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Such doubts gained ground in New Delhi after Prachanda travelled to China last month for the Olympics closing ceremony, departing from a tradition which has seen incoming Nepali leaders make New Delhi their first foreign port of call.
There is little doubt that ignoring India is almost impossible for Kathmandu: India is landlocked Nepal's major economic as well as trade partner, and supplies the bulk of essential goods. It is also Nepal's sole supplier of fuel.
"Whatever ties it seeks with China, India is their lifeline and they would want it to remain that way," Indian analyst Bharat Karnad said in New Delhi.
"He definitely wants a normal friendly relationship with India."
Experts say New Delhi would be keen to find out from Prachanda how he planned to take bilateral relations forward after the Maoists made anti-India rhetoric an integral part of their decade-long insurgency that ended in 2006.
The huge trade imbalance in favour of India riles Nepal, and the Maoists also seek the scrapping of a 1950 bilateral treaty defining travel, business, social and economic ties, saying it short-changed the Himalayan nation.
"Whether the treaty is to be modified, revised or reviewed and what provisions need to be changed is not clear yet," a senior government official, who asked not to be named, said.
Bilateral trade now exceeds $2.3 billion and is still growing. But Kathmandu is unhappy that the trade deficit rose to $1.1 billion in the financial year up to mid-July 2007 from $977 million in the same period in 2007.
"Having such a huge deficit with one country is a very difficult situation for our economy," said Krishna Raj Bajgain, a senior official of the state-run Trade and Export Promotion Centre. "We can't afford it and must try and bridge."
At home, Prachanda is also under pressure to press India for $37 million in compensation after a river in southeast Nepal burst a dam built and maintained by India and washed away several Nepali villages, displacing more than 70,000 people.
India says Nepali authorities did not help with the repairs.
During his four-day visit, the rebel chief-turned-Premier is to meet Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh and other leaders. Their discussions are likely to include the flooding of common rivers.
Prachanda is also due to attend a meeting with Indian businesses and travel to the nation's IT capital, Bangalore.
"The visit is expected to further enhance the trust, goodwill and mutually beneficial cooperation between Nepal and India," said Gyan Chandra Acharya, Nepal's most senior diplomat.
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Now India need to be more alert and strict visa for even nepali friends.There is a chance of exporting terrorist from any other neighbouring country.Indian soil is very soft and some of them miss using this benefits.For getting votes corrupt politician also playing soft touches to people enemy for this country.
you are my friend. We should make sure these Pakis will never attack India. More over, we also make it clear, India will never become Saudi Arabia. Muslims in India want to have a Nizam -e-Mustafa. We must not allow this to happen. India is the country of holy Vedas. It must remain so.
how long is india going to tolerate such blatant acts of terrorism from across the border? we should do just the same as the americans are doing-sending special op forces and killing the terrorists along the pak-afghan borderor bombing the tribal areas thru drones .what can happen/ pakistan does not have the balls to use nukes against us.
Parchanda is hard core marxist and anti India and is staunch supporter of China. Though India is life line of Nepal but he will tow hard line policy against India on the stance of China.Now India too has to review its policies radically tpowards Nepal. No more appeasement to Nepal.
I am deeply disturbed by the trends in nepal, I work with nepali's in gulf, generally they are good, but the hate they carry in their heart for india is terrible, when i first realised it i was amazed, I had a feeling that they may be thankful to India for providing employment for so many nepalese in Indian Army, now I am in serious doubt whether this people recruited into the Indian army will fight for India, Please take note of this, this is realy dangerous for the security of our country I cant trust this nepalese, and to top it all nepalese are involved in so many robries in India, governemt and the army chief please take note of this, that a nepali in the neighbourhood is not a friendly man, please avoid recruiting them into the Indian army, we have lot of people with no jobs, please recruit them, instead of recruiting this unthankful gorkhas.
India is also host to an innumerable number of Nepalese, who stay there permanently and send back remitances to Nepal. The Nepali government should not overlook this facility.
Whatever you wish, hope for and pray to, Nepal is not going to turn back from the course it has taken, courtesy the curse called communism. So sit tight for another two to three decades.
I dont see any reason why the indian comments are so anti-nepal.and plz stop disrespecting our nepali PM. We love him so do u to ur PM. also, u guys should remember that there are tons of indians in nepal working.And its not good to pre-suppose everything before you actually see or feel it. do you guys have any idea why nepalese are so anti-india?? have you ever tried rationalising that ? what sud we b greatful abt ? for ur occupying our land ? for ur unequal treaties ? for ur bulliness ? for ur humiliating press coverages??
Dear Nepalese, I agree that the indian policies looks like bully for Nepalese,, but my question: is this thing new ?, it starts from American foreign policy, and conclude that every big country can bull small one, India is just a part of their policy, so ,, Nepalese should find the alter way to have stright relationship with India.