Former central general-secretary of Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), Basu Koirala, died in a road accident on Wednesday night.
The 40-year-old Koirala, a resident of Inaruwa Municipality-7, died in a motorcycle accident at Bhokraha-5, Sunsari district.
He was riding a motorcycle with registration number Ko 3 Pa 2786 and was going towards the west on political business at the time of the accident.
Police said Koirala’s motorcycle hit a stationary truck with registration number Na 1 Kha 7870.
Koirala is also the treasurer of the Nepali Congress Sunsari district committee.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
"It's difficult to reconcile Maoist desire for better ties with ongoing anti-India rhetoric"-Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood
At a time when the main opposition party, UCPN (Maoist), is gearing up for a show of strength in the capital on May 1, and has been repeatedly charging the southern neighbor of undue interference in Nepal’s internal politics, Republica´s Editor-in-Chief Ameet Dhakal and Special Correspondent Akanshya Shah caught up with Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood to talk about his country´s present relations with the Maoist party and India’s security concerns, among others.
EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW
Myrepublica.com: In the press conference in Kathmandu on Monday, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that his party is in constant communication with India. What level of Indian engagement is with the UCPN (Maoist) party and what is your assessment of the engagement?
Rakesh Sood: We have been engaging with the Maoists for many years now. Even now whenever we have a high-level visitor coming from India, we always try to make sure that they are able to meet Maoist leaders. The last high-level visitor was Indian Minister for External Affairs, S M Krishna, about three months ago. At that time, he had a long meeting with former Prime Minister Dahal. He had separate meetings with other Maoists leaders as well. At my level, I continue to meet Maoist leaders from time to time. So I think the level of engagement is there and there is no breakdown of communications. We continue to convey our points of views and concerns to the Maoists regularly.
Myrepublica.com: Is there any direct communication between Dahal and New Delhi and is there any connection between that and the current stalemate?
Sood: I met Dahal a week before leaving for Delhi last week. I conveyed our concerns about the ongoing political impasse and the consequent delays in drafting the constitution and also about the delays in integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants. I also spoke to him about some of their activities targeting Indian joint ventures. He told me that his party would like to have good relations with India. Naturally, we welcome that. I have drawn his attention to a lot of anti-Indian activities being undertaken and rhetoric by his party activists and organizations affiliated to the Maoist. This is inconsistent. Imagine, today one wants to be a friend and tomorrow he does unfriendly acts. It is difficult to reconcile the two. We would like to see all anti-Indian activities come to an end. But that has not happened.
Myrepublica.com: Can you be specific what kinds of anti-Indian activities are you talking about?
Sood: We see statements made by Maoist leaders from time to time and anti-Indian graffiti in Kathamndu. In protest marches, anti-Indian slogans appear regularly. We have also seen reports of how certain Indian companies were prevented from doing their work. I have taken this up with Dahal and with the government of Nepal.
Myrepublica.com: Does that mean the trust level that India had with Maoists has gone down?
Sood: There are two pillars to the whole process of Maoists coming over ground. One was their commitment that within six months of the elections, rehabilitation and integration of Maoist combatants would take place, and the second was their commitment to multiparty democracy. I think somehow there is a feeling that some concrete action needs to be taken to reestablish the trust that the Maoists are still committed to these. It is difficult to reconcile to a desire to have better relations with India in the light of ongoing anti-Indian rhetoric.
Myrepublica.com: From the day Dahal stepped down saying pressure from foreign masters, has the trust remained at the same level or come down?
Sood: It is important to understand that the Maoist-led government resigned as its own coalition partners were no longer with Dahal. He took an honorable route and tendered his resignation. The question is: Why did they leave him? I believe they left as there was a growing lack of confidence generated by Maoist decision. So, there is a need to rebuild that confidence to return to politics of consensus.
Myrepublica.com: Dahal was saying that a leader from his own party was proposed by India to be the next PM of Nepal. Is that true?
Sood: I asked him this question. He said that there were various reports in media and he heard this from other people who keep visiting India. But that is hardly credible. He, however, also said that that was a thing of the past.
Myrepublica.com: Does that also mean India has no preference for any other leader besides Dahal?
Sood: These are internal affairs of Nepal. We have no agenda other than to support economic development and Nepal’s emergence as a stable multi-party democratic state.
Myrepublica.com: Dahal has explicitly said that India is trying to interfere with his party affairs and even attempting to split his party. What do you say?
Sood: He has never provided concrete examples of how India has interfered with his party. In his interview to The Hindu, he said that he asked me to get a high-level envoy. We did not do so. It shows we were not interfering. He said subsequently that he met senior Indian leaders in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
Sood: You must ask this question to him.
One of the complaints Dahal has made publicly is that the relations between India and his party fell apart after his government tried to balance relations between China and India. He wanted to maintain equi-distance and India did not like that and started ‘playing games’ leading to his resignation. Is there a tradeoff between India and China’s security interest in Nepal? Can we address both?
