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Foreign mediation not needed in Nepal: India

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Feb. 1. India is of the view that foreign mediation in Nepal is not required and could complicate matters in the Himalayan Kingdom.

There have been several "offers" to mediate between the Nepalese Government and the Maoists, with the most recent move coming from Norway. Earlier this week, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal made the offer to mediate.

According to informed sources, the Norwegians seem keen on involving themselves in peace process in places where there is conflict.

After the West Asian peace process and involvement in Sri Lanka, they have now turned their attention to Nepal.

Though India has not welcomed, but merely "noted" the ceasefire announcement coming from the Nepalese Government and the Maoists, the sources are quick to stress that the agreement was reached directly by the parties concerned. No "third party" was involved in this so there was no need for any foreign mediator, the sources said. In the past, the United Nations and some European institutions had offered to mediate in the crisis.

It is also pointed out that the Norwegian record is hardly a great one as far as achieving the ultimate end of peace is concerned. The Oslo peace process, involving the Palestinians, Israelis and the Norwegians, came a cropper and there was little that the mediators could do about it.

Even in Sri Lanka, the Norwegians are grappling with complex issues and it remains to be seen whether Oslo can nudge the process towards a final resolution.

Questions are being raised about the Norwegian involvement in Sri Lanka, with the party of the President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, taking repeated pot shots at the mediators.

As far as the current state of play between the Nepalese Government and the Maoists is concerned, there is little doubt that the agreement has come as a bit of a surprise.

The sources point out that there is a wide divergence of opinion between the "Palace" and the Maoists on a number of issues and even after the ceasefire; the ultra-leftists have not really given up on any of their positions.

They also stress that the Maoist attitude towards the democratic process needs to be closely watched given their earlier approach.

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