US’s New Policy Shift
Importance To South Asia

By Nishchal N. Pandey

AFTER the events of nine-eleven and the subsequent crusade against the terrorists in Afghanistan in the backdrop, American forces are in the Afghanistan, in Pakistan, its presence in the Central Asian republics have also been widely reported and thoroughly scrutinised. KK Katyal writing for ‘The Hindu’ says that India and South Asia now has a new neighbour-the United States of America! And Indian analysts are apprehensive with the recollection that wherever the US steps its feet, keeping Vietnam apart, it seldom returns back. Added with this anxiety is the nervousness that American strategic interests in the region have historically been friendly towards Pakistan and no one knows for sure what a lengthy American presence means for India. However, C. Rajamohan, a noted Indian foreign policy analyst writing for the same newspaper in its edition of Feb. 14th says that India does not lose anymore with a proactive American interest in the region and that his country must explore American association in diffusing Indo-Pak conflict. "India has nothing to lose", he says. This is a feeling shared by other political analysts as well in view of the increasing cordiality of the bilateral relations between the two largest democracies- known as "the natural partners".

The US military presence in Pakistan also has external regional implications, most seriously for Pakistan’s "all weather and tested ally" China. It may want to explore other options if Pakistan moves too close, with the US, Russia is obviously concerned with the Central Asian republics’ bond with the only superpower. It had already mooted the idea of the triangular strategic partnership involving India and China obviously to check America’s supremacy in the contemporary world. As for Washington, this suggests a multi-pronged approach. It will have to encourage India and Pakistan to reverse their military escalation and launch the dialogues both know they need in order to begin settling their differences.

The United Nations has become even a more important tool in the last six months. The Under Secretary General of the United Nations for Political Affairs Sir Kieren Prendergast speaking with this scribe at his office in the UN headquarters in New York recently remarked, "The biggest concern is the casual way that both India and Pakistan mention about nuclear war." He recalled that "even during the heights of the Cold War the US and the USSR maintained hot telephone links and had a fair amount of knowledge of the nuclear arsenals in each others’ country," which is perilously missing in the context of India and Pakistan. At a seminar organised by the University of Memphis in Tennessee last fortnight four participants two each from the two archrivals India and Pakistan echoed ditto rhetoric. Dr. Uttara Sahasrabuddhe, a lecturer at the University of Mumbai and KR Sreenivas, Special Correspondent, metro bureau (Bangalore) of The Times of India along with Arif Jamal, a Pakistani journalist and Mr. Tauqeer Baba, Deputy Secretary General (Punjab) of the Tehrik-e-Jafria, a political party of Pakistan attacked the government’s of each other’s country for escalating conflict rather than working to diffuse it. There was a virtual outcry in the audience that at least people from the non-governmental organisations should not toe the government line, which is invariably a solid way to bring the two sides back to the table by starting the CBM exercise. All said and done, a remarkable phenomenon is the amount of intellectual exercise being done in the United States as regards to the Indo-Pak conflict. A lot of students, be it at the college or school level, are more and more interested in this area aptly named by President Clinton as "the most dangerous place on earth." American foreign policy is well known, shaped or more technically- "influenced" by nudges and pressures coming in from the hundreds of think tanks, pressure groups and lobbies. With a strong Arab lobby, the world saw a drift in the American policy pertaining to the Middle East. With a pro-China lobby swaying public opinion at one point, the Clinton administration preferred to appease Beijing even with a historic 9-day sojourn of President Clinton. South Asia which was THE most neglected region is receiving virtually on a weekly basis high level dignitaries from across the seven seas. General William L. Nash, Senior Fellow and Director of the Centre for Preventive Action at the prestigious "Council on Foreign Relations" in New York says that a separate high-level taskforce to study Indo-Pak conflict is being constituted at the Council. "The National Security Strategy for a Global Age" brought out by the White House in addition states, "our strategy in South Asia is designed to help the peoples of that region by helping resolve long-standing conflicts, encouraging economic development, and assisting social development. Regional stability and improved bilateral ties are also important for U.S. economic interests in a region that contains one-fifth of the world’s populations and one of its most important emerging markets."