First, Nepal is a sovereign country and it is the right of the leaders of Nepal to decide which foreign country they want to visit. This is not something like India vs China. Second, from my discussions with Chinese colleagues and other high-level discussions between the two capitals, both countries would like to see stability in Nepal. Third, we have a strong and long-standing relations with Nepal and we do not see our relations with Nepal through the prism of Nepal’s relation with other countries.
Myrepublica.com: Dahal has explicitly said that India did not want him to go for Olympics Games held in China in August 2008. He even said that President Dr Ram Baran Yadav canceled his China visit as India did not approve of it. Does that contain any truth?
Sood: Former PM Dahal stated on record during his visit to India that he was extremely happy with the visit and said it was a successful visit. This is something he said to media and others subsequently. Thus, his own views do not reconcile with your question.
Myrepublica.com: Some Indian newspapers have carried opinions saying that Maoist-led government was tilted to China and that was against India’s security interest. Do you agree?
Sood: In our dialog with China on Nepal, we both agree it is of importance to both our countries that Nepal should be a stable country as instability in Nepal is a cause of concern to both of us.
Our security concerns vis-a-vis Nepal are naturally different as there is 1,800 km open border, there is visa-free regime between India and Nepal, which emerges from provisions enabled through 1950 Treaty. Therefore, we would like to ensure that this open border – which has been misused increasingly in recent years – does not become a source of vulnerability for India. That is at the root of our security concerns.
Myrepublica.com: Can you specify how open border has been misused and what are the security concerns of India and Nepal?
Sood: In 2009-10, the amount of fake Indian currency confiscated here amounts to almost IRs 19 to 19 million. That is a huge sum. Clearly, people who are bringing the currency do so as it is easy to take it across the open border. Last year, about 17-18 terrorists having links with various terrorist organizations were apprehended in different parts of India who had entered India via Nepal. They came from different places, mostly by air and decided to make use of the open border to get into India undetected. We need to be conscious in today’s time and age about vulnerability that this possesses and we need greater cooperation in strengthening our vigil against such potential terrorist activities which can affect both our countries.
Myrepublica.com: Do you think that Dahal’s government was not serious enough in addressing the security concerns of India?
Sood: Maoist government, the present government and successive governments have assured us that they are sensitive to India’s security concerns and that they will not allow Nepal’s territory to be used against anti-Indian activities. We respect these assurances, but we need to be able to put together a mechanism of working together where we can ensure that these assurances transform into a watertight arrangement.
Myrepublica.com: What was the reason behind deteriorating relations between Maoists and India?
Sood: Dahal told me that his party wants best of relations with India. He said he has spent so many years in India and is sympathetic to India’s concerns and that he wants the relations between his party and India to improve. I also wish for the same. But he has to answer your question. We have not come up with such differences during our meeting. He has neither raised such differences with any high-level leaders who have visited Nepal of late.
Myrepublica.com: In your letter to Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, you raised the issue of open border. What is the relation between printing of Machine Readable Passports in India and India’s security concerns?
Sood: First of all, I think it is a matter of regret that confidential communication between embassy and the government was leaked in this manner. It is also unfortunate that the issue of MRP was politicized and lot of misinformation was spread. My letter to the foreign minister was a straightforward one because a Nepali passport holder enjoys certain privileges in India by virtue of being a Nepali passport holder. For example, no work permit is required, a Nepali passport holder can open a bank account, can engage in trading in stock exchange, buy property – so naturally it is a shared concern that Nepali passport should be a document that should be as tamper-proof as possible. There are many reports of lost Nepali passports – on an average as many as 40 passports are reported lost every day. This is a cause of concern to us as much as it is for the Nepal government. We would not like Nepali documents to be misused. So, as a friendly neighbor, we were offering that we could prepare MRPs of high standard. Also, we were supplying the MRPs at a price less than the price at which it is supplied to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Myrepublica.com: Will the Indian company take part in the new bidding process? And how was the MRP cancellation taken by the South Block?
Sood: This is a question for the future and depends as and when the tender comes out. But there is a sense of disappointment and regret at the manner in which misinformation was spread and partisan politics politicized the issue. We were printing the documents and the personalization would have been done here. We were providing the equipment and technical training free of cost and the Nepali officials would do the entries.
Myrepublica.com: What is your assessment of the peace process?
Sood: India would very much like that the Constituent Assembly produce a new constitution. Nepal with support of international community has made considerable progress for the last four years and now that we are close to the finishing line, I think we must realize that we cannot afford to fail. As far as India is concerned, we have no agenda other than to support Nepal’s emergence as a stable multi-party democracy and Nepal’s economic development. We have provided all assistance as sought for moving toward these goals and in whichever way we can help, we would do it to enable Nepal to cross the finishing line successfully.
Myrepublica.com: When Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal visited India, he said that the twin objectives of his government are to write the new constitution and hold the next elections. Do you see this government holding a new poll?
Sood: This is a decision for the people and parties to make. Our interest is that together we have made gains successfully. We would like to see a new constitution emerge as that was one of the key aspects in terms of bringing about transformation.
Sood: Growing polarization and absence of consensus. And behind that there are other reasons, which all leaders understand.
Myrepublica.com: It is said that in Nepal a last-minute solution is always found. Are you positive? And has India initiated a new political agreement between the political parties in Nepal?
Sood: Hopefully, a solution is designed. India played a role of the facilitator. Today’s requirement is not for a new agreement, but for concrete steps to rebuild trust and that the agreements are implemented. There has to be an effort at rebuilding trust and it comes from realization.
Myrepublica.com: Has India adopted ‘wait and see’ attitude or are you going to facilitate this time as well?
Sood: It is difficult to make predictions. India will play a supportive role as per the desire of the people and leaders of Nepal. It is difficult to define it now.
Myrepublica.com: The government has not yet requested the UN Security Council to extend UNMIN’s term, which expires on May 15. Many argue that the government has delayed the process under India’s objection and pressure as India was not positive towards UNMIN’s presence in Nepal in the first place. What is your take on this?
Sood: This is a decision to be taken exclusively by the government of Nepal. The whole process is Nepali-driven and Nepali-led and the government is fully capable of taking a decision to its best interest. It is completely incorrect to say we did not want UNMIN to come here in the first place. We were fully supportive. In fact, we provided a huge amount of assistance in terms of material resources for setting up its operations here and conducting its role in elections. We supplied over 90 vehicles and 50 wireless sets to UNMIN, 70 containers for storage of arms being managed under UN supervision, supplied 6,800 metric tons of food material and 4,000 tents for rehabilitation of internally-displaced people. It shows our confidence in Nepal government’s ability to make a decision on its interest and we do not want to be seen as interfering.
Myrepublica.com: What is your assessment of UNMIN’s performance?
Sood: That assessment has to be done by Nepal government.
Myrepublica.com: Of the three issues – signing of strip map, extradition treaty and MRP deal – which you took up since you came to Nepal two years ago, why have none of them worked?
Sood: The boundary strip map is a long-standing issue and the strip maps prepared over a period of more than two decades by the experts, surveyors on both sides. We have agreed on 97 percent of the border which has been mapped. The best way to settle this is to formalize boundary as set out in the maps.
Extradition Treaty is not something that has been there only for two years. It has been there for much longer. The Treaty has been negotiated by both the sides and has been initialed at the official level. Now it requires a political decision to be formalized.. We have raised our security concerns time and again at all levels. Today’s security concerns are quite different from the security concerns 40 years ago. Open border has acted as a bridge between the people of two countries. But in the light of today’s security concerns it should be seen as a source of vulnerability . The way we can manage it is through additional instruments through which we can work together to address common security concerns.
Myrepublica.com: How satisfied are you with your job in Kathmandu?
Sood: I was looking forward to coming here. I enjoy being here. It is a beautiful country. I like photography and get out of Kathmandu whenever I get a chance to take pictures. I find that satisfying and most rewarding.
source:myrepublica.com
EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW
Myrepublica.com: In the press conference in Kathmandu on Monday, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that his party is in constant communication with India. What level of Indian engagement is with the UCPN (Maoist) party and what is your assessment of the engagement?
Rakesh Sood: We have been engaging with the Maoists for many years now. Even now whenever we have a high-level visitor coming from India, we always try to make sure that they are able to meet Maoist leaders. The last high-level visitor was Indian Minister for External Affairs, S M Krishna, about three months ago. At that time, he had a long meeting with former Prime Minister Dahal. He had separate meetings with other Maoists leaders as well. At my level, I continue to meet Maoist leaders from time to time. So I think the level of engagement is there and there is no breakdown of communications. We continue to convey our points of views and concerns to the Maoists regularly.
Myrepublica.com: Is there any direct communication between Dahal and New Delhi and is there any connection between that and the current stalemate?
Sood: I met Dahal a week before leaving for Delhi last week. I conveyed our concerns about the ongoing political impasse and the consequent delays in drafting the constitution and also about the delays in integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants. I also spoke to him about some of their activities targeting Indian joint ventures. He told me that his party would like to have good relations with India. Naturally, we welcome that. I have drawn his attention to a lot of anti-Indian activities being undertaken and rhetoric by his party activists and organizations affiliated to the Maoist. This is inconsistent. Imagine, today one wants to be a friend and tomorrow he does unfriendly acts. It is difficult to reconcile the two. We would like to see all anti-Indian activities come to an end. But that has not happened.
Myrepublica.com: Can you be specific what kinds of anti-Indian activities are you talking about?
Sood: We see statements made by Maoist leaders from time to time and anti-Indian graffiti in Kathamndu. In protest marches, anti-Indian slogans appear regularly. We have also seen reports of how certain Indian companies were prevented from doing their work. I have taken this up with Dahal and with the government of Nepal.
Myrepublica.com: Does that mean the trust level that India had with Maoists has gone down?
Sood: There are two pillars to the whole process of Maoists coming over ground. One was their commitment that within six months of the elections, rehabilitation and integration of Maoist combatants would take place, and the second was their commitment to multiparty democracy. I think somehow there is a feeling that some concrete action needs to be taken to reestablish the trust that the Maoists are still committed to these. It is difficult to reconcile to a desire to have better relations with India in the light of ongoing anti-Indian rhetoric.
