作者 | 孙红林编辑 | 王泽媛 陈珏可中尼铁路示意图。图源：“中尼铁路和南亚交流”微信公众号从人文社科角度看中尼铁路建设中的相关问题2022年9月30日，我有幸参加了“尼中跨境铁路学术研讨会”，听取了尼泊尔和中国的专家学者的讨论，很有意义。参会者的意见有很多相似的地方，可以继续探讨。2023年来了，中尼跨境铁路的建设问题，在尼泊尔和中国学界依然有不少人在关心。看见雷格米教授、孙勇教授、沙希先生还有杨荣涛副教授的新年伊始的四个人对话，感到欣慰，毕竟两国的学者在一个微信公众号里对话，是极少的，这样的创新形式能够实现，与中尼学者坦诚友好的交往是有极大关系的。
大家知道，半个多世纪以来，尼中两国曾数次共同构想过修建一条铁路穿越喜马拉雅山，以联通两个发展中国家，以增进沿线人民的福祉。然而，修建一条穿越世界最高山脉的铁路，工程挑战是前所未有的。更重要的是，修建这条铁路的议题，一开始就深受一些势力的干扰，以至于尼泊尔境内也滋生出较大的阻力。这些势力不仅影响着中尼铁路的构想、勘察和设计，而且将不会放过在修建过程中利用社情民意生事的任何机会。毫无疑问，中尼铁路的修建面临着工程技术和社会文化的双重的，甚至是复合的挑战。对此，尼中两国有识之士应有清醒的认知和充分的准备。
那些心怀疑虑的影响，还弥散在铁路规划的通过地带。这意味着中尼铁路所经地区的意识型态会更加多元和复杂。可以想见的是，如果对沿线地区了解不充分，或者说仍然仅仅依赖生态环境、地质构造等自然科学数据，而忽视那些或隐或显地参与铁路建设的社会文化要素，那么铁路建设不仅会遇到诸多的经济、社会和文化难题，而且会给破坏势力提供可乘之机，从而给中尼铁路增加建设运营风险和更多不确定性。对沿线情况进行全面深入的调查分析，是修建中尼铁路必不可少的环节，更是应对上述复合挑战的关键起点。但在我们的铁道工程领域，由于勘察设计单位向来只注重沿线地质构造、生态环境和技术经济指标，而忽视沿线宗教信仰、风土民俗、社会关系等社会文化要素，是容易造成问题的。
忽略这些社会文化因素，通常将导致两大后果：一是经济投资方面，体现为铁路建设成本的陡增，很有可能致使项目搁浅甚或长期难以完工。二是社会影响方面，表现为铁路建设单位掉入负面舆论漩涡，形象受损，甚至引发一些有争议事件。值得进一步指出的是，尤其是别有用心之人若对一般性的小摩擦推波助澜，两种情况相互影响，使得问题错综复杂。我想，这些因素应当高度重视：构想中的中尼铁路在中国境内段经过珠穆朗玛峰国家级自然保护区等国家重要生态功能区、重要水源涵养及土壤保持功能区，在尼泊尔境内经行朗塘国家公园、斯瓦普利自然保护区等地带，均是环境敏感区域。
在中国境内，铁路沿线区域分布萨迦寺、帕巴寺等国家级文物保护单位，9处省级文物保护单位，吉隆口岸车站所涉及的帮兴村墓群县级文物保护单位等单元。在尼泊尔境内，情况会更为复杂，以“寺庙之城”加德满都为例，作为拥有1000多年历史的文化古城，全市共有大小寺庙2700多座，每平方公里就有54座寺庙，宗教场所敏感，文物保护压力巨大。须知，工程投资、建设进度和生产质量与铁路的形象密切相关，更与“五通”之民心相通、两国文明交流互鉴和共建人类命运共同体关系重大。我本人承担了西南交通大学国家社科基金项目（22CMZ009）研究，是课题的主持人。
在研究之中，得出一种应对上述工程和社会的双重复合挑战的认识，即我们可以持行动者网络理论意识，重视在建设之前，包括修建之中以及之后的三对关系。一是国际关系，即深刻影响中尼关系的中-尼-印-美的关系；二是路地关系，即中尼铁路与中尼两国各自境内沿线地方政府的关系；三是工程技术理性与地方性知识的关系。基于此，开展全面细致的前期调查，我们才能够全方位地理解铁路沿线的复杂区域社会。当然，这三对关系，需要更多的研究和深入探讨。在具体的问题上，要把握好铁路修建之中包含了生态环境、地质构造、族群政治、宗教文化、非正式经济、时空观念等在内的复杂社会系统，为应对预判中的困难和挑战夯实基础。
显然，这个大系统的任务绝不仅仅是铁路选线专家、铁路勘察工程师以及后期管理技术人员所能完成，它亟需中尼两国人文社会科学家的积极参与。我赞同沙希先生的意见，最好是工程师和社科专家组成一个团队，携手并进，相互启迪，共商共建。由此可见，宗教学、人类学、社会学、政治经济学等领域的学者理应在实地踏勘、选线设计、施工建设中发挥基础性的文化价值，做出创造性的社会贡献。现在，中尼铁路很可能在普拉昌达先生所领导的新一届政府的支持下获得新进展。在新政府组建的第二天，中方援尼泊尔中尼跨境铁路技术援助专家组即抵达加德满都，与尼泊尔铁路部门进行讨论和协调推进中尼跨境铁路可行性研究，中尼铁路即将进入开展尼国境内沿线踏勘工作和选线设计的新阶段。
不过，在较长的时间里，中尼铁路面对的复合挑战是结构性的，涉及到的方方面面，需要的不仅是一届政府的支持，还要其后每届政府的信用予以支持，更需要得到尼泊尔民意的支持，当然也需要施工和管理单位在通晓社情民意的前提下，以积极的态度熟悉当地的风俗民情。就此而言，在中尼铁路迈向实地踏勘和选线设计之时，人文社科界的深度参与可谓正当时。中国和尼泊尔专家学者对这条跨境铁路的讨论，本身就是一种民心相通的体现。我在上一届的学术研讨会上，聆听了马哈拉先生、雷格米教授、塔帕教授等尼泊尔专家的意见，不乏真知灼见，提出了一些有预见性的意见，这些意见使得我们对某些问题看得更加清楚！
这是一种很好的交流形式，因而我期望在2023年再次参加这样的学术交流研讨会。借此发文的机会，我向尼泊尔的学术界朋友问候，祝你们在新的一年里，工作顺利，幸福美满！
以下为英文翻译：The Issues Concerning the Construction of China-Nepal Railway from the Perspective of Humanities and Social SciencesOn September 30, 2022, I had the honor to attend the "Nepal-China Cross-border Railway Academic Seminar" and listened to the discussion of experts and scholars from Nepal and China, which was very meaningful. At the
very least, there are many similarities in the opinions of the participants that can be explored further. Since 2023, the construction of the China-Nepal cross-border railway has attracted a lot of attention in the Nepalese and Chinese academia. I am glad to see the dialogue between Professor Regmi, Professor Sun Yong, Mr. Shahi and Assoc
iate Professor Yang Rongtao at the beginning of the New Year. After all, it is very rare for scholars from the two countries to have a dialogue in a WeChat official account. The fact that such an innovative form can be realized is to a large extent due to the honest and friendly exchanges between Chinese and Nepalese scholars.As we all kn
ow, for more than half a century, Nepal and China have on several occasions jointly conceived the idea of building a railway across the Himalayas to connect the two developing countries and improve the well-being of people along the route. But the engineering challenge of building a railway through the world's highest mountain range is un