Surely, these developments have come about with the massive intensification of South Asian mostly Indian and Pakistan lobbies gaining influence in the U.S. A strategy of engagement and a policy of giving more importance to South Asia definitely means that our region’s woes will be heard and taken notice of in the United States and thereby facilitating the protection of national security, prosperity and democracy.

Rise And Fall Of Rana Regime II

By Guna Dev Bhattarai

HER Majesty Queen Dibyaswori, Queen of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah and mother of King Tribhuvan, brought up the minor king in a very congenial environment. She would enlighten the baby king by telling him the stories of the great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. As she was an ideal Hindu mother she shaped the destiny of the king by imparting moral lessons. Moreover, she would lead him to religious programmes which helped the king to form the character necessary for a king. She would give perceptive accounts of the duties of the king, the role of the Ranas and the historical background of Nepal to the king so that he could become an ideal king in future. The demise of the Queen Mother was like a bolt from the blue for the king.

Chandra Shumshere was well educated to read the mind of the king. He found something unique in the character of the king. That is why he tried to appease the king in many ways so that he might not be ambitious enough to be a real king in the strict sense. He had deputed Mohan Shumshere, his eldest son, as the king’s guardian so that the king’s activities related to politics might not take root which would be detrimental to the interests of the Ranas.

During the premiership of Bhim Shumshere and Juddha Shumshere in particular, king Tribhuvana was kept like a prisoner in his own palace. During the Praja Parishad episode the king was harassed and humiliated in many ways. The Ranas suspected the king to have been involved in the political activities of the Praja Parishad. However, they could not do anything against the king for want of concrete proof of the king’s involvement. Since then the king was carefully watched as to his activities.

The failure of the Praja Parishad, however, had left a great impact on the political history of Nepal. It gave an impetus to the development of a large scale struggle in future. In short it helped to boost the morale of the people.

The British Government of India would not allow the Nepalese to launch any political movement against the Rana regime in India as the Ranas were the staunch supporter of the British. That is why the Nepalese residing in India realised that as long as the British rule lasted in India they could not cope with the Ranas.

After the end of the Second World War (1939-45 A.D.) the British Government was in favour of granting independence to India. Consequently on August 15, 1947 A.D. India attained independence. In the meantime movements were launched in many countries of Asia and Africa to oust the imperial powers of the West.

In the beginning of the year 1947 A.D. the C class Ranas who were deprived of the role of succession to premiership founded the Nepal Prajatantrik Party. In the course of time the Rastriya Congress Party which was founded earlier and the Prajatantrik Party were merged into a single party known as the Nepali Congress Party. During the Second World War the exiled Ranas who had amassed a huge amount of money were fully determined to wipe out the Rana regime. That is why they financially helped the Nepali Congress and the morale of the newly formed party was boosted.

Bisheswor Prasad Koirala and other leaders had participated in the strike launched by the workers of the jute mills of Biratnagar. They were arrested and sent to Kathmandu. The leaders of the Party decided to launch Civil Disobedience Movement from April 13, 1947 A.D. Padma Shumshere, the then premier, announced that he would bring about some political reforms. The leaders of the party complying with the assurance of Padma with-draw their movement. Eventually the Government of Nepal Act was promul-gated on January 26, 1948 A.D. Padma Shumshere being pressurised by the die hard Ranas left Nepal for India on the pretext of medical treatment. Padma Shumshere was not a man of firm determination. Besides he could not get support from many Ranas. Nevertheless some enligh-tened people of the valley were his supporters. Mohan Shumshere sent his trusted men to force Padma to resign from premiership. At last Padma Shumshere sent a letter of resignation to the king to the effect Mohan Shumshere became Shree Teen Maharaj.