Two important visits by the leaders of the two bigger countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation have been hitting the headlines of the local, regional and international media simultaneously. If President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan has been meeting his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, the only super power in the world, at the moment, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is trying his utmost to befriend his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao the emerging super power in the world. Both these visits are sure to generate far reaching effects in the region affecting the smaller nations as well. Bush has invited Musharraf to his Camp David retreat, an irrefutable expression of the importance he attaches to the bilateral relations with Pakistan. Even though India has been continuously endeavoring hard to wean away the U.S. from Pakistan, Pakistan's perennial eminence in the muslim world surpasses India's overall importance, in the global context. The interest of the United States in India could be primarily her huge market of over a billion people. If the Indians are suffering under any misconception that the United States would develop India as a foil to China's growing military and economic might, they should wake up from their dream and come down to earth by simply comparing the vast disparity in U.S capital investment in China and India to start with. Even economically, not harking on strategic importance, India would be lagging far behind China as far U.S. interests are concerned. The Indians can go on patting their back and keep on strutting. But their dismal failure to win the goodwill of their very smaller neighbors will always pose as a serious obstacle to her political advancement in the global arena. It is, indeed, an indisputable fact that all countries, whether bigger or smaller, are always goaded with the desire to preserve, safeguard and advance their own interests. As a developing country whose forty percent of the populace live below the poverty line, the colossal amount India is spending on defensive armament certainly go to prove the above statement. If Prime Minister Vajpayee's visit to the People's Republic of China could be said to have helped to further thaw the acrimonious Sino-India relations, President Musharraf can be said to have scored a roaring success in his U.S. visit. The Indians must not miss the point and stop trying to hoodwink the world by their false propaganda. Vajpayee has minced no words in accusing Pakistan for following the double standard in Kashmir. Isn't it time for India to do some kind of introspection about their own behavior with all of her neighbors with special reference to Nepal? Vajpayee's China visit, we do trust, will bring home the axiomatic truth to the Indians that they must not try to scare their smaller neighbors but try to earn their good will by showing requisite sensitivity to their size and vulnerabilities. If Nepal has thought it necessary to think of acquiring American, Chinese or Pakistani help to restore peace and normalcy in the trouble ridden country, it is, without any doubt, India to blame. It is, indeed, a great shame that a great country like India does not want to think great as far her smaller neighbor Nepal is concerned. But Nepal on her part has always tried to be a good friend to India. May be, it is her necessity. And we Nepalese do welcome the change in the Indian attitude on this visit of their Prime Minister to China. India's recognition to Tibet at China's Autonomous region might be a good ploy to win China's good will. Since China is our very good and dependable friend, we are happy to know that India too is wooing China for her friendship. What we would like more from India, for the sake of peace and stability in the region, is that they stop fishing in our troubled waters and let us peacefully pursue our economic development in the true spirit of a good friend.

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Who is running the show in Nepal? Since Surya Bahadur Thapa is the de jure and defacto Prime Minister, he should be in full control of the administration. Does Thapa know where he exercises his P.M's authority? A Nepali cannot travel to wherever he likes in his own country, the students cannot go to school because a section of the people do not want them to, the police and the army are restricted from performing their duties etc. what do all these things denote? And Thapa struts in Singh Darbar as the country's Prime Minister. Why is Thapa dilly dallying to start negotiations with the Maoists? The only priority the country faces, at the moment, is peace — a lasting peace. If Thapa has designs to strengthen and prolong his tenure so that he may make plans to achieve his own objectives, he must know this is not the right time to pursue any body's selfish ends. As such, he must not waste a single moment to start the dialogue with the Maoists and reach a desirable agreement. This will only justify his appointment as prime minister at this critical juncture of the nation.