precedented.More importantly, the issue of building the railway has been deeply interfered with by some forces from the very beginning, so much so that there has been considerable resistance in Nepal. These forces not only influence the conception, survey and design of the China-Nepal railway, but also will not miss any opportunity to tak
e advantage of social conditions and public opinions during the construction process. There is no doubt that the construction of China-Nepal railway is confronted with dual or even compound challenges of engineering technology and social culture. In this regard, people of vision in both countries should have a clear understanding and be f
ully prepared.The impact of those doubts still hangs over the railway's planned passage. This means that the ideology of the region through which the China-Nepal railway passes will become more diverse and complex. It can be expected that, if the understanding of the areas along the railway is not sufficient, or still only rely on the eco
logical environment, geological structure and other natural scientific data, while ignoring those social and cultural elements that are implicitly or explicitly involved in the railway construction, the railway construction will not only encounter many economic, social and cultural problems, but also provide opportunities for the destruct
ive forces, thus increasing the construction and operation risk and more uncertainty of the China-Nepal railway.A comprehensive and in-depth investigation and analysis of the situation along the route is an essential link in the construction of the China-Nepal railway, but it is also a key starting point to deal with the above compound ch
allenges. However, in our field of railway engineering, because the survey and design units always pay attention to the geological structure, ecological environment and technical and economic indicators along the line, but ignore the religious beliefs, local customs, social relations and other social and cultural elements along the line,
it is easy to cause problems.If these factors are ignored, they usually lead to two consequences. First, in terms of economic investment, the steep increase of railway construction costs may cause the project to run aground or even be difficult to complete for a long time. Secondly, in terms of social impact, railway construction units fe
ll into the vortex of negative public opinion, damaged their image and even caused some controversial events. It is worth further pointing out that, especially if someone with ulterior motives is contributing to a general minor friction, the two situations interact with each other, making the problem complicated.In my view, we should atta
ch great importance to these factors. In China, the proposed China-Nepal railway passes through the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve and other important ecological and water conservation and soil conservation areas. In Nepal, it passes through Langtang National Park and Swapuri Nature Reserve, which are both environmentally sensitive ar
eas.In China, along the railway, there are Sakya Temple, Papa Temple and other national cultural relic protection units, 9 provincial cultural relic protection units, and county cultural relic protection units of Bangxing Village tomb complex involved in Jilong port station.In Nepal, the situation is more complicated. Take Kathmandu, the
"City of temples" as an example. As a cultural ancient city with a history of more than 1,000 years, there are more than 2,700 temples of all sizes in the city, with 54 temples per square kilometer. Moreover, it is of great importance to closer people-to-people ties of the “Five-Pronged Approach”, exchanges and mutual learning between the
two civilizations, and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.I myself undertook the research of the National Social Science Fund Project (22CMZ009) of Southwest Jiaotong University, and was the host of the project. In the research, a kind of understanding is obtained to deal with the above double and complex challen
