Nepal: Indian Ambassador rushes to Prachanda, but why?

Look the tryst of destiny. Primarily it was none less than Comrade Prachanda who used to sneak into the Indian embassy premises in the dark some months back for “political consultations”.

However, it is now the turn of Indian Ambassador Shiva Shanker Mukherjee to see Comrade Prachanda. It is altogether a different matter that the Ambassador meets the Maoist leader during day time at that too at his “office” in Buddha Nagar.

But why this Ambassador is chasing our Comrades?

Understandably, to appease them not to pounce upon the Indian establishment when in power.

To recall, the Maoist leaders’ of late have been airing that their party will first and foremost wish to revise a host of “unequal treaties” signed in the past with the Indian establishment.

Comrade Badal only yesterday, April 20, 08, ventilated this view at a press meet program in Kathmandu. While Badal was making his speeches as regards the reviewing of the most controversial 1950 and other unequal treaties signed with India, the Indian Ambassador was almost around that time rushing towards Prachanda’s office.

Ambassador Mukherjee, say analysts, has become pretty nervous looking at the astounding CA poll results that have practically gone in favor of the Maoists which was unexpected for him. Some even say that the Indian intelligence was a Himalayan failure.

Pranav Mukherjee, the Indian Foreign Minister is on record (Indian media) to have said one of his close Nepali friends in New Delhi that Ambassador Mukherjee sent wrong signals to Delhi wherein the latter told Delhi that the Nepali Congress will sweep the election to be followed by the UML.

However, with the new earth shaking political developments in Nepal and the Maoists ready to form their own new government in a matter of month if not days, a nervous looking Indian establishment is doing all it can in order to “calm down” the Maoists possible wrath that they are sure to exhibit against India the moment they step in the power corridors in Singh Durbar.

New Delhi is pretty concerned with the Maoists’ presumed insistence on changing the 1950 and other unequal treaties signed with Nepal at different intervals of history.

To recall, it is these unequal treaties signed by Nepal and India which provides ample
”political leverage” to India to twist the Nepali arms as and when she so desires.

High placed sources say that Prachanda and his team will also initiate fresh talks on securing greater benefits to Nepal from the past treaties/agreements/and understandings which have allowed India to practically “gulp” the nepali waters at a dirt cheap price. To boot, the Upper Karnali and Arun-III has already been pocketed by India by seducing the India born Nepal’s Prime Minister.

Constitutional experts say that a caretaker government of sorts can not take such decisions which have far reaching implications on Nepal.

With the abundant presence of the “hardliners” in the Maoist party, the Indian establishment expects that the days ahead would be not that easy for India to deal with a some what more “nationalist” Nepal.

The Indian mind set is that any nationalist in Nepal is being instantly dubbed as an anti-Indian which speaks of the existence of a sort of high level of inferiority complex in the minds of the Indian establishment mandarins.

Be that it may, perhaps to cool down the radical nationalists, the Indian Foreign Minister Pranav Mukherjee is reported to have talked “separately” with Comrade Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai in the recent days.

To recall, Minister Mukherjee is an avowed anti-Maoists. Analysts here recall that when King Gyanendra was the in-charge of the nation, it was this Indian minister who had suggested his own government not to block the supplies of the arms and ammunitions to Nepal to crush the Maoists then.

It is perhaps these factors that the Delhi based Mukherjee is trying to soothe the Nepali Maoists through the Kathmandu based Mukherjee and thus the latter’s rush to the Prachanda Palace every now and then.

But Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai are not “lame ducks” as some would interpret them to be so who would compromise their own national interests.

Attention Dr. Bhattarai and Comrade Prachanda! Don’t compromise as the UML did at time of Mahakali treaty ratification. Remember the first four points of your original “forty point demands” submitted to the then Deuba government!

If you toe the line of Madhav Nepal’s party, you will turn to what the UML is today, unfortunately but of its own making, candidly speaking.

Fresh reports have it that Foreign Minister Mukherjee has already extended a formal invitation to Prachanda to visit India as the “guest” of the Indian government.

This speaks how much nervous is the Indian establishment with the sweeping of the CA poll by the Maoists. This does also speak as to how much clever and diplomatic are the Indian authorities.

How Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai proceed in this regard will be carefully watched.

Posted on : 2008-04-21 13:03:59

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