Former Indian ambassador to Nepal, Shyam Saran, has said that political uncertainty in a neighbouring country is never good news for India. Publishing an article in the Indian Express on Saturday, 29 May 2021, Saran stated that such political uncertainty, particularly in Nepal with whom they share a long and open border, is not a good news for them.

He further writes, 'Kathmandu is always the hotbed of fevered conspiracy theories, most of which implicate India without any tangible basis'. He also added that India could not but be engaged politically with events in Nepal, but engagement was not the same as intervention.

According to Mr. Saran's statement,  political and public opinion in Kathmandu is convinced that prime minister KP Sharma Oli is now India’s favourite, that he has promised the BJP government in Delhi that he will promote the return of Nepal to its Hindu rashtra status under the monarchy and keep the Chinese at bay. 

In addition, Saran said that the Indian government had maintained a studied silence on the current political developments in Nepal and this might be the right thing to do. But he insisted that  that silence should not imply the lack of a proper assessment of the political situation in Nepal and what would serve the interests of India best.

Stating that the monarchy in Nepal since King Mahendra’s accession in 1955 to have been always trying to distance Nepal from India and promoting a nationalism, Saran said, '...the nationalism takes hostility to India as its main driver'.

Likewise, indicating towards India's need of supporting the republican democracy in Nepal, the former foreign secretary said, '...The abolition of the monarchy is a net gain for India and the government must firmly and unambiguously declare that it does not support the revival of the monarchy, which has already been rejected by its people'.

'The people of Nepal have won their democracy after a long and bitter struggle. India should declare its unconditional support to Nepal’s republican democracy', he added.

Similarly, he has suggested India to remain fully engaged with Nepal at all levels and across the political spectrum. According to him, it is better for them to maintain the relationship between two countries in policy level than in persons.

Appreciating the long boarders between Nepal and India, he opined that people-to-people links would be beneficial for them if properly utilized.

Finally, Mr. Saran said, 'India has every reason to approach its relations with Nepal with confidence and assurance. This is possible and more than that, acutely necessary'.