Roti-Beti Ka Rishta

India and Nepal have cherished a relationship described as "Roti Beti Ka Rishta" since their inception.^[8] The "Roti-Beti" relationship between India and Nepal refers to the unique and deeply intertwined cultural, social, and economic bonds between the two countries. It includes trade, commerce, employment, livelihoods, cross-border marriages, shared cultural heritage and people-to-people connections, etc.^[9] The Hindi phrase "Roti-beti ka rishta" is emotionally and commonly used by the people of the two nations to signify the strong social and family ties between India and Nepal. This relationship is connected through roti (food) and daughter (marriage), symbolizing mutual cooperation, love and intimacy between the people of both countries.^[5][4][10] The Roti-Beti relationship between the two nations is still continued and maintained by the Indo-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950.^[11]

Due to the unique relationship of "Roti Beti Ka Rishta" between the two nations, Nepal has a blood relationship with India. Therefore, the relation between India and Nepal is special compared to any third nation.^[4] The special relation is enjoyed and strengthen in the form of porous border and free movement of the both national citizens in the land of the two nations.^[12] The other most important factor for the stronger relationship of the Roti-Beti Ka Rishta is the common origin of the cultural and religious traditions in the both nations.^[5] The popular annual circumambulation of the Mithila Madhya Parikrama in the Mithila region is a pilgrimage that symbolizes the "roti-beti ka rishta" by connecting communities in India and Nepal through a shared cultural and religious heritage related to the legendary marriage between Lord Rama and Sita in Mithila.^[13]

In the recent period, the Devashila Yatra was one of the major cultural and religious journeys between the both nations to show the ties of the Roti-Beti relation between the two nations publicly.^[14]

While traditionally strong, the "Roti-Beti" relationship has faced some challenges in recent years. The new citizenship act in Nepal, political shifts and their anti-Indian sentiments, border disputes are the major challenges faced by the traditional relationship of Roti-Beti between the two nations.^[9] In the recent years, due to these challenges the "Roti Beti Ka Rishta" has seen some declination.^[7] Similarly, according to experts, the growing Chinese influence in Nepal is another potential challenge for the "Roti-Beti" relation. It has potential to hurt the ties of "Roti Beti Ka Rishta" in future.^[12]