Myrepublica.com: From the day Dahal stepped down saying pressure from foreign masters, has the trust remained at the same level or come down?
Sood: It is important to understand that the Maoist-led government resigned as its own coalition partners were no longer with Dahal. He took an honorable route and tendered his resignation. The question is: Why did they leave him? I believe they left as there was a growing lack of confidence generated by Maoist decision. So, there is a need to rebuild that confidence to return to politics of consensus.
Myrepublica.com: Dahal was saying that a leader from his own party was proposed by India to be the next PM of Nepal. Is that true?
Sood: I asked him this question. He said that there were various reports in media and he heard this from other people who keep visiting India. But that is hardly credible. He, however, also said that that was a thing of the past.
Myrepublica.com: Does that also mean India has no preference for any other leader besides Dahal?
Sood: These are internal affairs of Nepal. We have no agenda other than to support economic development and Nepal’s emergence as a stable multi-party democratic state.
Myrepublica.com: Dahal has explicitly said that India is trying to interfere with his party affairs and even attempting to split his party. What do you say?
Sood: He has never provided concrete examples of how India has interfered with his party. In his interview to The Hindu, he said that he asked me to get a high-level envoy. We did not do so. It shows we were not interfering. He said subsequently that he met senior Indian leaders in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
There are two pillars to the whole process of Maoists coming over ground. One was their commitment that within six months of the elections, rehabilitation and integration of Maoist combatants would take place, and the second was their commitment to multiparty democracy. I think somehow there is a feeling that some concrete action needs to be taken to reestablish the trust that the Maoists are still committed to these.
Myrepublica.com: Does Indian government know who the people Dahal met were in London, Hong Kong and Singapore?Sood: You must ask this question to him.
One of the complaints Dahal has made publicly is that the relations between India and his party fell apart after his government tried to balance relations between China and India. He wanted to maintain equi-distance and India did not like that and started ‘playing games’ leading to his resignation. Is there a tradeoff between India and China’s security interest in Nepal? Can we address both?
First, Nepal is a sovereign country and it is the right of the leaders of Nepal to decide which foreign country they want to visit. This is not something like India vs China. Second, from my discussions with Chinese colleagues and other high-level discussions between the two capitals, both countries would like to see stability in Nepal. Third, we have a strong and long-standing relations with Nepal and we do not see our relations with Nepal through the prism of Nepal’s relation with other countries.
Myrepublica.com: Dahal has explicitly said that India did not want him to go for Olympics Games held in China in August 2008. He even said that President Dr Ram Baran Yadav canceled his China visit as India did not approve of it. Does that contain any truth?
Sood: Former PM Dahal stated on record during his visit to India that he was extremely happy with the visit and said it was a successful visit. This is something he said to media and others subsequently. Thus, his own views do not reconcile with your question.
Myrepublica.com: Some Indian newspapers have carried opinions saying that Maoist-led government was tilted to China and that was against India’s security interest. Do you agree?
Sood: In our dialog with China on Nepal, we both agree it is of importance to both our countries that Nepal should be a stable country as instability in Nepal is a cause of concern to both of us.
Our security concerns vis-a-vis Nepal are naturally different as there is 1,800 km open border, there is visa-free regime between India and Nepal, which emerges from provisions enabled through 1950 Treaty. Therefore, we would like to ensure that this open border – which has been misused increasingly in recent years – does not become a source of vulnerability for India. That is at the root of our security concerns.
Myrepublica.com: Can you specify how open border has been misused and what are the security concerns of India and Nepal?
Sood: In 2009-10, the amount of fake Indian currency confiscated here amounts to almost IRs 19 to 19 million. That is a huge sum. Clearly, people who are bringing the currency do so as it is easy to take it across the open border. Last year, about 17-18 terrorists having links with various terrorist organizations were apprehended in different parts of India who had entered India via Nepal. They came from different places, mostly by air and decided to make use of the open border to get into India undetected. We need to be conscious in today’s time and age about vulnerability that this possesses and we need greater cooperation in strengthening our vigil against such potential terrorist activities which can affect both our countries.
Myrepublica.com: Do you think that Dahal’s government was not serious enough in addressing the security concerns of India?
Sood: Maoist government, the present government and successive governments have assured us that they are sensitive to India’s security concerns and that they will not allow Nepal’s territory to be used against anti-Indian activities. We respect these assurances, but we need to be able to put together a mechanism of working together where we can ensure that these assurances transform into a watertight arrangement.
Myrepublica.com: What was the reason behind deteriorating relations between Maoists and India?
Sood: Dahal told me that his party wants best of relations with India. He said he has spent so many years in India and is sympathetic to India’s concerns and that he wants the relations between his party and India to improve. I also wish for the same. But he has to answer your question. We have not come up with such differences during our meeting. He has neither raised such differences with any high-level leaders who have visited Nepal of late.
Myrepublica.com: In your letter to Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, you raised the issue of open border. What is the relation between printing of Machine Readable Passports in India and India’s security concerns?
