The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

ARTICLE

Treat Nepal as an equal partner
An opportunity for India to reshape relations with Kathmandu
Harsh V. Pant

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's maiden visit to Nepal was an important opportunity to recalibrate Indo-Nepalese ties and lay the foundation for Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal from August 3 — the first bilateral visit to Nepal by an Indian Prime Minister in 17 years. Nepalese polity, cutting across party lines, had welcomed the assumption of power by Modi, with most expressing the hope that Nepal would be a beneficiary of Modi’s developmental agenda. Swaraj’s visit managed to convey the right message by settling a long-pending issue as she promised a review of the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, within two years on the basis of recommendations from a group of eminent persons from both countries. She also co-chaired the Nepal-India Joint Commission that met after a gap of 23 years and reviewed the bilateral ties holistically. The Modi government now has an opportunity to reshape the contours of New Delhi’s relations with Kathmandu and it should lose no time in doing that, especially as India seems to be losing ground in Nepal to China.

‘A yam between two rocks’ was how the founder of Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah, described the Himalayan kingdom, given the pivotal geo-strategic location of Nepal, land-locked between China and India. In 1955 Nepal established diplomatic relations with China, recognising Tibet as part of China in 1956. Since the mid-19th century, Tibet, rather than Nepal, had served as India's buffer with China. The role of this buffer passed on to Nepal after the Chinese annexation of Tibet. It became imperative for New Delhi to deny China direct access to Nepal because of the vulnerability of India's Gangetic plain containing critical human and economic resources. For China, the growing influence of India had grave implications for its security considerations, especially as regards Tibet. Thus, preserving the balance of power in southern Asia in its favour and securing Nepal’s active co-operation to prevent its rivals’ use of the country for anti-Chinese activities became principal strategic objectives of Beijing’s Nepal policy.

The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal enshrined the close relationship between the two nations (including close co-operation on trade, transit, defence and foreign affairs) and constrained Chinese options vis-à-vis Nepal. As China's economic and political profile rose, it gradually began to increase its influence in Nepal and Kathmandu, wanting to counterbalance India, was keen to leverage China in its dealings with New Delhi. By supporting Nepal’s position during most disputes between that country and India, China was able to project itself as a benevolent power in comparison with the supercilious attitude of India towards its smaller neighbours. Nepal signed an arms pact and secret intelligence-sharing agreement with China in 1988 which elicited a strong reaction from New Delhi, leading to the imposition of an economic blockade on Nepal in 1989-90. Despite this, Sino-Nepal ties continued to evolve with Nepal importing Chinese weaponry and cultivating extensive military co-operation in a move to reduce dependence on India.

The Maoists came to power in 2008 and made clear their intention to renegotiate the 1950 treaty with India, but collapsed before they could accomplish that objective. Since then, in an attempt to cover its bases in a fractured political environment, China has reached out to all the political parties in Nepal, while demanding that Nepal recognise the annexation of Tibet and repress activities of Tibetan activists within Nepal. Kathmandu, for its part, has obliged, making it clear that it will not allow any groups to use Nepalese territory for anti-Chinese activities. As a result, restrictions have increased on the activities of 20,000 Tibetans living in exile in Nepal, with the Nepalese government curbing even the celebrations of the birthday of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama lives in exile in India and had a representative in Kathmandu until the office was shut down by the Nepalese government in 2005. China has been undertaking development initiatives across Nepalese villages adjoining Tibet, as well as liaising with Nepalese border security and upgrading police stations at points used by Tibetans to cross into Nepal. The Chinese government hopes that this can be used to suppress Tibetan activities in Nepal.

China's interests and presence in Nepal now go far beyond the Tibet issue. China is projecting its ‘soft power’ in Nepal by setting up China Study Centres to promote Chinese values among a Nepalese populace that is otherwise tied culturally to India. These centres are emerging as effective instruments in promoting Chinese perspectives on key issues concerning Nepal. China is constructing a 770-km railway line to connect the Tibetan capital of Lhasa with the Nepalese town of Khasa, a move that would connect Nepal to China’s national rail network. China is also constructing a 17-km road through the Himalayas linking Tibet to the Nepalese town of Syabru Besi, which will not only connect Tibet to Nepal but when completed will also facilitate the first direct Chinese land route to New Delhi. China views Nepal as a vital bridge toward South Asia. China plans to extend the railway line from Lhasa to Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city, as far as Kathmandu, and to build a new airport at Pokhara, Nepal.

