National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

Confused And Convoluted

Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani's latest accusation baffles Nepalese analysts

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Just a week before the arrival of the world's only Hindu monarch in his country on a state visit, a powerful leader of India's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party revealed that two Muslim extremist groups, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, have set up bases in Nepal. The two organizations were alleged to have carried out the attack on the Indian parliament in December last year.

Whether coincidental or calculated, Indian Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani's statement also appeared after the Chinese ambassador to Nepal visited Maoist-affected districts and expressed concern over the growing terrorist activities in Nepal.

In a broad sense, Advani's statement has nothing new, as the Indian establishment has long been harping on the same slogan against Nepal. If his disclosure is based on "concrete intelligence reports" as he suggests, then one cannot rule out the possibility of an intensification of terrorist activities in the region. In case the Maoists and Islamic militia joined hands to step up terrorism, a region already in deep turmoil will have to brace for more difficult times.

There are clear inconsistencies in India's approach to the insurgency in Nepal. Despite New Delhi's designation of the Maoists as a terrorist organization - even before Kathmandu described them as such - the unrestricted movement of Nepalese Maoists in India is no longer a secret.

While security personnel in Nepal are waging a decisive fight against the insurgents, senior rebel leaders and cadres are reported to be using Indian territory to buy arms and to train fighters. Moreover, the fact that Indian intellectuals close to the military do not hesitate to term the republican and anti-Hindu Maoists as an alternative to traditional forces in the kingdom tells the other part of the story.

India counts itself among the primary victims of terrorism, ceaselessly raising the issue of "cross-border infiltration". As long as Indian authorities maintain double standards on terrorism, however, it would be impossible to wipe out terrorism from region. Being a small country, the damage done to Nepal will be immense in the short term. However, India would have to face the long-term consequences of the replacement traditional forces by radicals in Nepal.

Advani also informed reporters that the Indian government had expressed its concern to Nepalese authorities on the activities of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which are believed to have links to Al Qaeda.

Nepalese officials, however, express unawareness of such information. "Being a country affected by terrorism, Nepal will take necessary actions against such extremists outfits," said a senior official at the Ministry of Home on condition of anonymity. "If India provides us evidence of such activities, we will immediately take action."

The fact that a senior Indian minister made such a serious disclosure on the eve of the visit of King Gyanendra's state visit is not without significance. As New Delhi is pushing for a new extradition treaty with Kathmandu, Advani's statement may also have been aimed at pressing Nepalese authorities to expedite work on the accord.

India's stand has baffled analysts in Nepal. "I don't understand the Indian policy towards Nepal. If they are concerned about the expansion of Muslim extremism, why do not they sincerely support Nepal's efforts to wipe out terrorism," said a former senior Nepalese diplomat. "India must understand Nepal's geo-strategic compulsions and physical vulnerability. No matter what kind of regime emerges in Nepal, it would be impossible to undermine the power of the northern neighbor."

If Advani is speaking his mind on the growing activities of Muslim extremists in Nepal, then Indian authorities must come up with a clear-cut agenda. The royal visit could provide a useful opportunity to sort out misunderstandings and pave the way for a new chapter in bilateral relations.