Geopolitics and Nepalese Foreign Policy

Abstract

Geopolitics is simply the geographic dimension of foreign policy. Geopolitics has twolevels, the background study of places, peoples, resources distributions and so on thatprovides the data for the foreign policy choices, and other is formationof spatially basedpolicies designed to achieve specific objectives (the study of specific geography). It startswith different points due to different national aspirations. Geopolitics has introducedcommon language and has been used at all scales from neighborhood to global. It alwaysaccepts the people's view, ideas, and feelings. Whatever the size of the nation smaller orbigger their geopolitical expectations are different. Non-geographic analysis was seen on theglobal and regional ambitions. As thegeopolitical movements in China and USA are competing to be the first nationin the field of trade market in the world. The basic aspects of foreign policy is guided by theconcept of geopolitics, geopolitics is a problem solving science based on the experiments inthe laboratory of people's views and thoughts. It is the geosetting of country that formulatesthe foreign policy. Geo-setting of Nepal plays vital role in her role with her neighbours. Nepaldesigns strategies for relationship with China, India, US and relation at RegionalContext. Geopolitics deals with far and recent history usually from 1870 AD to 1980'sonwards. This was the beginning year of the country's geopolitical activities. The wordgeopolitics was invented by two writers: Kjellen and Ratzel from Sweden and Germanyrespectively in 1870. The word was used in mist of languages from neighborhood to global.After Ratzel, Germany (1844-1904), Kjellen, Sweden (1864-1927), Mhan, American (1840-1914), Mackinder, British (1861-1947) and Haushorfer, Germany (1964-1947) have analyzeddifferent verities of geopolitics. They are the founders of the concept of geopolitics. In the context of Nepal, she is located in between China and India situated like a yambetween two huge builders. Nepal has used Neutral foreign policy but the world activitieshave certainly affected. Recent days Nepal's policies have no certain paths. Nepal's foreign policyfaces greater challenges. It needs to explain geopolitically in changed context of regional orglobal affairs. Good guys and bad guys policy means good relationship (good guys) bad guys (badrelationship). States do not have friends states have interests. So it is realized that geopolitics is driven by a patriotic commitments and welfare desires for a brighter and more secured future ofa nation. This study mainly consists of two parts, part one is introductory part that consists ofintroduction, methodology and literature review. In the part of literature review, recentliterature are collected and briefly analyzed. Similarly, part two describes the geopoliticalconcept and the context. Accordingly, all the relevant chapters are analyzed. The generalobjective of the study is to present archival and analytical description of the geopolitics andforeign policy of Nepal. The hypotheses 'Geopolitics encourage the feeling of Nepalesenational aspirations' and 'Geopolitics playsthe vital role to implement the foreign policy' aretested in the study. Being a landlocked and least developed country Nepal always suffered frominternational surroundings. It cannot identify its dignity. Specially Nepal cannot identify thepersonalities of geopoliticians and foreign policy experts. Nepal feels big brother to itssouthern neighbour but it always encroaches Nepal's land so it is the behaviour of a friend orfoe. No record is maintained about Nepalese geopolitikers and record of foreign affairs.It is seemed that India always overlapped the no man's land but our border authorities lookhelplessly and keep silence and feel no responsibility. It is evident that from India leftist andrightist politicians get benefits. As the transitional period Nepal faces many challenges,problems and issues. If we enter the foreign ministry with the objectives to search the records of foreign policy expert, unfortunately, there is no record. Therefore, envoy system must be equipped with successful diplomats with full information on diplomacy and international relations in the modern world. But Nepal always forgets the norms for appointment of experts for the position of ambassadors or envoys.