The Hindu : 'Nepal needs to be transparent for better ties'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 14, 2003

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'Nepal needs to be transparent for better ties'

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI FEB. 13. The Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, said today that for India and Nepal to "proceed forward together" a genuine desire at the highest levels of the Nepalese Government to consult New Delhi and be transparent was "absolutely essential".

Speaking in his personal capacity at a seminar on India-Nepal relations, Mr. Sibal said: "Until we reach that level of mutual confidence, we will not be able to do our best to help you (Nepal)".

Referring to the situation in Nepal, he said this was causing enormous concern not just in India, but worldwide. The perception was that Nepal was in trouble and could become a failed state. The country needed to be helped to tackle the Maoist menace and that international involvement in the Himalayan nation must increase.

There was, Mr. Sibal said, "sharp concern" in the Western world that failed states could become a platform for international terrorist elements. "This is the kind of logic I see in my discussions behind some of the activism there is in Nepal by the international community," he said adding that the U.N. wanted to get involved and Britain and the U.S. were "very active". Norway, too, had apparently expressed a desire to play a role.

This kind of international involvement, he said, could have a bearing on how Nepal's problems were to be resolved and also on India's relations with Kathmandu.

There was a feeling that the Nepalese Army was ill equipped to deal with the Maoists and should be strengthened. India was involved in strengthening it and the police.

Mr. Sibal raised the question whether there should be concern about the flow of arms into Nepal and whether there should be some control on the kind of weapons coming in. He also raised the possibility of dialogue about the kind of weapons coming in.

Should there be a limit on the type of weapons coming in which could enhance the "lethality" of the conflict and raise the levels of violence and complicate the situation further?

Stressing that India's "deep interest" lay in Nepal's stability, Mr. Sibal said it was willing to do its bit in helping the Nepalese Government. However, India did not want to get too closely involved in the situation beyond what was acceptable to Kathmandu. India would do what Nepal felt was in consonance with bilateral relations.

There was need for much greater cooperation between the monarchy and the political parties in the Himalayan kingdom. "They must join hands together to deal with the Maoist menace," he said rather than being suspicious of each other. India felt that political parties should not be marginalised.

Mr. Sibal also raised several questions. Can Nepal's problems be resolved with India's active involvement? Is Nepal willing to make room for greater Indian involvement?

Once the Nepalese Government started talks with the Maoists it would put New Delhi in a quandary on how to deal with the Nepalese Maoists and their links with the Maoist groups in India.

Another question, he said, related to how China looked at the issues in Nepal. There was a certain degree of equilibrium in India's relations with Nepal and insofar as China was concerned.

How would China view the increased arms aid to Nepal from Western sources and would this start a new strategic competition? If it did, would this have consequences for Nepal's relations with other countries? There were no "ready answers" in New Delhi to the questions, Mr. Sibal said.

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