Madhes crisis may hit bilateral ties, admits Nepal's Ambassador to India Deepak Upadhyay

NEW DELHI: The ongoing crisis in the Madhes region of Nepal following the promulgation of the new Constitution may have a direct impact on poll-bound Bihar — Madhes shares borders with Bihar —threatening to derail PM Modi's initiatives last year that hugely boosted bilateral ties, admitted Nepal's Ambassador to India Deepak Upadhyay.

"India's mood towards the constitution-making process has changed during the past one week. The concerns that are being expressed over the discrimination of Madhesis and other sections were not expressed in the past few months.

"I have tried to reach out to the highest political leadership, including foreign minister and home minister, and conveying their concerns to our leadership in order to find a durable solution," Upadhyay told ET in an exclusive interview.

Though distraught due to the current crisis, the envoy asserted that he is positive that the leadership of his country will find an institutional mechanism to address the grievances of Madhesis arising out of the new constitution. Following Upadhyay's suggestion to reach out to the Madhes leadership, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala on Tuesday met prominent Madhesi leader Mahant Thakur to discuss a formula to end the crisis. "No system or document, however, can be perfect... I have spoken to all top leaders of Nepal for working out a mechanism to end the impasse. I am also in touch with the MEA," said Upadhyay. The Koirala government is exploring all avenues, including withdrawing legal cases in the Madhes region and simultaneous end to violence.

He, however, admitted that Bihar polls have made the issue sensitive with leaders from the state expressing concern over the situation that might impact daily lives of families that have links to Madhes region. "But it is not only Bihar that is getting impacted. There's a massive economic setback to Terai region as well," he said.