Akhand Bharat is underlying reality in the mural

Indo-Nepalese linkages have depth to handle contentious border issues, illicit drug deals, jihadist madrasas springing up big time!

Vinod Kumar Shukla

Traces of Indian culture and civilization go beyond Afghanistan in the west and Indonesia in South East Asia. More facts and revelations have been collated over time due to concerted research about length, breadth and its longevity.

But myopic Indian media has the tendency of making an issue out of nothing and question anything and everything that glorifies Indian civilization. It’s all done not to scrutinize facts but put Indian government in the dock.

Interestingly enough, self-proclaimed holier than thou Indian media failed to see Sengol as being integral to India’s millennium old cultural voyage and its handing over to Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1947 was termed fake history.

Select Indian and global media outlets get divine and display false intellect in interpreting 2300-year-old depiction in a mural that’s part of the newly opened Parliament. This has given enough cannon fodder to China and Pakistan.

India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi was straight when he described the mural as an artwork that depicted the spread of Ashokan Empire. Bagchi took the position, “The mural in question depicts the spread of Ashokan Empire and the idea of responsible and people-oriented governance that he [Ashoka] adopted and propagated.”

Bagchi rejected conjectures that the issue figured in bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal popularly known as ‘Prachanda’ who was on a bilateral visit to New Delhi last week. But, India’s western and northern neighbours seized upon the opportunity to make mountain out of a molehill. Nepal’s opposition parties, some of them aligned with Chinese think tanks and Chinese Communist Party made every effort to cause mayhem on phone screens, social media handles and hijack the conversation away from Indo-Nepal issues.

Apparent objections were on depiction of Lumbini, Uttarapath, Purushpur and Taxila on the mural in question as part of India’s Akhand Bharat plan. Social media was flooded with messages that opposition leaders asked the visiting Prime Minister ‘Prachanda’ to take up the issue with India to get the mural removed from Parliament. But, India insisted that the issue did not figure in bilateral discussion.

Big question however remains. Is it not true that India and Pakistan were part of Indus (Sindhu) Water Treaty depicted in the mural reflecting India’s civilizational identity as Bharat? Can Indian forget Takshshila where Vishnugupta (Chanakya) was a teacher and assisted Chandragupta, Ashoka’s grandfather in uniting India?

Lumbini where Gautam Buddha was born is Sakya Muni for many in India emphasising his Sakya lineage. And, this region formed one of the ten republics of [Akhand] Bharat during sixth century BC. No political boundary whatsoever was strong enough to restrict Akhand Bharat that had unique lifestyle and behaviour of every civilizational Indian.

Reference to Uttarapath is as old as Panini’s Ashtadhyayi where he listed the kingdoms along ‘Uttarapathenahritam’. Pakistan can ignore these facts and consider its history to have begun with 1947 and remain in denial mode for cultural links with India. Pakistan’s tilt towards Arabic nations may not help as the latter view Islamabad with deep disdain. On the parallel, handful of Nepalese leaders denying this cultural unity is not only strange but unfortunate as its cultural connects with India is inseparable and alienated.

When Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Lumbini on May 16 last year on birth anniversary of Mahatma Buddha, he inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport. It was meant to bring to focus cultural integration.  Kushinagar airport would help tourists and pilgrims to get easy access to Lumbini contrary to misinformation campaign that India is on some imaginary expansionist mission.

Lumbini and Kushinagar are the places where Mahatma Budhdha took birth and died respectively. Further, four-lane Ram Janaki path is being built from Ayodhya to Janakpur. A Buddhist circuit is drawn connecting Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini.

Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi has been an important seat of pilgrimage for Lord Shiva’s devotees. Also,  Kashi has been the seat of learning and place of worship for successive Prime Ministers and Nepal’s royals. They were also associated with Guru Gorakhnath in Gorakhpur bordering Nepal. Ram Van Gaman Path Marg too has Nepal and Sri Lankan linkages while Krishna corridor would connect many cities.

Cultural connect transcends political boundaries as former Maoist Guerrilla Prachanda appears to have overcome the dichotomy of his faith and political ideology when he performed Rudrabhishek at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. He gifted loads of Rudraksha beads to the temple.

What binds India and Nepal is their Hindu identity, so each other’s security concerns are of paramount importance. Therefore, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s meeting with the Nepalese Prime Minister was certainly not a courtesy call. Issues like mushrooming Madarsas along Indo-Nepalese border, contraband trade, outlaws committing crime and escaping into Nepal apart from ISI operatives making a foothold on Nepalese soil have reportedly figured in the discussions.

There is no denying that border issues continue to be in contention especially Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura areas that Nepal claims to be part of its territory. Both sides seem to agree that there’s enough depth in their relationships to handle these issues. But, one cannot ignore the Chinese Communist Party’s continued needling in Indo-Nepalese affairs.

After mishandling1989 blockade aggravated minor differences between the two countries into distrust, China played an iniquitous role. Further, comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006 leading to end of monarchy and general elections, the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic that had Chinese footprint all over.

On the other hand, what went wrong for India was the erstwhile Manmohan Singh government outsourcing its Nepal policy to Communist Party of India – Marxist that had its allegiance to China. Whenever India and Nepal attempted at ironing out differences, China worked at torpedoing plans to expand its influence in South Asia.

Fanning Pahadi versus Madheshi divide in Nepal was its favourite game plan. China supplied oil and arms during 1988-89 to disturb the delicate applecart in Indo-Nepal relations. Later, India offered an olive branch with HIT formula to Nepal. This included building highways (H), information highways (I) and trans-ways and transmission lines (T). India topped up the offer with doubling power supply to Nepal.

Even in latest visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda, half a dozen projects related to connectivity, linkages, and oil supply were concluded, inaugurated or related pacts signed. Latest engagement on both sides include cross border payments, infrastructure, energy security and connectivity.

In this backdrop, controversy surrounding Akhand Bharat mural may have been stirred up by those that maintain stoic silence on narrative of Ghazwa e Hind and Nizam e Mustafa.

Rightly so, Indian people and her government seem to have ignored these subversives.  Also, none can ignore civilizational connect that Akhand Bharat denoted for millennia.

(Author is a contributing writer and senior media professional based in New Delhi)