National   

India concerned over outside interventions in Nepal

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI JULY 31. India has serious concerns over the growing international interest in attempting to "intervene'' in Nepal. The Government, specifically, is disturbed at the latest efforts by the United Nations to get a foothold in Nepal and place itself between the Surya Bahadur Thapa administration and the Maoists. A statement issued by the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in New York yesterday, said he had been following with keen interest the "peace process'' in Nepal. ``While a ceasefire that came into effect in January this year has been holding and the sides have been engaged in a series of formal and informal discussions, the process has faced serious obstacles in recent weeks and has reached a critical stage.

``The Secretary-General welcomes the continued expression by the Government and the Maoist group of their commitment to a peaceful solution . . . the Secretary-General remains at the disposal of Nepal to assist the achievement of a negotiated peaceful solution,'' the statement said. According to official sources here, the U.N. statement gives parity to the Maoists with the Government and also accords respectability to them. Some other countries, too, have ended up doing the same.

Already, India has conveyed these concerns about a U.N. "role'' in Nepal to T. Samuel, special envoy of the U.N. Secretary-General, who was recently in Nepal. ``This only gives legitimacy to the Maoists,'' the sources said, adding that the British approach to the issue was similar. Britain, they said, had been offering "technical facilitation'' to keep the Nepalese peace process going.

The peace process, the sources maintained, was unlikely to snap on account of technical difficulties, but due to the substantive differences that exist between the Nepalese Government and the Maoists. India also has concerns about the sale of "lethal'' military equipment to Nepal, which could well end up in the hands of the Maoists. And, given the "links'' between the People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) that operate in Bihar, New Delhi fears that these weapons might end up with Naxalite elements in India.

According to the sources, India has been helping the Nepalese Government for some time by supplying small arms, helicopters and stores. But the concern is that "outsiders'' should not provide more lethal weaponry than required to fight the Maoists. The information available here also suggests that the Maoists are worried about the long duration of military exercises conducted by the U.S. military and the Nepalese Army. Nepal, however, said there was nothing "new'' in the conduct of these exercises.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Talks with Pak. on air links on Aug. 27-28
• Advani wants debate on secularism
• BJP, Samata threaten counter-boycott
• Row over CBI tapes on Ayodhya
• Arunachal crisis: BJP denies Cong. charge
• TRAI allows SMS in WLL phones
• Funds to NE States: Centre to contribute more
• Troops leave for Congo
• U.K. addresses India's concerns on acquisition of AJTs
• The VHP had unflinching faith in the Paramhans
• Sinha leaves for Syria, Turkey
• India concerned over outside interventions in Nepal
• Award for Frontline journalist
• Bodo language to be included in VIII Schedule
• Vajpayee, Advani pay tributes to Paramhans

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu