Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Neighbours first: On India-Nepal ties

​Neighbours first: On India-Nepal ties

India must invite the new Prime Minister of Nepal, Balen Shah, to revive (पुनर्जीवित करना) ties (संबंध, रिश्ते)

In an exchange of (के आदान-प्रदान में) early messages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal’s newly- sworn-in Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah said they look forward to “working closely” to take forward (आगे बढ़ाना) bilateral (द्विपक्षीय) ties. Delhi and Kathmandu are prepared to begin a new chapter in relations, united by familial (पारिवारिक) bonds (संबंध, बंधन), a shared (साझा, संयुक्त) culture, open borders (खुली सीमा), and intertwined politics. Land-locked (स्थल-आबद्ध, भू-आबद्ध) Nepal has depended on trade and transit (परिवहन, आवागमन) through India, with India’s plans for an energy grid (an interconnected network for delivering electricity from producers to consumers; power network, electricity grid, power system) in the region an important channel (माध्यम) for Nepal’s hydropower (जलविद्युत) exports and revenues. Like many former leaders of Nepal, Mr. Shah studied in India. Familiarity (close acquaintance, intimacy, closeness, understanding) aside, it would be a mistake to assume (मान लेना) that his ascension (rise, ascent, elevation (to power or office), promotion) will chart (outline, map out, plan, establish) a well-worn (much used, traditional, customary, established) and predictable course (path, trajectory, direction, route) between the two countries. At 35, he is Nepal’s first Madhesi (historically marginalized indigenous ethnic groups of Nepalese people natively residing in the Madhesh plains of Southern Nepal (Terai region) who share strong socio-cultural ties with adjacent regions of India; plain-dwellers, Terai-dwellers) leader, and upturns (overturn, reverse, upend, alter) the old dominance (supremacy, superiority, influence, leverage, control, power) of the Brahmin-Chettri Pahadi (relating to the historically dominant, upper-caste hill ethnic groups in Nepal who have traditionally held political and social dominance; traditional ruling class) elite. New Delhi must have a greater understanding (comprehension, perception, interpretation, perspective) of the priorities of this new Gen-Z (Generation Z, the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials, generally born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s known for being digital natives. Generation Z (born ~1997-2012), youth, younger generation, post-millennials. Millennials (born ~1981–1996), Gen Z (~1997–2012), and Gen Alpha (2010s–mid-2020s)) movement that brought down the K.P. Sharma Oli government in 2025. This is a new leadership that has not inherited (assume, take over, receive (a situation or legacy from predecessors); take on, succeed to, be left with) the old foreign policy understandings (a government’s historical strategy and conventional wisdom in dealing with other nations; diplomatic approach, international strategy, external relations perspective) of the past generations of leaders that came through the panchayati movement (a political movement related to the Panchayat system, a partyless political system of governance instituted by King Mahendra in Nepal (1960–1990) wherein all powers were centralized to the king; partyless movement, traditionalist political movement, monarch-led political system), Congress and Communist parties, or the Maoist movement (campaign, drive, crusade, initiative) that overthrew the monarchy (a form of government with a monarch (king or queen) at the head; royal regime, kingdom, sovereign rule, crowned republi). In that sense (from that perspective, in that respect, contextually, therefore), the Shah government’s foreign policy, including its ties with China and the U.S., as well as (and, in addition to, along with, besides) the overarching relationship with India, is yet to (still not) be formalised (make official, establish, legitimize, ratify). In the past decade (a period of ten years), India has increased its development assistance (financial aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social, and political development of developing countries; foreign aid, economic support, developmental aid) to Nepal, but it also strained its ties over the constitution (the supreme law or fundamental principles of a nation, referring here to the 2015 Constitution of Nepal; fundamental law, supreme charter, rulebook), the long blockade (barricade, barrier, obstacle, restriction) on border trade (the exchange of goods and services between people or entities located in adjacent border regions; cross-border commerce, frontier trade), and territorial (relating to the ownership of a particular area of land or water; geographical, spatial, land-related) issues. As Mayor of Kathmandu, Mr. Shah was known for his overt (obvious, visible, apparent, undisguised) nationalism (patriotism, national pride, chauvinism, xenophobia), and rejection of the “hegemony (dominance, supremacy, authority, control)” of India and other powers, while his use of a map of “Greater Nepal (an irredentist and ultra-nationalist concept encompassing the territories historically controlled by the Gurkha army before the Sugauli Treaty of 1816; historical Nepalese empire, pre-Sugauli Nepal, expanded Nepalese territory)” had been read with some concern (worry, anxiety, apprehension, unease) in New Delhi.