ges of engineering and society, that is, we can bear in mind the Actor-Network Theory, and pay attention to the following three pairs of relations before, during and after the construction.First, international relations, that is, the relations between China, Nepal, India and the United States, which have a profound impact on China-Nepal relations;
The second is the relationship between road and land, that is, the relationship between China-Nepal Railway and the local governments along the respective territory of China and Nepal. Third, the relationship between engineering technical rationality and local knowledge. Based on this, we can fully understand the complex regional society
along the railway by carrying out a comprehensive and detailed preliminary investigation.Of course, these three pairs of relationships need more research and discussion. In terms of specific issues, it is necessary to grasp the complex social system including ecological environment, geological structure, ethnic politics, religious culture
, informal economy, time and space concept in railway construction, so as to lay a solid foundation for coping with the difficulties and challenges in the forecast.Obviously, the task of this large system is beyond the ability of railway route selection experts, railway survey engineers and later management and technical personnel alone,
and is in need of the active participation of humanistic and social scientists from China and Nepal. I agree with Mr. Shashi that it is better to form a team of engineers and social science experts to work together and inspire each other.It can be seen that scholars in the fields of religion, anthropology, sociology, political economy and
so on should play a role in the process of field survey, line selection design and construction, thus bringing out the basic cultural values of Humanities and Social Sciences and make creative social contributions.Now it is likely to get a boost with the new government led by Mr Prachanda. On the second day after the formation of the new
government, the Technical assistance team of the Chinese side for the China-Nepal Cross-border Railway arrived in Kathmandu to discuss and coordinate the feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway with the Nepalese railway department. The China-Nepal Railway is about to enter a new stage of carrying out field survey and rou
te selection design along the routes in Nepal.However, in the longer term, the complex challenges facing the China-Nepal railway are structural. It involves various aspects. It needs not only the support of one government, but also the credit support of each successive government, as well as the support of Nepalese public opinion. Further
more, the units for railway construction and management need to actively familiarize themselves with local customs on the basis of the Nepalese public opinion. In this regard, it is right time for the Humanities and Social Sciences to participate deeply in the field survey and route selection design of China-Nepal railway.The discussion b
etween Chinese and Nepalese experts and scholars on the cross-border railway is itself a manifestation of closing people-to-people ties. At the last seminar, I listened to the opinions of Nepalese experts, such as Mr. Mahara, Professor Regmi and Professor Thapa. The insights and predicative suggestions they brought out in the seminar helped us to see some issues more clearly!
It is a good form of communication, so I look forward to attending the seminar again in 2023. I would like to take this opportunity to send my greetings to the academic community in Nepal. I wish you a blessed and happy New Year!作者简介：孙红林，四川师范大学全球治理与区域国别研究院助理研究员
本文转载自“中尼铁路和南亚交流”微信公众号2023年1月17日文章，原标题为《从人文社科角度看中尼铁路建设中的相关问题》本期编辑：王泽媛 陈珏可