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COVER STORY |
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COVER STORY |
ROYAL
VISIT TO INDIA King Gyanendra's maiden
"goodwill visit" receives high-profile treatment and attention by the Indian
leadership and media. The southern neighbor also offers to extend full-fledged support to
combat insurgency in the Himalayan kingdom. But perhaps the most important aspect of the
visit is the commitment of the Indian leadership towards peace, stability and progres in
Nepal. Are we in a new phase of bilatreal relations? By BHAGIRATH YOGI in New Delhi Those watching the topsy-turvy relationship
between Nepal and India refuse to believe that there could be a turnaround in the attitude
of the Asian giant toward its small, northern neighbor within a span of few weeks. But New
Delhi seemed to have become warmer and friendlier toward Nepal since Prime Minister Sher
Bahadur Deuba concluded his visit in March this year. As the special Royal Nepal Airlines
aircraft landed at the Air Force Station at Palam in the Indian capital Sunday evening
(June 23), King Gyanendra, Queen Komal and members of royal entourage were accorded a
hearty welcome. In less than a† couple of hours, Indian Prime Minister Atal
BehariVajpayee invited the royal couple at a private dinner what many saw as a significant
departure from tradition. The hour-long, one-to-one meeting between King Gyanendra and
Premier Vajpayee paved way for the more in-depth talks between them the next day.
At 10 am on Monday, President of
India K. R. Narayanan, Madam Usha Narayanan and Premier Vajpayee, among other dignitaries,
were present at the forecourt of the Rastrapati Bhavan to welcome Their Majesties. In the
grand but somber ceremonial welcome, that included an inter-services guard of honor,†
21 gun salutes were presented to His Majesty. After laying a wreath at Rajghat, samadhi of
Mahatma Gandhi, Father of Nation of India, amid a sudden downpour in an otherwise hot
Delhi,† King Gyanendra kept himself busy for the next two days and half meeting a
galaxy of Indian leaders and people from different walks of life. Besides courtesy calls with President
Narayanan and Vice President Krishna Kant, King Gyanendra received in audience former
prime ministers P. V. Narasimha Rao, Chandra Shekhar and I.K. Gujral, leader of the
opposition Sonia Gandhi and senior members of the Vajpayee cabinet at the spacious and
well-guarded Rastrapati Bhavan. Another hour-long, one-to-one meeting between the Nepalese
monarch and the Indian premier covered almost all issues of bilateral relations, officials
said. While there was no formal briefing about
the outcome of the high-profile meetings, Nepalese officials said Indian leaders stressed
the role of constitutional monarchy in strengthening multiparty democracy in Nepal and
offered full help to combat the Maoist insurgency. King Gyanendra, too, reiterated his
commitment to strengthen the democratic polity in the kingdom from his capacity as
constitutional monarch. Officials said the King's first foreign
visit after ascending the throne in the tragic circumstances in the aftermath of the June
1 incident at the Narayanhiti palace could be described by two 'Cs'- Continuity and
Consolidation. While there was a need to continue relationship between Nepal and India at
the highest level, the royal visit also contributed to further consolidate close relations
between the two neighbors. "In the event of the tragic royal
palace incident last year and in the context of present global scenario, there was a need
to continue and consolidate relations between the two countries at the highest
level," said Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, Royal Nepalese ambassador to India. "The
royal visit has afforded that opportunity and helped build an environment of trust and
confidence at the highest level." During the Delhi sojourn, King Gyanendra
raised Nepal's concerns in business-like precision and also addressed to the concerns of
the Indian leadership. During his meeting with the King at the Dwaraka suite on Tuesday,
Lal Krishna Advani, the powerful Indian Home Minister now elevated as Deputy Prime
Minister and no. 2 in the Vajpayee cabinet, said India, too, was facing extreme left
violence in several states, including those on the Indo-Nepalese border. "The home
minister assured vigorous assistance to Nepal in combating the Maoist insurgency and also
sought Kathmandu's cooperation in preventing infiltration of terrorists into India,"
The Hindustan Times daily reported. "On his part, King Gyanendra promised to tighten
the screws on those indulging in anti-India activity from Nepal and assured that Nepal
would do all to prevent misuse of its territory."