By projecting India as a factor of instability and an undue beneficiary of Nepal's resources, China has used Nepalese sensitivities vis-à-vis Indian influence to good effect, thereby further undercutting Indian influence in Kathmandu. India's overwhelming presence remains a source of resentment towards India in Nepal. China appears attractive because it can claim that unlike India, it is not interested in the internal affairs of Nepal. China has demanded from the Nepalese government that it be given the same privilege as availed by India in identifying the projects in need and in channeling funds through district bodies without going through the government.

With the drafting of a new constitution having stalled in Nepal, and political and economic instability causing more uncertainty, India is viewed as being part of the problem, as it is seen as being too involved in Nepal’s domestic politics. Political uncertainty in Nepal has fuelled anti-India sentiments and allowed China to enlarge its presence with Beijing even offering lawmakers financial assistance in drafting the new constitution. The Himalayan kingdom is going through a crisis and India is being blamed for pulling strings from behind the scenes. It is this insecurity that China has been able to exploit in Nepal to serve its own interests-a trend that is likely to persist in the near future.

The Modi government has an opportunity to underscore India's desire to treat Nepal as an equal sovereign state by expressing its willingness to explore the possibility of a transparent review of the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship and to explore joint developmental projects in the realm of energy and infrastructure. New Delhi will have to think big if it wants to retain its privileged position in South Asia and it can make a start with Nepal.

MIDDLE

When ‘experts’ go wrong
Harish Dhillon

It took me a few years to realise why collectors prefer blue and white Chinese porcelain to the coloured variety. The blue is painted directly on the piece after it has been biscuited, the glaze is applied over the cobalt and, with that one firing, we have the completed piece, while the coloured piece has to go through multiple firings. As a result, it is far more expensive. Thus, much more blue and white porcelain is in circulation. When I had collected enough pieces, I wanted to know more about my possessions and I began to look for books on the subject. My collection grew by leaps and bounds as did the number of my books. I began to think of myself as something of an expert and felt a sense of pride.

Then, with one stroke, all my pride was knocked out of me. I found, in a junk shop, which I frequented, a medium sized jar. The owner of the shop, who regarded me as something of a connoisseur, waited for me to finish my examination. I turned the piece over and looked carefully at the unglazed parts: they were all burnt a brick red colour. As I ran my hand over the piece, I felt bubbles on the surface. The blue wasn’t a uniform blue, but had the ‘heaping and piling ‘effect of the Ming dynasty. All three were the result of a lack of refinement in the clay, the cobalt and the glaze. I was excited beyond words and I am sure he assessed the extent of this excitement because he quoted an exorbitant price.

I did not argue, convinced that I had hit the jackpot that every collector dreams of. Though I was very proud of my ‘jar’, I needed to know how much it was really worth. Then my question was answered by a true expert on the subject. He said it was worth about one tenth the price I had paid.

“But it is early Ming!” I said disbelievingly.

“Yes, I know. But there are millions of them floating around.”

It turned out that the most important import item from China, at the time, was candied ginger and it came in these jars, thousands of them, packed into the holds of returning ships.

Even more interesting was the case of the protagonist in a story I read some time ago.

On a holiday in Goa, he saw, outside a pub, a cat drinking milk from a blue and white bowl. He was sure it was from the period when the most exquisite China was produced — the Kiangsi reign of the Ch'ing dynasty. He showed no interest in the bowl and bargained for the cat. Only after the deal was struck did he mention the bowl. Since the cat was obviously used to drinking in that particular bowl, the owner might consider selling it to him.

