The Nepal government never tried to increase the number of the Nepal Army personnel, nor, tried to empower it as a strong military force equipped with sophisticated arms. Viewing the geopolitical location of the country, there is the need for increasing the present size of the Nepal Army to a minimum of one million in number by giving duel responsibilities – safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and during the peace period, utilizing the force for the development of infrastructure of the country.

Against such a reality, some Indo-West sponsored intellectuals are expressing the view of dismantling this force saying that Nepal doesn’t need to fight any of the wars.