Sood: First of all, I think it is a matter of regret that confidential communication between embassy and the government was leaked in this manner. It is also unfortunate that the issue of MRP was politicized and lot of misinformation was spread. My letter to the foreign minister was a straightforward one because a Nepali passport holder enjoys certain privileges in India by virtue of being a Nepali passport holder. For example, no work permit is required, a Nepali passport holder can open a bank account, can engage in trading in stock exchange, buy property – so naturally it is a shared concern that Nepali passport should be a document that should be as tamper-proof as possible. There are many reports of lost Nepali passports – on an average as many as 40 passports are reported lost every day. This is a cause of concern to us as much as it is for the Nepal government. We would not like Nepali documents to be misused. So, as a friendly neighbor, we were offering that we could prepare MRPs of high standard. Also, we were supplying the MRPs at a price less than the price at which it is supplied to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Myrepublica.com: Will the Indian company take part in the new bidding process? And how was the MRP cancellation taken by the South Block?
Sood: This is a question for the future and depends as and when the tender comes out. But there is a sense of disappointment and regret at the manner in which misinformation was spread and partisan politics politicized the issue. We were printing the documents and the personalization would have been done here. We were providing the equipment and technical training free of cost and the Nepali officials would do the entries.
Myrepublica.com: What is your assessment of the peace process?
Sood: India would very much like that the Constituent Assembly produce a new constitution. Nepal with support of international community has made considerable progress for the last four years and now that we are close to the finishing line, I think we must realize that we cannot afford to fail. As far as India is concerned, we have no agenda other than to support Nepal’s emergence as a stable multi-party democracy and Nepal’s economic development. We have provided all assistance as sought for moving toward these goals and in whichever way we can help, we would do it to enable Nepal to cross the finishing line successfully.
Myrepublica.com: When Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal visited India, he said that the twin objectives of his government are to write the new constitution and hold the next elections. Do you see this government holding a new poll?
Sood: This is a decision for the people and parties to make. Our interest is that together we have made gains successfully. We would like to see a new constitution emerge as that was one of the key aspects in terms of bringing about transformation.
My letter to the foreign minister was a straightforward one because a Nepali passport holder enjoys certain privileges in India by virtue of being a Nepali passport holder. For example, no work permit is required, a Nepali passport holder can open a bank account, can engage in trading in stock exchange, buy property – so naturally it is a shared concern that Nepali passport should be a document that should be as tamper-proof as possible.
Myrepublica.com: What do you think are the main hurdles in the peace process?Sood: Growing polarization and absence of consensus. And behind that there are other reasons, which all leaders understand.
Myrepublica.com: It is said that in Nepal a last-minute solution is always found. Are you positive? And has India initiated a new political agreement between the political parties in Nepal?
Sood: Hopefully, a solution is designed. India played a role of the facilitator. Today’s requirement is not for a new agreement, but for concrete steps to rebuild trust and that the agreements are implemented. There has to be an effort at rebuilding trust and it comes from realization.
Myrepublica.com: Has India adopted ‘wait and see’ attitude or are you going to facilitate this time as well?
Sood: It is difficult to make predictions. India will play a supportive role as per the desire of the people and leaders of Nepal. It is difficult to define it now.
Myrepublica.com: The government has not yet requested the UN Security Council to extend UNMIN’s term, which expires on May 15. Many argue that the government has delayed the process under India’s objection and pressure as India was not positive towards UNMIN’s presence in Nepal in the first place. What is your take on this?
Sood: This is a decision to be taken exclusively by the government of Nepal. The whole process is Nepali-driven and Nepali-led and the government is fully capable of taking a decision to its best interest. It is completely incorrect to say we did not want UNMIN to come here in the first place. We were fully supportive. In fact, we provided a huge amount of assistance in terms of material resources for setting up its operations here and conducting its role in elections. We supplied over 90 vehicles and 50 wireless sets to UNMIN, 70 containers for storage of arms being managed under UN supervision, supplied 6,800 metric tons of food material and 4,000 tents for rehabilitation of internally-displaced people. It shows our confidence in Nepal government’s ability to make a decision on its interest and we do not want to be seen as interfering.
Myrepublica.com: What is your assessment of UNMIN’s performance?
Sood: That assessment has to be done by Nepal government.
Myrepublica.com: Of the three issues – signing of strip map, extradition treaty and MRP deal – which you took up since you came to Nepal two years ago, why have none of them worked?
Sood: The boundary strip map is a long-standing issue and the strip maps prepared over a period of more than two decades by the experts, surveyors on both sides. We have agreed on 97 percent of the border which has been mapped. The best way to settle this is to formalize boundary as set out in the maps.
Extradition Treaty is not something that has been there only for two years. It has been there for much longer. The Treaty has been negotiated by both the sides and has been initialed at the official level. Now it requires a political decision to be formalized.. We have raised our security concerns time and again at all levels. Today’s security concerns are quite different from the security concerns 40 years ago. Open border has acted as a bridge between the people of two countries. But in the light of today’s security concerns it should be seen as a source of vulnerability . The way we can manage it is through additional instruments through which we can work together to address common security concerns.
