The Hindu : National : "Struggle for democracy in Nepal will intensify"

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Sunday, Oct 02, 2005

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"Struggle for democracy in Nepal will intensify"

Special Correspondent

People must address role of king and issues: Yechury

NEW DELHI: The seven-member political delegation that visited Nepal to express solidarity with the people in the struggle for restoration of democracy said here on Saturday that efforts would intensify next month.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member, Sitaram Yechury, who was part of the delegation, said its members had extensive interaction with leaders of the seven-party alliance in Nepal, which is in the forefront of the struggle for restoration of democracy.

Mr. Yechury, who returned here on Friday, told reporters that the delegation told the leaders that while Indian political parties were in Kathmandu to express solidarity it was for the people of Nepal and the political parties to address issues such as the character of democracy and its structure, the role of the king in a future set up and the problems raised by the Maoists.

The team said that since India and Nepal shared deep relations, nothing should be done to disturb it. Mr. Yechury said it also sought to dispel allegations that India supported the Maoists.

The CPI (M) leader said the political question before India was how to integrate Maoist/naxalites into the mainstream. "Between Nepal and Bastar and right down to Tamil Nadu, there is a corridor which is under the influence of naxalites/Maoists. The challenge is to bring them to the mainstream ... so this charge that we are soft is absurd."

The struggle for democracy would intensify after the festival period of Dusshera and Deepavali. "Last time the struggle for democracy in 1990 took 60 days and hopefully it would take less time now." Asked about the incident of stoning and black flags being shown to the delegation on its arrival in Kathmandu, Mr. Yechury said, "In a democracy there is a right to protest ... we only want the king to give such rights to all."

Mr. Yechury said he would meet External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to brief them about the visit. The delegation included Congress MP Chandrasekhar Sahu, CPI national secretary D. Raja, Janata Dal (Secular) leader Surendra Mohan, Samajwadi Party MLA Suneelam, Socialist Front leader Anil Mishra and National Congress Party general secretary D.P. Tripathi.

The delegation was on a three-day visit from September 28 to 30.

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