BIKRAM RAI |
On the eve of his visit to India, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai wrote an article in The Hindu in which he claimed the visit had 'historical significance'. The irony, of course, is that the chief ideologue of the Maoist party who once called for expulsion of Indian companies from Nepal is now visiting India as prime minister and trying to woo Indian investors.
Travelling economy again, the prime minister will have economic issues at the top of his agenda. Nepali politics is too complicated even for the Indians, and they have found that overt interference can be counterproductive. India is worried about security issues, and there will have to be some give and take on that.
The prospect of $250m line of credit and 250MW of electricity import could be crucial in the short-term because Nepal has no Indian currency to fund burgeoning imports from India, and little electricity this winter.
Anurag Acharya
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