New Delhi
17 December 2009
The mushrooming of Madrasas in Nepalese villages bordering India has been a
traditional concern for New Delhi. But now, with China seeking to spread its influence in
the Himalayan republic, New Delhi is also having to contend with the recent
phenomenon of Chinese "cultural centres" along the porous India-Nepal border.
The cultural centres are reported to be engaged in cultural propaganda, offering Chinese
language courses to anybody who is interested and popularising Chinese music.
According to Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) MV Krishna Rao, there are
teachers who impart Chinese language education without a fee. The broad thrust of their
activities is to propagate a "pro-China" message among the Nepalese population.
Rao said that a number of such cultural centres are operating in Nepal, along the border
with India. The difficulty of guarding an unfenced and open border compounds worries of
New Delhi, but "we are watching," Rao said.
Referring to sneaking of Pakistan-based operatives and militants into the country via the
Nepal border, Rao said, "[Only] one country makes good use of Indo-Nepal border [and]
that is Pakistan. There have been instances where they (Pakistan-based operatives)
have used this route to go to Kashmir [as] their active field is Kashmir," Rao said.
"These (Pakistan-based terrorists) people are resourceful enough to get fake documents
made from Nepal and cross the border in buses and other modes," he elaborated.
The sprouting of Madrasas in Nepal is widely believed to be the handiwork of elements
inimical to India. Many Madrasas are running without any oversight. According to some
reports, only one in four Madrasas have been registered by the Government of Nepal.
SSB is a border guarding force under the administrative control of Ministry of Home
Affairs. It is the lead intelligence agency for India-Nepal border, and it is assigned the
task of guarding the 1,751-km-long India-Nepal border along the states of Uttarakhand,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim. In March 2004, SSB was assigned the
task of guarding the 669-km stretch of India-Bhutan border along the states of Sikkim,
West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. SSB was originally set up in early 1963 in
the wake of the Sino-Indian conflict.
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