The United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) protested outside the Indian Embassy at Lainchour in the capital today afternoon as part of its previously announced programme to protest against “the rising Indian internvention in Nepali politics”. Hundreds of Maoist cadres took part in the gherao against the rising Indian intervention and the encroachment of Nepali territories at various places along the southern border of Nepal. They staged a rally from Bhadrakali, in front of Singhadurbar today, before heading to Lainchour. Senior Maoist leaders including Vice Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha, General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa and Giriraj Mani Pokharel led the rally. Today’s protest outside Singhdurbar and the Indian Embassy was fixed earlier as part of the fourth phase of Maoist agitation.
The Maoists have been criticising India for its ‘intervention’ in the Nepali politics after they dislodged from the government last year over the army chief row. With their senior leaders taking part, they recently staged march pass at various border points where the encroachment of Nepali soil from the Indian side has been reported. The Maoists have said that their recent agitation aims at safeguarding the national sovereignty and civilian supremacy.
Black Flag for Indian Army Chief
The Maoist youth wing Young Communist League greeted Indian Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor with black flags at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival earlier today. They chanted slogans against “Indian expansionism” and sported banners asking the Indian Army chief to go back home. Gen. Kapoor is on a four-day “goodwill visit” during which he will be given the honorary title of the General of the Nepali army amidst an investiture ceremony by the President. There is a tradition of conferring honorary title on the army chiefs of the two countries that started since 1950s. In December, Indian President Pratibha Patil had conferred the title of Indian Army’s Honorary General on Nepal Army’s Chief Gurung.
Gen. Kapoor was received by Nepal Army second-in command General Toran Jung Bahadur Singh. A large number of security personnel have been deployed in the capital to prevent any untoward incidents. The police arrested seven Maoist cadres from the airport and have been detained at Gaushala police office. The Maoists have hung banners that read “Go back home” at various places in the capital to protest Kapoor’s reported statement against bulk integration of Maoist ex-combatants into the Nepal Army. Gen. Kapoor is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari and senior NA officials. He is scheduled to return on Jan. 22.
Yesterday’s boycott:Maoist lawmaker Dev Gurung announced that his party had decided to boycott the session because the go-vernment failed to “respond” to the Indian Army chief’s remarks. Gurung said the Maoist party considers Gen. Kapoor’s statement as “interference in the sovereignty of Nepal”. he Maoists have been deman-ding that the government clarify its position after the media reported that the Indian Army chief had reservations on the collective integration of Maoist combatants into Nepal Army during Army Chief Chhatra Man Singh Gurung’s India visit. Kapoor was quoted thus: A collective integration of Maoist fighters into the Army will squarely mean politicisation of the Army, however, Maoist combatants can join the Army as any other Nepali citizen if they qualify and meet the parameters.
However, New Delhi issued a statement on Jan. 4 saying that media reports attributing “certain remarks” to the Indian Army chief on the issue of PLA integration were “highly distorted” and they didn’t “reflect the government of India’s position on the issue. It also said “it is regrettable that certain political parties are deliberately exploiting those distortions to create a controversy involving India.”
The Maoist House boycott came a day after the return of Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna from his official visit to Nepal. Speaking at the parliament on Sunday, Deputy Leader of the Maoist Parliamentary Party Narayan Kaji Shrestha had demanded clarification from the government on three issues —Gen. Kapoor’s remark, import of arms for Nepal Army from India and Prime Minster Madhav Kumar Nepal’s statement that the Maoists would meet the fate of Sri Lanka’s rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealem (LTTE) if they tried to revolt. Gurung said the party boycotted the House with these three issues.
Here’s what Kapoor had said about the integration (as published in The Kathmandu Post of 21 Dec 2009:
Indian Army has reservations on bulk integration
DINESH WAGLENEW DELHI, DEC 20 – Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Gen. Chhatra Man Singh Gurung during his nine-day India visit succeeded in winning strong Indian support for the Nepal Army in the ongoing peace process.
The Indian side made it clear that the rebels should not be incorporated en masse in the National Army.