The pub owner laughed:

“Sell you the bowl? You must be crazy. It’s because of the bowl that I am able to sell over a dozen cats a week.”

oped-energy

Tapping innovative sources of power
There is an urgent need to evolve energy sources in out-of-the-box ways that benefit both men and machines. These sources have to be renewable as well as cost-effective.
VK Jindal

The PS 10 solar power plant concentrates sunlight from a field of heliostats onto a central solar power tower. The heat energy is used to drive a steam turbine to generate electricity

The cry for power is growing not only because of shortfall but also because power bills are rising. All solutions for reduction of power bills are not going to deliver until we address the major issue of power production, costing and the realisation of how complex this issue can be. The focus of this article is to put on the table what we have and what we do not and therefore the way to go.

Dwindling resources, ever-increasing requirements, high production costs and dirty sources are primary questions which need analysis. It is true that the dependence on electricity has increased manifold and exposure to automation has resulted in the button era for all solutions — be they in transport, cooking, congenial temperature conditioning in houses, workplaces or in any temporary transit — all cost huge energy. No other power source is as convenient, thanks to Faraday, as it is this simple two-wires connection which you can hide and twist behind a wall and carry tremendous energy on the push of a button.

High cost of production

A unit of energy which has been used to quantify power is measured in Kilo Watt Hour (KWh) — your standard AC would cost around this one unit in about half an hour. But the amount of energy required for this half-an-hour of cooling will mean burning about 1kg of coal or about 200 ml of petrol. These are relatively high energy-density fuels but if you agree to do manual work equivalent to one unit, it would mean a heavy man weighing 100 kg going up a 10-storey building 10 times. If this man does not agree to generate it this hard way, we have to realise that energy is hard to produce and it will cost.

However, if you have Uranium 235 and use it to generate energy you will only require a mg of Uranium. So the energy-density of nuclear fuel is million times larger. On the other hand, you may need a full roof area of a standard apartment to produce one unit in one an hour of full sunshine, using efficient, expensive photovoltaic solar cells. Thus energy-density is extremely high for nuclear fuel and very small energy/area for solar sources.

Exhausting sources

We want everything to be power driven and all this is costing us huge energy. Our effort is to use all the waterheads, all the coal, all the gas which got accumulated with nature's effort of centuries. This reserve is getting exhausted because our rate of using is far more than the rate of production and thus it can't sustain, and we will be forced to resort to primitive living.

Indeed, the world requirements of energy are in tens of Terra Watts. Using nuclear fission to meet this, despite hazards, is also a tremendous effort. It requires building of 15,000 nuclear power stations supplying 1 Giga Watt each. Also, at this rate of consumption, we only have economically recoverable uranium reserves to last five years, and thus global-scale investment is not justified. Even extension of fuel lifetimes with breeder cycles does not justify this level of investment, given the costs and risks.

Renewable sources of energy

Nuclear fusion is a technology that does not exist yet though solar energy results from fusion reactions. We have no guarantee that fusion will be both safe and economically viable. Claims are far too premature. Even if we hypothetically consider fusion, it irreversibly transmutes lithium. Lithium is a scarce resource that has a host of industrial uses and is used in batteries in every laptop computer and mobile phone.

This leaves us with renewable such as wave, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, and solar power. Wind, wave, biomass, and hydroelectric power are all indirect forms of solar energy, with enormous conversion efficiency losses. So this leads us to ask: Why not go directly to solar? The fact is there is about 350 times more solar power available than all other renewable energy put together. In fact, it has been calculated that a 500x500 sq km area is adequate if utilised for solar conversion and this area can be made available from a desert or on the surface of sea.

These sources have been supplemented by newer research on methods of production of green energy either from hydrogen, combination of solar and chemical processes which act like absorption of solar energy and its re-emission through excitation and de-excitation processes, artificial photosynthesis or other newer cleaner methods which do not cost oxygen and are non-nuclear but are like solid-state fuels delivering energy transiting from excited to de-excited states.

Sensible & sustainable options

The most sensible alternate option even for vehicles appears to be hydrogen, as it can be obtained from splitting water and turns back to water on combustion. Thus, it is infinitely sustainable and mimics the Earth's natural water cycle. However, the production by splitting of water is usually costly unless it is so done as a byproduct. But then density of hydrogen is low, and its storage and transportation is problematic. Hydrogen fuel cells are simple clean and green silent generators which convert hydrogen into electricity but these do not scale for a global solution due to the use of expensive membrane technology coupled with exotic chemicals.

