India think tank: India RAW chief’s visit could open door to dialogue on border disputes

Kathmandu, October 27

A scholar at Indian government’s defence studies think tank says the recent visit of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samanta Goel to Nepal could open the door to dialogue on border disputes between the two countries.

Nihar R Nayak, a research fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, tells Onlinekhabar in a brief interview, “The visit will certainly remove the existing trust deficit between two countries. There could be dialogue on border disputes after this visit.”

Nayak is also the author of a book on Nepal, ‘Strategic Himalayas: Republican Nepal and External Powers‘.

The researcher claims the relations between the two countries will grow even stronger after the scheduled Nepal visit of Indian Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane in November.

“This indicates that India wants to mark its strong presence and also send warnings to China and Pakistan that their joint operations in South Asia should not cross the red lines,” Nayak says, “India is the dominant power in South Asia.”