The Modi government should tread lightly (carefully, cautiously, gently, warily), and positively, as the Shah government finds its feet, but offer (provide, give, extend, propose) India’s full support in dealing with Nepal’s immediate challenges. Among those are the impacts of the war in West Asia where Nepal will need help with fuel and fertilizer (a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility; compost, manure) imports. Approximately 14% of Nepal’s population (about 3.5 million) work abroad, and the country is dependent on (reliant on, conditional on, contingent on, leaning on) remittances and tourism revenues. New Delhi could also reconsider requests from previous Nepali governments to allow overflight (the flight of an aircraft over a particular territory; airspace crossing, aerial transit) for new Nepali airports, reduce restrictions on purchasing Nepali power produced with third-country assistance (aid, investment, or support provided by a nation other than the two primary countries involved; third-party support) and to update the bilateral friendship treaty. Differences (disagreement, dispute, conflict, divergence) delayed New Delhi’s invitation in 2024 to Mr. Oli, upon (immediately after, following, on, subsequent to) his election — he eventually visited Beijing first. It is time to quickly invite Mr. Shah to visit Delhi at the earliest, (as soon as possible, without delay, promptly, speedily) and for Delhi and Kathmandu to move forward (progress, advance, make progress, proceed), putting “Neighbours first” in South Asia.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Neighbour (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पड़ोसी
English Meaning - a country that is geographically next to another country; bordering country, adjacent nation, abutting country, borderland.

2.ties (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबंध, रिश्ते
English Meaning - association, relationship, connection, bond.

3.revive (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्जीवित करना
English Meaning - restore, revitalize, renew, bring back.

4.In an exchange of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के आदान-प्रदान में
English Meaning - the act of giving and receiving mutually; interchange of, trading of, swapping of.

5.take forward (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - आगे बढ़ाना
English Meaning - advance, promote, progress, further.

6.bilateral (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - द्विपक्षीय
English Meaning - involving two groups or countries; mutual, two-sided, reciprocal, collaborative.

7.familial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पारिवारिक
English Meaning - relating to a family; traditional, hereditary, ancestral, familiar.

8.bond (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबंध, बंधन
English Meaning - connection, relationship, tie, link.

9.shared (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - साझा, संयुक्त
English Meaning - common, collective, mutual, joint.

10.open border (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुली सीमा
English Meaning - a border that enables free movement of people and goods between jurisdictions with few or no restrictions; porous border, unrestricted border, unguarded border.

11.land-locked (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्थल-आबद्ध, भू-आबद्ध
English Meaning - enclosed by land and having no coastline or seaport; land-bound, interior, inland.

12.transit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिवहन, आवागमन
English Meaning - movement, transport, passage, carrying.

13.channel (noun)

Hindi Meaning - माध्यम
English Meaning - medium, means, mechanism, avenue.

14.hydropower (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलविद्युत
English Meaning - energy generated by the movement of water; hydroelectric power, water power, hydroelectricity.

15.assume (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान लेना
English Meaning - presume, suppose, guess, conclude.

16.chart (verb)

English Meaning - outline, map out, plan, establish.

17.familiarity (noun)

English Meaning - close acquaintance, intimacy, closeness, understanding.

18.ascension (noun)

English Meaning - rise, ascent, elevation (to power or office), promotion.

19.aside (adverb)

English Meaning - apart, notwithstanding, regardless of, ignoring.

20.sworn-in (adjective)

English Meaning - admitted to office by taking a formal oath; inaugurated, inducted, installed.

21.Neighbours first (phrase)

English Meaning - a foreign policy principle prioritizing close, amicable, and mutually beneficial relations with immediate neighboring countries; regional priority, neighborhood-first policy, border-friendly diplomacy.

22.look forward (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - await, expect, anticipate (with pleasure).

23.intertwined (adjective)

English Meaning - closely connected, interconnected, interlinked, interwoven.

24.energy grid (noun)

English Meaning - an interconnected network for delivering electricity from producers to consumers; power network, electricity grid, power system.

25.well-worn (adjective)

English Meaning - much used, traditional, customary, established.

26.course (noun)

English Meaning - path, trajectory, direction, route.

27.Madhesi (noun)

English Meaning - historically marginalized indigenous ethnic groups of Nepalese people natively residing in the Madhesh plains of Southern Nepal (Terai region) who share strong socio-cultural ties with adjacent regions of India; plain-dwellers, Terai-dwellers.

28.upturn (verb)

English Meaning - overturn, reverse, upend, alter.

29.dominance (noun)

English Meaning - supremacy, superiority, influence, leverage, control, power.

30.Brahmin-Chettri Pahadi (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the historically dominant, upper-caste hill ethnic groups in Nepal who have traditionally held political and social dominance; traditional ruling class.

31.elite (noun)

English Meaning - privileged group, upper class, ruling class, aristocracy.

32.understanding (noun)

English Meaning - comprehension, perception, interpretation, perspective.