Chief of the Indian Army Gen. Deepak Kapoor, who attended the dinner hosted by Gen. Gurung at the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, expressed this quite strongly that the Maoists should not be integrated into the Nepal Army en masse.
Military Attachés of different influential embassies in New Delhi, incumbent and former Indian bureaucrats and military officers were present at the dinner.
“They want to politicise an impartial Nepal Army,” Gen. Kapoor told the Post. “Do you want to see your Army being politicised? What do you want to do by integrating the rebel forces collectively into the national army? Why do they want to join the Army but no other security forces? The National Army is purely entitled to safeguard the country. That’s what we do here and I think that’s the model.”
Asked, ‘does India want to upset the ongoing peace process by standing against the integration?’ “You are arguing on behalf of the Maoists,” Gen. Kapoor retorted.
Noting that a collective integration of the Maoist fighters into the Army will squarely mean politicisation of the Army, Gen. Kapoor said, “However, Maoist combatants can join the Army as any other Nepali citizens if they qualify and meet the parameters.”
“Nepal Army has always maintained that any eligible Nepali citizen can join the national force through a due procedure,” added Gen. Kapoor. “This sounds pretty logical. If the Maoist fighters wish to join the Nepal Army, they should follow the due recruitment procedure as other Nepali citizens aspiring to join the Army do. Those meeting the norms and standards automatically qualify to join.”
When told that the Maoists consider a Nepal Army sans integration an epitome of feudals, the Indian Army chief, pointing at a busy host Gen. Gurung, shot back: “Do you see a feudal in him?”
Stating that Nepal and Indian Army share long-standing and close relations, Gen. Kapoor said that Indian Army had no influence in the Nepal Army and refuted speculations that the then Army chief Rookmangud Katawal established communications with the Indian Army while the Maoist-led government was planning to sack Katawal. “I never had talks with him in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Military Attaché in the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi Col. Ashok N. Rana ruled out Indian media reports that said Nepal had shown interest to buy some ‘phased out’ tanks. “That’s completely baseless news,” said Col. Rana.
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Comments
9 responses to “Maoists Intensify Anti-India Agitation as General Lands in Kathmandu”
Dear editor,
I think the Maoists may be misguided by the terrorist force. One thing is correct that actually we Nepalese people are suffering from the indian unnessary-intervene.
. Cordial people to people level relations between Nepal and India has existed since ancient times. We have to keep friendly relations with India due to our similar cultural and religious traditions. But sadly Indian congress, ever since coming to power has been striving to destabilize Nepal. India, through its intelligence agency ‘RAW’, has been found continuously involved in destabilizing our national identities – royal institution, Hindu Kingdom and national language, which were developed along with the ideology of national unity, security and national identity. RAW through its agents in the Nepali Congress, UML and Maoist parties is now pressing for autonomous federal states on communal basis.
Due to the open border, India has been masterminding various strategies to keep Nepal under her influence. Due to her continuous interventions her assistance and supports have turned into a curse. 58 years ago, in name of helping Nepal in establishing democracy she endorsed an unequal treaty in July, 1950. They urged the then rulers, Ranas, were promising them of the continued support for their regime. Four months later, she planned King Tribhuvan’s escape to New Delhi and kept Nepal under the influence of India through another document – the Delhi Agreement. Some of the points in the agreement were endorsed without the knowledge of the King. In accordance to the agreement Nepali Army personnel were stationed at the gate of the Royal Palace and India’s Panjabi army personnel were stationed inside the palace for the security of the King. Indian national Govindanarayan Singh was assigned as the chief secretary to the King. Another Indian national Murdeshwor was appointed the chief secretary of the council of ministers. Another Indian Angkor was appointed as Nepal’s legal advisor and Indian general Sharadanandan Singh was kept at Nepal Army’s headquarters. In name of reforming the army the number of soldiers was reduced to 8000 from 18000. In the name of security of Nepal, Indian army check-post was established inside Nepal which was located in the northern border. Nationalist forces moved against Indian intervention. But the intervention continued unabated.