Myrepublica.com: How satisfied are you with your job in Kathmandu?
Sood: I was looking forward to coming here. I enjoy being here. It is a beautiful country. I like photography and get out of Kathmandu whenever I get a chance to take pictures. I find that satisfying and most rewarding.
source:myrepublica.com
Friday, April 23, 2010
NSU stages demonstrations in front of govt colleges in Kathmandu
Nepal Students' Union (NSU), the student wing Nepali Congress (NC) has staged demonstrations in front of government colleges in Kathmandu, Friday.
NSU halted traffic in front of the colleges from 9.30 am to 10.00 am, Friday demanding immediate release of Tri-Chandra College Free Students Union, vice chairman Bishnu Poudel.
Traffic in the valley was badly affected due to the obstruction during rush hour.
Poudel was arrested on charges of attacks on student leaders affiliated to other parties including CPN(UML) affiliated ANNFSU Tri Chandra unit chairman Samik Badal on April 12.
NSU has said, it will intensify its protest programmes if its leader is not released and charges against him and other leaders not revoked.
Police have filed a complaint against Poudel along with central members Santosh Neupane, Bhim Singh Gurung, Sanjay Yadav and Manish Koirala.
New confrontation in the offing!
A new recruitment drive unleashed by Nepal Army (NA) has created new ripples in the country’s political waters.
In fact, it has made the gulf between the Maoists and other parties more caverrnous.
The Maoists have also launched training campaign to set the ground for possible “people’s revolt” considering the post May 28 (the deadline for the promulgation of a new constitution) scenario.
The army has said that it would go ahead with task of fulfilling its 10,000 vacant posts gradually.
The army had already proceeded with recruitment for four times earlier despite stiff opposition from the Maoists.
The debacle of the then Maoist-led government was also the outcome of a discord between the army and the Maoists over recruitment.
The army and the government has been maintaining over the period that that the recruitment drive does not infringe upon the peace agreement as it is meant for fulfilling only the vacant posts.
The peace agreement clearly mentions that both the government and the Maoists should avert themselves from going for new recruitments.
A writ has also been filed against the NA’s fresh bid to induct new personnel in vacant posts. The writ has termed the recruitment as something that trampled upon the peace agreement as well as the Supreme Court’s (SC) directive.
Earlier, the SC had given an interim order not to launch new recruitment until it gave final verdict on the case.
As such, the validity of the NA’s latest move is questionable.
The Maoist stalwarts have been airing warnings that they would take political and legal move against the recruitment.
This time, the former rebels are spitting venom solely at the government over recruitment. They have resisted from using derogatory remarks against the NA like in the past.
“It is an ill-intended move on the part of the government to pit the Maoist and the army against each other,” Maoist leader Barsa Man Pun said.
The Maoists’ nationwide physical training campaign has triggered suspicion if the country is heading towards the vortex of a renewed conflict.
They are imparting training to students, teachers and general people stating that it is mandatory to face the consequences of the post May 28 situation.
According to the Maoists, the failure to draft a new stature by May 28 will give birth to presidential rule in the country.
President Dr Ram Baran Yadav himself has already ruled out such allegation.
However, what should not be overlooked that it was he who gave a thumbs down to the popularly elected Maoist-led government’s proposal to sack the former army chief a year back.
It is not a blurred fact that the president’s advisors are also talking about the possibility of the direct rule of Dr Yadav if the CA fails to produce a new stature on time.
As the major political parties are indulging themselves in shielding their own parochial interests, the situation is becoming increasingly alarming and uncertain
The way the parties are ridiculing the urgency of a broader consensus indicates that they are now preparing themselves for a renewed conflict.
Friday, April 16, 2010
ANNFSU R STUDENTS BEAT UP NSU AND ANNFSU IN CLASH
Politics has filtered down to engineering college with clash among rival students union in Nepal Engineering College over the conduct of examination has left several students injured.
Police said students affiliated to ANNFSU (R), an outfit affiliated with UCPN-Maoist beating up students affiliated to NSU and ANNFSU, student union linked to Congress and CPN-UML respectively.While the two outfits were demanding maths test only after the course is complete the ANNFSU R insisted on early test that led to the clash. Police have arrested five students linked with R. The injured students have been admitted at various hospitals
Police said students affiliated to ANNFSU (R), an outfit affiliated with UCPN-Maoist beating up students affiliated to NSU and ANNFSU, student union linked to Congress and CPN-UML respectively.While the two outfits were demanding maths test only after the course is complete the ANNFSU R insisted on early test that led to the clash. Police have arrested five students linked with R. The injured students have been admitted at various hospitals
Friday, April 09, 2010
Army will come out of barracks if there's bloodshed after May 28: Katawal
Former Nepal Army (NA) chief Rookmangud Katawal has said the army will not remain silent if there is bloodshed and turmoil in the country because of the Constituent Assembly failing to promulgate the new constitution within the May 28 deadline. Speaking to the Reporters Club members at his residence in Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Friday morning, the controversial former army chief said democratic forces have become weaker after the demise of former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Katawal, who is allegedly close to the pro-monarchist camp, said issues such as secularism, monarchy and federalism must be decided through referendum. He said the people should be given the right to speak directly on these grave national issues if parties are committed to democratic culture and people's sovereignty. He further said the environment of trust could be built only when the arms carried by other than state's forces are handed over to the state.He mentioned Nepal Army will work together with Nepali people in safeguarding national sovereignty and integrity. Few days ago, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had called on NA leadership to join hand with his party to safeguard national sovereignty and integrity. Katawal added that future of the Maoist combatants must be determined as per the agreements and interim constitution. According to interim constitution, the integration and rehabilitation of the combatants should have been completed within six months form the promulgation of the interim constitution. Stating that not a single agreement in the past speaks about integrating the combatants into Nepal Army, he added, integration must be based on individual capacity fulfilling the criteria set for recruitment.