As a result, energy requirements are not easily met, whatever the source. Before we say that we must be conservative to use energy since energy saved is energy produced, we must rethink on strategic production and usage. We can't throw any of the methods in the dustbin, we have to keep exploiting easily manageable waterheads, fossil fuels, wind, etc. depending upon the locations. Even nuclear fission needs to be exploited, especially in India where strategic locations on nearby islands can be figured out near our south end, where small islands close to the mainland exist and can be fully dedicated for this purpose.

We must use a combination of methods to generate electricity depending upon the location. The usage of solar energy has been much in focus in recent times. The sun gives us light and heat and both are exploitable. The light is used by exploiting photovoltaic (PV) effect and some special materials like silicon and dopants like arsenic have provided us with direct conversion of sunlight into electricity through PV cells. This low voltage DC is inverted to get AC domestic supply. This is a high-tech area, additionally requiring constant cleaning of the exposed surface from dust etc. However, when we calculate the PV silicon solar cell area required to supply the world’s power consumption, the PV technology does not seem a winning game. Apart from meeting silicon requirements, toxicity is also an issue, and the dopant e.g. arsenic alone would exceed world reserves. One may think of supplementing PV technology using solar concentrators to reduce the effective cell area. The rate of chemical usage is still not tenable because the cells will not withstand high temperatures due to concentrating solar light as heat also gets concentrated.

Concentrated solar power

In fact, it turns out that high-tech solutions are not cost-effective. Low-tech solar-collecting dishes, concentrators can survive higher temperatures and provide easier technology and large-scale solutions. This concentrated solar power ( CSP) is using solar heat rather than solar light and converting it direct to AC supply through steam turbines and generators is another option of using solar energy. CSP is being adopted more and more and we have seen about 740 MW of generating capacity added between 2007 and the end of 2010. As of January 2014, Spain had a total capacity of 2,204 MW, making this country the world leader in CSP. It is expected to meet 25 per cent of the world requirement in some decades. The technique is to use low-tech CSP like parabolic-trough plants which superheat water and run steam-based turbines from free solar fuel, giving us green power at nearly the price of fossil fuel. The largest CSP project in the world has been installed in Abu Dhabi, but do we have these steam turbine-based CSP in India? We do have lot of effort on usage of high-tech PV technology and a floating unit on sea has also been commissioned in Kerala, including the 600MW park at Charanka, Gujarat.

Thus, whereas effort to evolve new sources of energy will go on, nothing is going to match the hunger for power. We have to live a life closer to nature. If you concentrate only on solar energy, it is not apparent though at this time but surely it will be at the cost of other vegetative and animal life. We should leave electricity for industry, education, hospitals, public transport etc. but not for too much luxury and wastage. Design houses which are not air-conditioned but have natural cooling architecture. Use the cold temperature in basements to pump up cold air for cooling. Or cool or heat only your jackets to cut down on the volume. Use Peltier chips for cooling processers and not the whole of the machine.

Hybrid fuels

This means, we should choose innovative ways of introducing comfort for men and machines which require a fraction of the power. For vehicles, use hybrids of fuels like hydrogen and fossil fuels. For hydrogen, use water-splitting at sources, where abundant solar or wind energy is used. Also, the overcharging battery current while a vehicle is run on alternate fuels can be used to split water and hydrogen thus produced used to feedback into the fuel cycle and save some percentage of fuel. Indeed intelligent use of this convenient commodity, coupled with a combination of production methods is the only answer. Thus India needs to develop low-tech CSP, supplemented by existing conventional technologies plus nuclear-energy generation only at strategic locations, well isolated but close to the mainland, to meet future power requirements. For vehicles, the green energy source of hydrogen needs to be produced from water splitting at arbitrary and random sources of electricity, along with rechargeable batteries.

The writer is Professor, Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh

Energy matters

We should leave electricity for industry, education, hospitals, public transport etc. but not for too much luxury and wastage.

The effort should be to design houses which are not air-conditioned but have natural cooling architecture.

We should use the cold temperature in basements to pump up cold air for cooling.

You should be able to cool or heat only your jackets to cut down on the volume.

Peltier chips should be used for cooling processers and not the whole machine.

There is about 350 times more solar power available than all renewable energy put together.