NATIONAL 2 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Breaking Dead-lock

Foreign Minister Bastola succeeds in breaking the ice during his visit to India. But the key is restoring confidence

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

While embarking on a three-day official visit to New Delhi on Sunday, Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola chose to keep low profile. "I will focus on normalizing relations with India in the wake of some irritating developments," said the Minister, who knows subtle and complex natural of Nepal-India relations during his stint as Royal Nepalese ambassador in New Delhi in the early nineties. "I will discuss a whole gamut of issues related to bilateral relations. My visit will also pave way for Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's proposed visit to India," he added.

The very next day, things seemed to be moving his way. At the end of their formal meeting on Monday, spokesman of the Indian External Affairs Ministry, R. S. Jassal, said India had agreed to resume Indian Airlines flights to Nepal which remain suspended after the hijacking of IC 814 Air Bus that left Kathmandu for New Delhi in December last year. "The Civil Aviation departments of the two countries will very quickly announce the dates for the resumption of Indian Airlines flights," he said.

That will be an `achievement' in itself for Bastola to boast of given the "cooling off" of bilateral relations in the aftermath of the hijacking. After the talks between civil aviation officials to resume the flights in Kathmandu failed a few weeks back, the Civil Aviation Office at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) said only last week that it has set up a "sterile departure hold area" and set up security of baggage and computerized pass system to strengthen security at the airport. " The Office will also install and operate x-ray machines for secondary screening of the checked baggage. Other measures will be gradually introduced to operate safe flights," the office said.

Would these measures be enough to satisfy India's concerns regarding her security? Critics alleged that India had decided to impose "air embargo" for nearly five months only to pressurize Nepal to come under her "security umbrella." Indian officials, however, denied it. Nepali officials, too, tried their best to win back the Indian confidence. "Nepal won't allow any activity against her friendly neighbors, including India, on her soil," Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala told Punjab Keshari, an Indian daily, early this month. "There is no issue between Nepal and India which cannot be resolved through talks," he added.

Koirala's statement came in response to Indian officials' widespread views that Nepal was being used by ISI, a Pakistani intelligence agency, as a base to spread 'terrorism' in India. Both Nepal and Pakistan deny such allegations. The `propaganda war' by some private Indian media heightened as soon as Kashmiri separatist rebels hijacked the Indian plane on the Christmas eve.

"While there was lack of confidence on our part, Indian side too over-reacted to the unfortunate incident," says Prof. Lok Raj Baral, a former Royal Nepalese ambassador to New Delhi. "As two niehgbors sharing common borders, minor problems may arise in future as well. These can be solved through objectivity and respect for mutuality of interests," he added.

During the talks with his Indian counterpart, Minister Chakra Bastola presented Nepal's views on a range of bilateral issues including removal of Indian troops from Kalapani and review of 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Nepal has claimed that Kalapani area in far-western Nepal, where India has stationed her army personnel since the early sixties, belongs to her. India, however, denies it.

During the talks, Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh directed concerning bodies of the Indian government to take necessary steps toward giving continuity to the Fulbari transit route. India had allowed Nepal access to Bangladesh through Fulbari in September, 1997. Regarding the issue of special additional duty (SAD), Singh gave assurances to take initiative to put an end the present state of confusion after discussing it with the Indian Finance Minister taking into consideration the provisions of Indo-Nepal Trade and Transit Treaty, reports said. In this year's budget, India has imposed 4 percent SAD on all the imports to her country. Nepali side, however, maintains that the provision goes against the bilateral trade treaty that allows duty free access to goods manufactured in Nepal except those under the negative list.

Before leaving for Delhi, Foreign Minister Bastola had said Indo-Nepal discussions would also incorporate issues like terrorism. Prime Minister Koirala, addressing the 53rd anniversary of Nepal Council of World Affairs meeting last month, had said that Nepal intended to fight against internal and cross-border terrorism together with her neighbors. Sources said Nepal has sought Indian cooperation to contain activities of Maoist rebels who reportedly are getting support and training from some Indian rebel outfits. Officials, however, did not mention whether the issue was discussed during the meet. Similarly, whether India agreed to cooperate Nepal in finding a solution to the decade-old Bhutanese refugee problem, too, could not be known.

Bastola's visit has thus paved way for Prime Minister Koirala's proposed visit to India. Koirala will be the first premier to visit the southern neighbor after Sher Bahadur Deuba visited India four years ago. Both the Ministers have also agreed to initiate meetings of bilateral mechanisms constituted to study the problems arising in bilateral relations. Analysts say that by creating an environment of confidence and good-will Nepal and India could resolve their bilateral problems. "We can't solve all of our outstanding issues at one go. But we don't have any problems that can't be resolved if there is determination and cohesiveness in our policies," says Prof. Baral.

Nepali officials would do well by taking note of this point while dealing with India.