Actually, #14's not that simple for Nepalis, at least, as far as I could see when I was working in Kathmandu.
Sure, they appreciate the fact that the Indians have been helpful in selling them second-rate equipment that the Indian Army refuses to use itself, but on the other hand, they're also convinced that India is harboring, if not outright supporting, the leaders of the Maoists, and they are pretty well convinced that India wants to either completely annex Nepal or just run it as a puppet government from Delhi. Oh, and did I mention that India is such a kind neighbor that they dam Himalayan runoff rivers immediately south of the Nepali-Indian border, where they're not only much less efficient hydropower projects than they would be in Nepal, they also flood acres and acres of the very small strip of arable flat land available for agriculture in Nepal?
Not to say Nepalis love Pakistan, by any means. A lot of the resentment toward 'Pakistan' comes from the fact that the Kashmiri business community in Nepal is extremely successful, but... well, ok, sure: the Pakistani Embassy there had a couple of diplomats kicked out, one for having a huge amount of plastic explosives in his house, and one for having a huge amount of counterfeit money. And yeah, an Indian Airlines jet got hijacked and landed in Kathmandu, which started the downhill slide for tourism... et cetera.
And did I mention that the Nepalis are none too fond of the Chinese, either? :)
It's rough being the small, poor country stuck in the middle of all the bullies, especially when one of them is really any better than the others. They're all just bullies in different ways.
Sure, they appreciate the fact that the Indians have been helpful in selling them second-rate equipment that the Indian Army refuses to use itself, but on the other hand, they're also convinced that India is harboring, if not outright supporting, the leaders of the Maoists, and they are pretty well convinced that India wants to either completely annex Nepal or just run it as a puppet government from Delhi. Oh, and did I mention that India is such a kind neighbor that they dam Himalayan runoff rivers immediately south of the Nepali-Indian border, where they're not only much less efficient hydropower projects than they would be in Nepal, they also flood acres and acres of the very small strip of arable flat land available for agriculture in Nepal?
Not to say Nepalis love Pakistan, by any means. A lot of the resentment toward 'Pakistan' comes from the fact that the Kashmiri business community in Nepal is extremely successful, but... well, ok, sure: the Pakistani Embassy there had a couple of diplomats kicked out, one for having a huge amount of plastic explosives in his house, and one for having a huge amount of counterfeit money. And yeah, an Indian Airlines jet got hijacked and landed in Kathmandu, which started the downhill slide for tourism... et cetera.
And did I mention that the Nepalis are none too fond of the Chinese, either? :)
It's rough being the small, poor country stuck in the middle of all the bullies, especially when one of them is really any better than the others. They're all just bullies in different ways.
(Australians kick-ass, though. Abso-freakin-lutely.)
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I dunno. I'm too tired to be clever. :)
Thanks for the elucidation!
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Selah.
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