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Amid public resentment, Indian PM Modi concludes ‘historic’ Nepal trip

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Nepali counterpart KP Sharma Oli, in Janakpur, on Friday, May 12, 2018.

Kathmandu, May 12

Amidst mild resentment among Nepali people, Indian Prime Minister on Saturday concluded his two-day state visit to Nepal, which both himself and the host government have called was successful and historic.

Whereas the guest was urged by hundreds of social media users in Nepal to concede the 2015 border blockade as a mistake, Modi concluded the trip without speaking a single word about it. He also refrained from making any comment about  Nepal’s new constitution, which India apparently did not accept in the beginning.

Modi divided his more than 30 hours into political and cultural engagements. He paid courtesy calls on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, and held a bilateral meeting with Nepali counterpart KP Sharma Oli, who invited him for the trip, yesterday. Likewise, he offered special pujas at Janakpur’s Janaki Temple on Friday, Mustang’s Muktinath and Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath on Saturday.

Modi was offered ‘civic felicitations’ by local governments in all three places, which received mixed response from members of the public.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, however thinks that the visit was successful. The most significant achievement of this visit is that India has assured to effectively address key concerns raised by Nepal about various dimensions of the relationship between two countries by September this year, according to him.

He also claims that the visit has prepared ground to begin works on building bilateral cooperation on railway, waterway and agricultural development.

Modi also tweeted that his visit this time was historic because it provided him an opportunity to “connect with the wonderful people of Nepal and talks with PM Oli were productive.”

Before returning home, Modi assured that India was ready to extend needful support to Nepal’s development efforts. He also expressed his desire to visit Lumbini, Lord Buddha’s birthplace, during his next visit to Nepal, a clear hint that he will continue to take leverage of religious and cultural connections the two countries have to extend his political influence.

It was Modi’s third visit to Nepal as the prime minister.

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