National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)

A New Beginning

The Nepalese monarch tries hard to gain the confidence of the Indian leaders for mutual progress and stability

By BHAGIRATH YOGI in New Delhi

In his first-ever foreign trip after ascending to the throne in the aftermath of the tragic royal palace incident on June 1 last year, King Gyanendra chose India for his state visit. His intense efforts to clear the air of mistrust and strike a chord of confidence with the top Indian leadership showed how important it was for Nepal to improve her relations with India.

The Indian leadership, too, went out of its way to welcome and discuss over-riding issues of mutual concerns with the visiting constitutional monarch of the Himalayan Kingdom. Even before the official reception, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee hosted a private dinner in honor of the Royal couple on Sunday soon after Their Majesties arrived at New Delhi.

On Monday afternoon, after a photo-op, both the leaders had one to one meeting at the South Drawing Room of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and content of the discussions were not made public. Nepalese officials said King Gyanendra was focusing on building an environment of trust and understanding on broad issues under which mutual cooperation could be promoted. Earlier in the day, he told reporters that he did not have any specific agenda to take up with the Indian government.

Obviously for Nepal, obtaining Indian cooperation and support in fighting the Maoist insurgency has been top on the agenda. With the general elections due in November this year and the state of emergency continuing for the past seven months, the Nepalese government needs some spectacular success in its counter-insurgency operation.

"Continuous discussions are going on (between the two countries) on the issue of the insurgency," Nirupama Rao, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters Monday. "Besides moral and material support, India will also be extending equipment and intelligence support to Nepal."

The Times of India, a leading Indian daily, reported that the Indian Army would train Nepalese soldiers in connection to insurgency operation at the counter-insurgency and jungle warfare school in Mizoram. Besides handing over some activists of extremists operating in Indo-Nepal border, India is also providing helicopters, utility vehicles and mine-proof vehicles to Nepal to combat the Maoists, the news reports said.

Interestingly, some Indian experts argued that India should develop relations with popular forces (read Maoists) rather than continuing relations with the traditional forces i.e. monarchy. But wise and seasoned politician, President K.R. Narayanan dismissed such proposition outright. In his welcome speech at the banquet hosted in honor of Their Majesties, President Narayanan said, " The royal family in Nepal has played a wise and significant role in the democratic development of Nepal," said the Indian President. He also denounced "the mindless violence unleashed by the Maoists" and said India would continue to support the Nepalese government for the steps taken by it to maintain peace and security in the country. "Our policy also has been to see Nepal as an independent, modern, prosperous and peaceful country."

In his reply speech, King Gyanendra said that Maoist terrorists had launched a series of destructive and disruptive activities against society and at the very roots of democracy (in Nepal). His Majesty also appreciated the solidarity and support the government of India had shown in Nepal's fight against terror. While underlining the importance of enhanced cooperation in the South Asia region, King Gyanendra also invited Indian businessmen and industrialists to invest in Nepal.

A business delegation accompanying King Gyanendra was also optimistic of improvement in trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. "The extensive coverage given by the Indian media to HM's visit would help build confidence and promote tourism in Nepal," said Narendra Bajracharya, President of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN).

While no Indian media mentioned the fact of top Maoist leadership using India as their base to launch insurgency within Nepal and some of them even accused the Nepalese monarch of trying to play off India against China, King Gyanendra aptly described that relations between Nepal and Indian transcends the confines of customary treaties and diplomatic conventions. "As relationship are more important that rules, our engagement has a much greater depth of understanding and broader sweep of vision."

The success of the maiden royal visit will be in the nurturing of this vision in the new millennium for the mutual benefit of both the countries.