nepalenws.com
नेतृत्वको लागि विवाद छैन ---शेरबहादुर देउवा वरिष्ठ नेता, नेपाली काँग्रेस
Q.
गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालाको अभावमा काँग्रेस कसरी अघि बढ्छ ?
A.
गिरिजाबाबु नेपाली काँग्रेसको मात्रै होइन यो मुलुककै अभिभावक हुनुहुन्थ्यो । उहाँ नेपालको राजनीतिमा उहाँ सबैको पि्रय हुनुहुन्थ्यो । उहाँको अभावमा काँग्रेसलाई अघि बढ्नका लागि धेरै चुनौती र अप्ठ्यारा छन् तर पनि गिरिजाबाबुको जुन सपना छ मुलुकमा शान्ति स्थापना होस् र नयाँ संविधान बनोस् र सहमति सहकार्य तथा एकताको राजनीति अघि बढोस् भन्ने उहाँको चाहनालाई हामी पूरा गरेरै छाड्छौं । गिरिजाबाबुले अघि सार्नुभएको विचारलाई लिएर अब काँग्रेस अघि बढ्छ ।
Q.
भनेपछि अब काँग्रेसमा नेतृत्वको लागि होडबाजी हुँदैन ?
A.
अहिले होडबाजी गर्ने बेलै होइन । काँग्रेस एक छ एकताका साथ अघि बढ्छ । हामी सबैको चाहना शान्ति संविधान र लोकतन्त्रलाई संस्थागत विकास गर्ने हो । त्यसमा काँग्रेस एक ढिक्कासाथ अघि बढ्छ र गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालाको विचार दृष्टिकोण र मार्गनिर्देशनलाई आत्मसात् गरेर काँग्रेसले समय तथा परिस्थितिलाई पनि सही अनि सूक्ष्म तरिकाले विश्लेषण गरेर मुलुकमा देखिएको सबै समस्याको दीर्घकालीन समस्या समाधानको लागि अग्रसर हुन्छ ।
Q.
काँग्रेसमा नेतात्रयको अवधारणाले विवाद देखियो नि त ?
A.
त्यो तपाईंहरुको मिडियाले बनाएको विवाद हो । काँग्रेसमा कुनै किसिमको विवाद छैन । हामी एक छौं एक भएर काँग्रेसलाई हाँकेर सशक्त र प्रभावकारी रुपमा अघि बढाउँछौं । हामी तीन जनामा कुनै विवाद छैन । हामी तीन एक हौं र छौं पनि । काँग्रेसलाई सामूहिक रुपमा अघि बढाउने प्रण गर्दछौं ।
Q.
नेतात्रयमा को वरिष्ठ र को कनिष्ठ भन्ने विवाद त देखियो नि ?
A.
हामीमा त्यस्तो कुनै विवाद छैन । अहिले वरिष्ठ र को कनिष्ठको कुरा पनि छोडिदिनोस् । हामी एकता र सहमतिका साथ अघि बढ्छौं ।
Q.
काँग्रेसमा तपाईले गिरिजाबाबुपछि मै नेता हुँ भन्नुभएको छ नि ?
A.
अहिले त्यो कुरा पनि छोडिदिनोस् । अब छिटो महाधिवेशन गर्नुपर्छ । महाधिवेशनले नै काँग्रेसको नयाँ बाटो तय गर्ने छ । अहिले हामी सबै मिलेर १२औं महाधिवेशन सम्पन्न गर्नेतिर लागिपर्नुपर्छ । त्यसैले को सिनियर र जुनियर भन्ने कुरातिर नलागौं । पार्टीलाई एक बनाएर कार्यकर्ताको भावना र जनचाहनाअनुरुप अघि बढ्नुपर्छ ।
Q.
भनेपछि गिरिजाबाबुपछि तपाईं नै काँग्रेसको सभापति हुनुहोला नि ?
A.
पहिला पार्टीको महाधिवेशनको मिति घोषणा हुन दिनुस् । अनि त्यसपछि सबै साथीलाई बोलाएर मात्र म निर्णय गर्नेछु । अहिले सबै कुरा म भन्न चाहन्नँ ।
Q.
समयावधिभित्र संविधान लेख्ने आधारचािहं के छ ?