Only a week back, Advani had told the
Indian media that two terrorist organizations, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed had
shifted their base to Nepal to launch anti-India operations. The Nepalese government has
already been apprised of these developments, he said. Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh, however, said the Foreign Ministry had not received any
such information from the Indian side. Durung his courtesy call, Defense Minister
George Fernandes briefed the King about the ongoing military cooperation between the two
countries. He said that the Indian Army had agreed to train Nepalese soldiers in
counter-insurgency operations at the counter-insurgency and jungle warfare school at
Varangate in Mizoram. The two sides have also agreed to share intelligence on the
activities of extremists along the Indo-Nepal border. India is also providing helicopters,
utility vehicles and mine-proof vehicles to Nepal to compat the maoists, reports said. While some saw King Gyanendra's extensive
meetings with top Indian leadership, including half a dozen members of the Vajpayee
government in New Delhi, as an indication of the King's desire to "assert" his
role in domestic affairs and diplomatic relations, others saw it as a sincere effort on
part of the King to build an environment of confidence and trust between the two
neighbors. "The King has presented the Nepalese
perspective very clearly during his talks with the Indian leaders," said Jharendra
Narayan Singh, former foreign secretary and former Royal Nepalese ambassador to India, who
was a member of the royal entourage. "As close neighbors, we should try to understand
each other's sensitivities. At the same time, the great should be generous. But there are
problems at the implementation level which both the sides are trying to resolve." Despite huge differences in size,
population and scale of economy, Nepal and India are close neighbors with a nearly 1,800
km long common, border between them. Open and unrestricted interaction at the
people-to-people level has helped bring the two countries closer, at times creating
problems at different levels. The issue of Indian military presence at Kalapani in
far-western Nepal, submerging of Nepali territory due to construction of bunds on the
Indian side, border demarcation and reviewing the 1950 treaty remain to be resolved.
Similarly, the much-hyped 1996 Mahakali Integrated While the concept of "northern
security" has been the overriding concern for Indian policy makers in dealing with
Nepal since its independence, gaining unrestricted access into the vast Indian market and
seeking Indian cooperation in containing Maoist activities have been top on Nepalese
agenda, of late. When Prime Minister Deuba visited New Delhi
early this year urging the Indian leadership to control the activities of the Maoist
leadership from Indian soil, the Indian officialdom seemed annoyed to some extent. A
dependable ally of the US in its war against terror and seeking international support
against cross-border terrorism in Kashmir, India could not afford to be seen as a country
providing safe haven to the Nepalese Maoists that are waging a bloody insurgency within
Nepal over the last six years. "It is beyond doubt that Nepalese
Maoists are operating from the Indian soil," said Yadav Kant Silwal, former foreign
secretary and former secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation. "The Maoists seem to be taking benefit out of carelessness and
governance problems in India." Many in India, however, still think that
the Nepalese "Maoists" do have relevance in the scheme of things called
"northern security" whereby India wants to engage and limit Chinese influence in
South and South-East Asia. While China has always offered unequivocal support for peace,
stability and progress in Nepal, these strategists argue that three Himalayan kingdoms,
namely Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal must fall under Indian "security umbrella." Sikkim was acceded into India in 1975 and
New Delhi takes care of foreign and security policy of Bhutan thanks to a bilateral treaty
of 1949. The 1950 treaty of peace and friendship provides a basis of friendly relations
between Nepal and India honoring each other's concerns. While major political parties and
a strong group of intelligentsia in Nepal advocate reviewing the treaty (although there is
no provision of review in the treaty), Indian officialdom maintains that any changes in
the treaty will alter the status quo, thereby hurting Indian interests. In the state banquet hosted in honor of the
distinguished Nepalese guests at the Rastrapati Bhavan last Monday (June 24), President
Narayanan quoted late Mahatma Gandhi and first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru saying that (Indian) policy has always been to see Nepal as an independent, modern,
prosperous and peaceful country. "India attaches the highest importance to further
develop its relations with Nepal in a spirit of equality, mutual respect and
partnership," said President Narayanan. "We remain committed to Nepal's economic
development and maintenance of peace, security and stability in the country." While
condemning the Maoist violence, the Indian President also lauded the role played by
Nepalese monarchy in the democratic development of Nepal. In his reply speech, King Gyanendra said an
