 |
Kathmandu Wednesday June 28, 2000 Ahsad 14, 2057.
|
Leaders denounce Indian attitude
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, June 27 -
India’s "hegemonistic attitude" towards Nepal came under scathing attack
from eminent leaders of leading political parties today.
First it was the so-called
secret report "Nepal Gameplan" prepared by Indian Intelligence early this month
that brought all the political parties to stand on the same platform against India.
Now it is Laxmanpur.
"This is the latest assault
on Nepal’s sovereignty by India," said Pashupati Chaulagain, RPP MP and member
of parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee (FAHRC) at an all-party
forum that discussed the controversy aroused by India-built Laxmanpur barrage on the Rapti
river which will affect thousands of Nepali families. "India has been deprecating
Nepal all these years and this is just an addition to the list of invasions."
On June 17, FAHRC said that
India did not follow international laws while constructing the barrage at Rapti river,
south of Banke district.
The report prepared by the
committee states that the construction affects five VDCs -- Holiya, Bethhani, Gangapur,
Fattepur, and Matehiya -- of Banke and that more than 15,000 locals in 33 villages are
likely to be affected during the current monsoon season.
Lilamani Pokharel, MP and
general secretary of United People’s Front said that it is high time Nepalese
retaliated against the attacks and invasions by India. "India is acting in too
domineering manner because we have failed to retaliate against any of the decisions taken
by India that have dire consequences on Nepal," said Pokharel.
Leader of the main opposition
Madhav Kumar Nepal said that Nepal has not really benefited from almost all the agreements
and treaties signed by Nepal and India except the Mahakali Treaty and that the agreements
are hardly implemented accordingly.
"India has never complied
with the prerequisite conditions of all the agreements," said Nepal. "There is a
need to review the 1950 Treaty on Peace and Friendship which has become outdated. Both the
countries have come a far way from 1950 and there is a need to reassess the treaty."
Nepal said that the country can
get a fair share in any deals with India even on diplomatic level. "Nepal needs to
react immediately to any decision taken by India that is likely to affect Nepal. We have
to raise the issue of Purnagiri dam now."
According to experts, the
Purnagiri dam, to be constructed along the western Nepal-India border, is likely to affect
dozens of villages in the bordering districts of the far-west.
General Secretary of the ruling
Nepali Congress and MP Sushil Koirala called for national consensus on issues where
Nepal’s sovereignty gets attacked.
Other leaders -- Narayan Man
Bijukchche of Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party, Chitra Bahadur KC of National
People’s Front, Mangal Siddhi Manandhar of CPN-UML, Pashupati Shamsher JBR of RPP,
Khushi Ram Mandal of Nepal Sadbhawana Party and Som Nath Pandey, chairman of FAHRC
castigated India’s attitude and urged the government to take strong stand on matters
that could have severe effect on Nepali side of the border.
The construction of the
Laxmanpur dam on Rapti river, which began in 1983 and completed in 1998, was undertaken by
India in its territory without considering the effects it would have on the Nepali side of
the river in Banke district.
The programme was organised by
Nepal Democractic Youth Association, a youth organisation of Rastriya Prajatantra Party
(RPP).
Other Stories
|
