Last month I got to attend the wedding of one of my beloved college friends. The wedding was in Raxaul, a small town in the East Champaran District of Bihar, on the border of Bihar and Nepal (Birgunj). During my college days, my friend used to tell me how easy it was for her to cross the border every day. It was like a normal thing for her to go to Nepal and come back. I could never relate to her until I went there myself. I always thought about how anyone could go to another country so casually without making a big deal of it. Having spent all my life in North India, it was a completely different experience for me. Being a Political Science student, I had always read about the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950 with Nepal—how this treaty made the border porous for the movement of people and goods across the border smoothly without any visa or permit. This was just a fact that I crammed and moved on from. But this time, I got to live this fact. I got to experience the value of this friendship treaty firsthand.
We took some time amid the wedding to visit Birgunj. Some of our local friends took us there. My friend and I were very excited because for both of us, it was the first time we were stepping out of India. Raxaul has become one of the busiest borders with Nepal. I could see people crossing the border on foot, on bicycles, in e-rickshaws, cars, and to my surprise, even by tanga. We crossed the Friendship Bridge on foot and reached Birgunj. I am still surprised at how easy it was to step out of India. I never knew until that day that Nepal was 15 minutes ahead of India. We explored Birgunj while listening to the childhood tales of our friends going to Birgunj for movies, birthday parties, and ceremonies, and how people from Birgunj come to Raxaul for shopping. During this short visit, I really liked a few things. First and foremost was the traffic management in Birgunj. We went from a very mismanaged Raxaul to a very well-planned Birgunj. This made me wonder why there is such a huge difference in management between the two towns despite being just a few kilometers apart. Is it specifically because Raxaul is in Bihar, or has it become a general thing for us Indians to accept crowded and mismanaged traffic? I guess this is a topic for discussion in another blog. Second, people really embrace their national language, Nepali. As its script is also Devanagari, I was able to understand the written words. Every signboard, local food stall menu, and vehicle number plate was in Nepali. Even the numbers were written in Devanagari numerals. Third, of course, was the food—the mouthwatering momo, wai wai, and golgappas were to die for. I am craving them as I write about them.
I wish I could have visited more places there. But this short visit made me realize many things. Border is a subjective concept. The way I saw the border doesn’t mean everyone will see it that way. What appears as a simple line on a map manifests differently in the lived experiences of the border communities of Raxaul. For the people of Raxaul, the border is merely a bridge to cross, while for many of us from other parts of India, it represents a significant geographical threshold between the nations. For the people of Raxaul, it is like going to any other city in India. The exchange of ideas, people, and goods is a common thing. The fact that both Nepali and Indian currency are used by the people in Raxaul and Birgunj shows that the border is insignificant for the people of Raxaul. But for me, a border is something that divides one land into two which historically could have. It is because of both countries’ efforts that people can see the other side of the border so easily. Otherwise, the border in northwest India is not porous as it is with Nepal.
I appreciate the government’s efforts for this. I could cross the border within a few minutes without any hassle because of the friendship between India and Nepal. This friendship is a result of years of cooperation and give and take from both sides. India has always helped Nepal, be it during the 2015 earthquake relief, COVID-19 assistance, providing military training and equipment, or investing in infrastructure. Both are parts of SAARC, BIMSTEC, and BBIN. Nepal has also not shied away from diplomatically supporting India. Be it boycotting SAARC meetings in support of India against the URI attacks or supporting India’s stance on POK. But India-Nepal relations are not a happy picture anymore. There are territorial conflicts over Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura. There are issues like delays in the implementation of key hydropower projects such as the Pancheshwar Multipurpose project on the Mahakali River.
These are the major issues that I came across while reading about India-Nepal relations during my Masters. But I was curious to know the ground reality of relations among the common people from both sides. So I asked my friend, and she told me that many Nepalis don’t like Indians. She gave me a basic example. A person visiting Raxaul from Nepal hired an e-rickshaw to go somewhere. He was taken aback when he was asked to pay INR 500 for a distance of merely 1 km. Usually, a person in Raxaul would have to pay just INR 20 for this. Charging 25 times is not justified in any way. This is not an isolated event and it portrays Indians as very greedy among Nepalis. She also told me how Nepalis protested in the border area when India allegedly meddled in the constitution-making process of Nepal back in 2015 by supporting the Madhesis. The recent tragic death of Prakriti Lamsal has stirred up insecurities among Nepalis. The treatment of Nepali students at the KIIT campus has left everyone questioning the security of Nepali students in India. The country which is known for providing safe havens to refugees, which taught the world about “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” is making people insecure about their stay in it. We are losing here not only as a neighbor but also as a society.
Love and hate between two neighbors are common. But it becomes a problem if the neighbor starts looking for a new friend. China is emerging as a new friend of Nepal. Nepal joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017 to develop its infrastructure despite being aware of India’s stand against BRI. Nepal signed a Transit and Transport Agreement with China in 2016 to reduce trade dependence on India. Nepal gained access to Chinese ports for international trade. It’s not that India has not previously helped Nepal in infrastructure or connectivity. However, Nepal is not happy with the implementation of many Indian Projects like the Buddhi Gandaki Hydropower Project, the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, and others. The ill-treatment of Nepalis in India also doesn’t support India’s case against China. That’s why Nepal is now drifting away from India towards China.
Nepal, being a small nation, has to look after itself and is trying to balance by looking for more options. It is not conducive for India if that option is China. Thus, we Indians need to address this issue as a priority. We need to do away with the mentality of seeing Nepal and its citizens as dependents. Maintaining healthy neighborly relations requires continuous effort, mutual respect, and understanding—both at governmental levels and among common people. The small interactions between people across borders often shape international relationships as powerfully as formal treaties. When a Nepali visitor is overcharged for a short rickshaw ride in India, it creates ripples that extend far beyond that single transaction. India and Nepal share not just borders but centuries of cultural, religious, and historical bonds. These connections are too precious to be compromised by short-term political calculations or thoughtless everyday interactions. As citizens, we must remember that our individual actions toward visitors from neighboring countries contribute to the larger diplomatic picture. Both nations should also prioritize resolving issues with each other. Nepal is also aware of the importance of connection and friendship with India. Despite Joining the BRI, Nepal has not fully implemented any major BRI project.
As my friend’s wedding celebrations ended and we prepared to leave Raxaul, I reflected on how a simple invitation had unexpectedly transformed my understanding of borders. What began as a journey to celebrate love had become a profound lesson in India and Nepal relations. Standing on that friendship bridge between Raxaul and Birgunj taught me what no book could—that borders exist as much in our minds as they do on maps. Who knows, like me, thousands of people might gain new perspectives every time they cross that bridge, carrying with them not just goods or currency, but also the hope for a better friendship between neighbors.