economically vibrant and prosperous India was an asset not only to Nepal but to the entire
region as a whole. "Despite her own preoccupation, India has continued to be a
valuable partner in Nepal's development endeavors," said King Gyanendra. His Majesty
also appreciated the government of India for the solidarity and support in Nepal's fight
against terror. Analysts do believe that peace and
stability in Nepal is vital for the overall interests of India. The growing links of
Nepalese Maoists with Maoist outfits in India is threat to the security of both countries,
say officials. They also maintain that in the post-September 11 global scenario no radical
outfit can justify its terrorist activities in the name of revolution or war. "India seems to be realizing the fact
that the insurgency in Nepal could spill over to its own territory," said former
Foreign Minister Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay. "While Nepal will be seeking assistance
from India in fighting the insurgency, she should pay more attention to control the
borders to check the activities of unwanted elements." Economic Cooperation Besides the fight against terror, which
will entail a huge investment of time and resources, Nepal and India have tremendous
potential of furthering economic cooperation between them. At the luncheon meeting
organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in honor of King Gyanendra at Hotel Taj Palace
on June 25, former President of CII, Brij Mohan Lall, said there was a vast opportunity
for Indian and foreign investors to invest in hydropower, tourism and food processing
industries in Nepal. FICCI President R. S. Lodha said with the
Nepal government's achievement in improving security, mood was picking up in India. He
also pointed towards possibility of promoting sub-regional cooperation among India, Nepal,
Bangladesh and Bhutan with the help of multilateral agencies like the Asian Development
Bank. Saying that India is the single largest
investor and trade partner of Nepal, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Purna
Bahadur Khadka, assured that the Nepalese government would provide all the facilities and
cooperation to Indian investors. President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Ravi Bhakta Shrestha said Nepal and India could gain win-win
situation by intensifying economic cooperation. The eight-member Nepalese business
delegation accompanying His Majesty also lobbied hard to convince Indian officials about
practical problems related to the implementation of the 1996 trade treaty renewed in March
this year. India has slapped quota and duty restrictions on four items including vegetable
ghee saying that they were hurting the interests of Indian industries. "In the
aftermath of the royal visit, we are optimistic that India will sympathetically deal with
our problems and help resolve the outstanding issues in the bilateral trade and
transit," said FNCCI spokesman Rajendra Khetan. At a time when the 12-year-old democratic
exercise in this Himalayan kingdom is passing through the most critical phase, King
Gyanendra's visit to India holds much greater significance, say analysts. The commitment
of top Indian leadership to peace and stability in Nepal holds equal significance, which
will take time to be reflected in the implementation level. For Nepal, honoring India's legitimate
security concerns has always been high on the agenda. Over 45,000 Nepalese nationals serve
in seven Gurkha regiments of the Indian Army under the 1947 treaty Nepal-Britain-India
trilateral treaty. Sandwiched between two Asian giants, India and China, that are making
tremendous economic progress, Nepal has no justification to continue as one of the Least
Developed Countries of the world. But its dream for peace, stability and economic progress
would be fulfilled only if there is peace and sense of security in the region. The
significance of King Gyanendra's visit to India, and then to China next week, could be
seen in the form of Nepal's quest to live as a dignified member in the comity of nations -
of course, with the help of its neighbors. “India Is A Valuable Partner In Nepal's Development Endeavors” — KING GYANENDRA Relations between Nepal and India transcend
the confines of customary treaties and diplomatic conventions. Both our peoples, since
time immemorial, have drawn sustenance from the same philosophical fountain, shared the
same cultural heritage and have been bound by the same ethos. As relationships are more
important than rules, our engagement has a much greater depth of understanding and broader
sweep of vision. The extensive interaction at the people-to-people level and contacts of
leaders of both the countries have, over the years, contributed to strengthening the bonds
that bind our two peoples together. The Nepalese people have been keenly
following India's achievements in science, technology and industry as well as in social
and cultural fields. We are happy at your accomplishments and wish you further success in
realizing your potential in the days ahead. We believe that an economically vibrant and
prosperous India is an asset not only to us but to our region as a whole. Despite her own
pre-occupation, India has continued to be a valuable partner in Nepal's development
endeavors, especially in infrastructure building in such key areas as transport and
