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Shadows over the summit
By C. Raja Mohan
KATHMANDU, JAN. 2. There is more than one shadow hanging over the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) under way here. While the Indo-Pak tension colours the political atmosphere, the terrorist threat from the Maoists poses a huge security challenge to the Government.
Nepal is determined to ensure that the summit passes off without any hitch and appears to have sanitised the capital. For the very reason that the summit is a prestigious event for the Government, it becomes an attractive opportunity for the Maoists to strike during the week.
The security cover is visible and tight. Armed guards are seen everywhere. Metal detectors are ubiquitous. Visitors checking in at hotels are often asked to open their luggage for inspection. While mediapersons are willing to live with these procedures, there is some concern at the denial of access to key places.
The Soaltee hotel, where the Indian and Pakistani delegations are staying, is off-limits for the media, except for photographers and TV crews. Neither the meetings of the senior officials nor those of the Foreign Ministers are open to print journalists. There is much expectation that the organisers will reconsider the denial of access.
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If you are a regular China-baiter, you could even talk about the Chinese shadow over the summit. The Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has chosen not to fly over India, despite New Delhi's offer to let him do so. He will come here via China after spending a day with the Chinese premier, Mr. Zhu Rongji.
An Indian official here said, only in jest, that Gen. Musharraf had a ``good mileage plan''. In flying to Kathmandu the roundabout way, he would not only collect ``air miles'' but also demonstrate his ``political mileage'' in China.
Flying Gen. Musharraf into Kathmandu is not the only Chinese contribution to the 11th SAARC summit. The Birendra Convention Centre, where the summit will be held, has been built with Chinese assistance. India gives considerable aid and assistance to Nepal. The Chinese give far less, but seem better at choosing highly-visible projects.
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The professional agitators of the subcontinent are not up to speed. It has now become a practice for a whole range of political movements in the West to organise large protests at the gatherings of heads of state. ``People's summits'' are supposed to put across alternative perspectives on immediate issues.
The only non-governmental event of some interest here is the seminar being organised by the South Asian Free Media Association in one of the five star hotels. It is a relatively tame affair and is certainly no stone-throwing action-based protest that comes across so well on television screens.
The conference opened on the new year's day with a message from King Gyanendra - all in good South Asian tradition. It is being organised by the Jang group of newspapers from Pakistan with help from Norway and the United Nations Development Programme. Senior journalists from all over South Asia are attending the conference, which will come out with a declaration on ``media and peace''.
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In another good tradition of the subcontinent, the Nepalese Government has worked hard to clean up Kathmandu on the eve of the summit. Roads have been freshly laid and widened. A large number of illegal constructions at key locations in the city have been demolished.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation hopes the work done will not only impress the visitors but also help ease congestion and make the city greener. In the immediate sense, all this is bad news for street vendors and hawkers who have been asked to clear out.
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Some civility is already evident between the Indian and Pakistan officials here to attend the summit. The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, joined last night a dinner organised by the Nepalese Government for the SAARC Foreign Secretaries. At the head table, he was together with the Indian Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer. There was an exchange of pleasantries.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Mr. Inamul Haque, is going back, apparently for consultations with his Government. He is expected to return with Gen. Musharraf, via China. Mr. Haque has served as Pakistan's Ambassador in China.
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