33.Gen-Z (noun)

English Meaning - Generation Z, the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials, generally born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s known for being digital natives. Generation Z (born ~1997-2012), youth, younger generation, post-millennials. Millennials (born ~1981–1996), Gen Z (~1997–2012), and Gen Alpha (2010s–mid-2020s).

34.movement (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, drive, crusade, initiative.

35.bring down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - topple, overthrow, unseat, overturn, oust.

36.inherit (verb)

English Meaning - assume, take over, receive (a situation or legacy from predecessors); take on, succeed to, be left with.

37.foreign policy understanding (noun)

English Meaning - a government’s historical strategy and conventional wisdom in dealing with other nations; diplomatic approach, international strategy, external relations perspective.

38.come through (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - emerge from, arise from, develop via, originate from.

39.panchayati movement (noun)

English Meaning - a political movement related to the Panchayat system, a partyless political system of governance instituted by King Mahendra in Nepal (1960–1990) wherein all powers were centralized to the king; partyless movement, traditionalist political movement, monarch-led political system.

40.Maoist movement (noun)

English Meaning - a decade-long armed struggle and political movement led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) which sought to overthrow the Nepalese monarchy and establish a people’s republic; communist insurgency, left-wing radical movement, anti-monarchy rebellion.

41.overthrow (verb)

English Meaning - topple, bring down, unseat, defeat, oust.

42.monarchy (noun)

English Meaning - a form of government with a monarch (king or queen) at the head; royal regime, kingdom, sovereign rule, crowned republic.

43.in that sense (phrase)

English Meaning - from that perspective, in that respect, contextually, therefore.

44.as well as (phrase)

English Meaning - and, in addition to, along with, besides.

45.overarching (adjective)

English Meaning - all-encompassing, comprehensive, overall, general.

46.yet to (phrase)

English Meaning - still not.

47.formalise (verb)

English Meaning - make official, establish, legitimize, ratify.

48.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

49.development assistance (noun)

English Meaning - financial aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social, and political development of developing countries; foreign aid, economic support, developmental aid.

50.strain (verb)

English Meaning - overtax, damage, weaken, impair.

51.over (preposition)

English Meaning - regarding, concerning, about, on the subject of.

52.the constitution (noun)

English Meaning - the supreme law or fundamental principles of a nation, referring here to the 2015 Constitution of Nepal; fundamental law, supreme charter, rulebook.

53.blockade (noun)

English Meaning - barricade, barrier, obstacle, restriction.

54.border trade (noun)

English Meaning - the exchange of goods and services between people or entities located in adjacent border regions; cross-border commerce, frontier trade.

55.territorial (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the ownership of a particular area of land or water; geographical, spatial, land-related.

56.overt (adjective)

English Meaning - obvious, visible, apparent, undisguised.

57.nationalism (noun)

English Meaning - patriotism, national pride, chauvinism, xenophobia.

58.hegemony (noun)

English Meaning - dominance, supremacy, authority, control.

59.Greater Nepal (noun)

English Meaning - an irredentist and ultra-nationalist concept encompassing the territories historically controlled by the Gurkha army before the Sugauli Treaty of 1816; historical Nepalese empire, pre-Sugauli Nepal, expanded Nepalese territory.

60.read with (phrase)

English Meaning - interpret with, understand with, perceive with, view with.

61.concern (noun)

English Meaning - worry, anxiety, apprehension, unease.

62.tread (verb)

English Meaning - walk, step, proceed, navigate.

63.lightly (adverb)

English Meaning - carefully, cautiously, gently, warily.

64.find one’s feet (phrase)

English Meaning - adapt, become accustomed, settle in, get used to a new situation.

65.offer (verb)

English Meaning - provide, give, extend, propose.

66.fertilizer (noun)

English Meaning - a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility; compost, manure.

67.dependent on (adjective)

English Meaning - reliant on, conditional on, contingent on, leaning on.

68.remittance (noun)

English Meaning - payment, transfer of money, settlement, specifically money sent by workers abroad to their home country; transferred funds, sent money, allowance.

69.overflight (noun)

English Meaning - the flight of an aircraft over a particular territory; airspace crossing, aerial transit.

70.power (noun)

English Meaning - electricity, energy, electrical supply.

71.third-country assistance (noun)

English Meaning - aid, investment, or support provided by a nation other than the two primary countries involved; third-party support.

72.bilateral friendship treaty (noun)

English Meaning - referring to the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, a bilateral pact establishing close strategic relations and mutual security frameworks between the two South Asian neighbors.

73.difference (noun)

English Meaning - disagreement, dispute, conflict, divergence.

74.upon (preposition)

English Meaning - immediately after, following, on, subsequent to.

75.eventually (adverb)

English Meaning - ultimately, finally, in the end, at last.

76.at the earliest (phrase)

English Meaning - as soon as possible, without delay, promptly, speedily.

77.move forward (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - progress, advance, make progress, proceed.