communication, health, education and human resource development. On behalf of the people
and government of Nepal, as well as on our own, we would like to take this opportunity to
thank the people and Government of India for their generosity. Nature has gifted Nepal abundant natural
resources including a diverse flora and fauna. While tourism remains the mainstay of our
economy, water resources has the potential to be our greatest asset. Nepal is willing to
share these benefits with her neighbors. India, with her vast pool of technical manpower
and expertise, can contribute significantly toward the development of industry, tourism
and hydropower through investment in infrastructure and human resource development. I
believe we should broaden the base of our cooperation to allow more space for private
sector initiatives and people-to-people cooperation to achieve greater development and
harmony. My government is prepared to extend all necessary assistance to industrialists,
businessmen and entrepreneurs from India to invest in Nepal. We believe the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) can be utilized as an effective means for the economic growth
of our region. SAARC has been gradually emerging as a symbol of our regional identity. I
am happy to recall that Nepal had the privilege of successfully hosting the 11th SAARC
Summit in Kathmandu in January this year. The Kathmandu Summit has once again set in
motion its mechanisms for undertaking cooperative endeavors at the regional level in South
Asia. Terrorism is indeed a deadly menace,
because it kills innocent people and strikes at the very roots of civilized behavior as we
have seen in the most blatant attacks of September 11 and December 13 last year. In recent
years, Nepal too has been affiliated with this menace. Terrorists have launched a series
of destructive and disruptive activities against society and at the very roots of
democracy. My government has declared a state of emergency in the country and deployed
armed forces in the interest of maintaining law and order and protecting the lives and
liberty of the people. On behalf of the people and government of Nepal, I would like to
take this occasion to express appreciation for the solidarity and support the Government
of India has shown in our fight against terror. (Excerpts of the reply speech delivered
by HM the King at the state banquet hosted by President of India H. E. Mr. K. R. Narayanan
and Mrs. Usha Narayanan.) “We Want To See Nepal As An Independent, Modern, Prosperous And Peaceful Country” — K. R. Narayanan It is an honor to us that you have chosen
India as the first country to visit after you have ascended the throne of Nepal. Monarchy
is a unifying and integrating institution in Nepal. It is held in the highest regard and
esteem by the people of India. We welcome its invaluable role in strengthening the close
ties of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries. As a neigbbor and a close friend, we have
been much distressed by the mindless violence unleashed by the Maoists in the pursuit of
extremist ideologies. Violence can never be justified on any grounds whatsoever. India too
has been a victim of terrorist violence. We believe that political aspirations can best be
pursued peacefully, through the democratic process. Methods of terrorism endanger
democratic and civilized society and retard social and economic development of a country.
We are confident that through the joint efforts of all elements of the Nepalese polity,
Nepal will be able to overcome the grave challenges posed to the country and will emerge
as a stable and prosperous nation. India, of course, will continue to support the
Government of Nepal for the steps taken by it to maintain peace and security in the
country. Our policy always has been to see Nepal as an independent, modern, prosperous and
peaceful country. As early as 1942, Mahatma Gandhi, the father of nation had categorically
written that, "Nepal.. will be an honored and independent neighbor." In 1946,
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote, that it was our desire that, ".. Nepal should be a
strong, independent and progressive country." We remain committed to the stand that
we had undertaken more than five decades ago. India attaches the highest importance to
further develop its relations with Nepal in a spirit of equality, mutual respect and
partnership. We remain committed to Nepal's economic development and maintenance of peace,
security and stability in the country. It is a matter of great satisfaction to us that the
close, friendly and time-tested relations between the peoples of the two countries have
been developing in all spheres. We have, over the decades, acquired unique experience in
cooperating together for economic development of both bilaterally and within the framework
of the SAARC. However, the potential of further cooperation is considerable. The
sense of a shared destiny should be guided factor in our relations, and as Your Majesty is
reported to have said recently, we should not let "past regrets and future
fears" rob the opportunities of the present. (Banquet speech in honor of Their
Majesties delivered by H. E. K. R. Narayanan, President of India, at Rastrapati Bhavan on
June 24, 2002) |
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