A.
हेर्नोस्- हामी प्रमुख दलहरु एक भएर सहमतिका साथ गयौं भने ५६ दिनमा संविधान लेख्न सिकंदैन भन्ने पक्षमा म छुइनँ । जेठ १४ गते संविधान जारी हुनलाई १ महिनामा शान्ति प्रकि्रया टुंग्याउने र बाँकी १ महिनामा संविधान लेख्नका लागि छुट्यायौं भने संविधान पनि समयभित्रै जारी हुन्छ र शान्ति प्रकि्रया पनि समयमै निष्कर्षमा पुग्छ ।
Q.
पहिला संविधान जारी गर्ने कि शान्ति प्रकि्रया निष्कर्षमा पुर् याउने ?
A.
पहिला शान्ति प्रकि्रयालाई निष्कर्षमा पुर् याउनुपर्छ अनिमात्र संविधान जारी हुन्छ । त्यसमा काँग्रेसको प्रस्ट दृष्टिकोण छ । पहिला सेनाको रेखदेख समायोजन र व्यवस्थापन गर अनि नयाँ संविधान जारी गरी मुलुकलाई सहमतिका साथ अघि बढाऔं ।
Q.
सरकार त ढल्ने भयो होइन ?
A.
यो सरकार अहिले ढाल्ने कुरै छैन । यसले आपुनो जिम्मेवारी पूरा गरेर चुनाव गराएर नयाँ सरकारलाई सत्तँ हस्तान्तरण गरेरमात्रै आफ्नो एजेन्डा पूरा हुन्छ ।
Q.
प्रधानमन्त्री माधव नेपाललाई ढाल्न त भित्रभित्रै खेल भइरहेको छ रे नि ?
A.
काँग्रेसको यो सरकारलाई पूर्ण समर्थन छ । अब अन्त के खेल भइरहेको छ- मलाई थाहा छैन । अहिले संविधान बन्न २ महिना बाँकी रहेको अवस्थामा सरकार परिवर्तन गर्ने पक्षमा म छुइनँ ।
Q.
उच्चस्तरीय संयन्त्रमा संयोजक को बन्ने भन्नेबारे पनि विवाद छ नि ?
A.
मैले त त्यस्तो कुनै विवाद देखेको छैन । उच्चस्तरीय संयन्त्रको संयोजक काँग्रेसको सभापति गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइराला हुनुभएको हो । उहाँको शेषपछि स्वतः काँग्रेसले त्यसको नेतृत्व लिनुपर्छ भन्ने पक्षमा हामी छौं ।
Q.
संयन्त्रको संयोजक काँग्रेसलाई दिन माओवादी तयार छैन नि ?
A.
त्यो कुरा पनि हामी बसेर टुंग्याउँछौं । संयन्त्रको संयोजक को हुनेबारे तीन दलबीच सहमति हुन्छ । आउने बैठकले त्यसको निर्णय गर्छ । यो ठूलो विवादको विषय नै होइन ।
Q.
काँग्रेसभित्रै संयन्त्रको संयोजक को बन्ने भन्नेबारे पनि विवाद देखियो नि त ?
A.
काँग्रेसभित्र त्यस्तो कुनै विवाद पनि छैन । संयन्त्रको संयोजक संयन्त्रकै बैठकले निर्णय गर्ने कुरा हो । यसमा ठूलो विवादको विषय बन्लाजस्तो मलाई लाग्दैन ।
Sunday, April 04, 2010
NC holds GPK condolence meet at Tundikhel; leaders of major parties renew commitment to timely statute, peace process
The Nepali Congress organised a mass gathering at Khula Manch, Tundikhel, to pay tribute to late party president Girija Prasad Koirala Saturday.
Thousands of NC cadres from Kathmandu Valley and most of the senior leaders of the party gathered at Khula Manch to pay their respect to Koirala. Leaders from different political parties including Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal also participated in the condolence meet.Speaking at the programme, top leaders of NC, UCPN (M) and UML highlighted the need to bring the peace process to a conclusion and draft the constitution within the prescribed time. They said drafting the constitution and concluding the peace process on time will be the real tribute to Late Koirala.The NC organised the condolence mass meet two days after Koirala's 13th day death rituals. On Thursday, foreign diplomats and a cross section of the society including top leaders of different political parties had attended the GPK memorial function.Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley had visited Kathmandu on the day to pay his tribute to late Koirala.
Thousands of NC cadres from Kathmandu Valley and most of the senior leaders of the party gathered at Khula Manch to pay their respect to Koirala. Leaders from different political parties including Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal also participated in the condolence meet.Speaking at the programme, top leaders of NC, UCPN (M) and UML highlighted the need to bring the peace process to a conclusion and draft the constitution within the prescribed time. They said drafting the constitution and concluding the peace process on time will be the real tribute to Late Koirala.The NC organised the condolence mass meet two days after Koirala's 13th day death rituals. On Thursday, foreign diplomats and a cross section of the society including top leaders of different political parties had attended the GPK memorial function.Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley had visited Kathmandu on the day to pay his tribute to late Koirala.
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