Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Nepal to attend the SAARC Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for the early drafting of Nepal's Constitution in Kathmandu today.
India, he said, would not interfere but it would be sad if despite having the expertise, it could not help. "I request all political stakeholders to draft the Constitution by early next year... failing to do so can cause difficulties to Nepal and your difficulty despite our expertise to help you is a matter of sadness," he said.
The Prime Minister, who is in Nepal to attend the two-day SAARC Summit, said the constitution should be drafted through consensus and "reflect the aspirations of all communities, including Madhesis, Pahadis and Maoists".
His remarks came after Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala expressed confidence that Nepal will be able to draft its Constitution by early next year.
This is Nepal's second attempt to write a constitution. Nepal had held its first parliamentary elections in 1991 and the country is currently governed under an interim constitution drafted in 2007.
The government of Baburam Bhattarai was defeated in the elections held last November for a constituent assembly or parliament, charged with writing a constitution aimed at bringing stability to a country still divided by the legacy of a decade-long civil war.
After three months of deadlock, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) taken over power, forming an alliance. Soon after, the Constituent Assembly had started the process of drafting the constitution.
PM Modi, who is in Kathmandu to attend the SAARC Summit, is trying to start a "new chapter in bilateral ties" that will serve as a model for regional partnership, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said on the eve of his visit.
The approach is in line with his invitation to the heads of the neighbouring countries during his swearing-in ceremony in May, which was viewed as a key strategic initiative to reach out.