Listening to the rabble rousing harangues in parliament this week warning Prime Minister Koirala not to sellout to India we wondered where we had heard it all before.

Of course, it was in 1991, 1995 and 2000 before Koirala went to pay his respects at the Delhi Darbar each time he became prime minister during previous tenures.

To be sure, parliament has reason to be concerned. Koirala has always been notorious for not consulting. Some leaders of the seven-party alliance actually found out from the media of his plan to cancel his check-up in Bangkok and go check out Delhi instead. And, after all, the man ok'd the Tanakpur barrage in 1991 even though it needed ratification by two-thirds of the house. (Later the UML went ahead and ok'd Mahakali in similar fashion.)

Since India did behind-the-scenes spadework in the recent political transformation in Nepal, there is apprehension it will now demand a pound of flesh from a beholden Koirala. That's all right as parlour talk, but to actually believe it would be to put too little faith in our leaders and our own sense of self-worth as Nepalis.
Why are we so insecure especially after a dramatic regime change through non-violent people power? Are we so feckless and fickle to fritter away our natural resources so easily?

Why do we have to always prove our nationalism by baiting India? Let's start defining ourselves by what we are rather than what we aren't.

The national economy needs immediate first aid, and here India's five-year budgetary support plan will help. But for long-term sustainability and growth India and Nepal need to work constructively on large-scale natural resource collaboration so we can benefit from India's blistering growth. Perhaps it is the memory of Kosi and Gandaki that fuels Nepali suspicions of Indian intent, so it means future projects have to be more equitable.

Parliament has been decisive in restructuring the state, removing the raison d'etre for the Maoists to keep to their violent path. No wonder the comrades want it dissolved. And that is why the house shouldn't be bogged down playing political ping pong, for instance, over who was or wasn't included in the prime minister's entourage.

It needs to be more concerned with prodding the government to reach health care to the poorest, get the school system going again, ensure good governance and implementation. We don't need permanent peace for that.

The problem in Nepal has never been money, but spending it efficiently. Let's get over our insecurities for once, and get to work.