New Post (191): The Nepalese Maoist's view of Nepal's situation.
In terms of per capita income, Nepal is the poorest country in Asia.
Just before he was elected prime minister of the country, Nepal's Maoist leader Prachanda stated this rather immaturely I’d say: "Nepal," he said, "is dynamite between two rocks."
A creative variation on – Being caught up between “a rock and a hard place”.
Prachanda was probably & unwisely so trying to get India and China to take him more seriously by - playing Nepal's giant neighbors off against each other.
He should know better.
The game is not at all about getting regional superpowers to fight over you, but to get them to cooperate in lifting Nepal out of poverty.
The poorest country in Asia can't afford to base its foreign policy on the insecurity of its neighbors. It must try to put them at ease and benefit from trade and investment.
It’s economy, ravaged by a decade of war and poor governance, is growing at 3% or less.
But it borders two economies with more than a billion people each and both growing in the double digits. To the awe & envy of the world at large.
Nepal must hitch its wagon to both the locomotives in its vicinity. Without taking sides or seeming to be doing so. I think they call it the policy of maintaining - “EQUIDISTANCE.”
Charlie Brown