Patriotic King Mahendra in course of enhancing nationality asked the Indian forces to leave without any condition in 1969. India could not oppose the request as Nepal had already established ties with China and various nations around the globe by the time. In 1988 India initiated economic blockade on Nepal causing much suffering to the people. In the meantime, India reached out power hungry and demoralized political leaders to initiate uprising in Nepal. Indians had tried to threaten the then King Birendra through the India sponsored uprising and bring him under the Indian grip. The Indian design was to control Nepal’s foreign policy and security. But it failed. In 2006 India had again made an effort to trick King Gyanendra into suppressing the uprising by giving various assurances. But the King did not vow into Indian urges. How can the Nepali people residing in the country and abroad tolerate this? Americans and representatives from the United Nation also were involved in the Indian conspiracies against Nepal. When India found it was impossible to bring the Nepali King under her grip, she attempted to remove the 260 year old historical institution of monarchy forever. Americans and the UN representatives contributed the Indian design to become success.
Presently, India is trying to disintegrate Nepal by separating Tarai as ‘Madhes state’ and power hungry leaders in the Nepali Congress, UML, Maoist and Tarai are serving the vested Indian interests. However, in the long run, the Indian plan is going to be counterproductive for India itself. If India has thought about disintegrating Nepal, then, this plan could be very costly for India. The Indian Congress should not forget that due to RAW’s naked conspiracy angry Panjabi and Sri Lankan people killed Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Why were Indian agents and Mujibar Rahaman (who was made the Bangladeshi president by ‘RAW’ after creation of Bangladesh by separating Pakistan in 1975) killed? The Indian Congress should also not forget the act of nationalist Bengalese against the disgusting conspiracy by ‘RAW’. Nepali living abroad and in the country will not keep on tolerating the continued intervention.
As per Indian agenda to destroy Nepal, the Constituent Assembly elections were conducted for 601 members. India is active to disintegrate Nepal by igniting anti-nationalist agendas as republic, secularism, federalism and caste-based ethnic autonomy through pro-Indian elements in CA. The Shah Kings always fought with imperialist forces to protect modern Nepal. They have still not vowed before the foreigners. Nepal’s royal institution is the backbone of nationality. King Gyanendra has taught a lesson by renouncing the Narayanhiti Royal Palace and denying taking shelter in foreign land. It is the duty of the nationalists within the political parties and all the Nepali people to maintain Nepal’s pride by establishing royal institution for generations to come. Nepali people will bleed for the continuation of monarchy.
The Nepali nationalism is blooming and the aroma of Nepali culture has permeated worldwide. Our nation is small, in spite of that; it is a home to various castes. Nepal, decorated with natural and cultural uniqueness, is the symbol of joint effort between the King and his people on nation building. Our nationalism cannot be safeguarded if any of the castes or the royal institution is suppressed. Nepal has adopted common culture as nationalism through agreement among various castes. Nepali culture is a creation of Hindu, Vedic and Buddhism entities. Our culture is the best in term of tolerance. Nepali language is established as a common language to keep over 50 mother languages alive. Nepali people will not back off from giving their lives to save these norms and identity of Nepal. But, it is mysterious for all, forgetting all the historical events why Maoists could not understand the rality of Indian intervention ? And why the Maoists supported the 12 points agrrement with RAW-2005 ?
Thank you.
Dirgha Raj Prasai dirgharajprasai@gmail.com
We the nepali people is the sort of phrase I used in school for good notes just you wrote we christians and mark was a winner.
Yes India intervened and the terrorist tag does not come off so fast.
Hope is good but sometimes youdwish for god or mother earth to wipe them away.
You cannot expect me to write about an army i hate all armies. I am peace lover. I have a headache god bless Sujata superwoman to deal with all this nonsenss.
Whatto do what not what to say what not?
By taking of the terrorist tag we can have a pro china government which is a bad idea. Being independent is good yet we are not alone in this world.
I would not be so sure we nepalese speak the same language. nrn? Votes will speak.
Countryes vote ideas no they vote money. Then ideas follow or come and go. Who is good for poor people the maoist (censored) non terrorist. God bless Hawai so close to america and so poor.
yep at worst nepali army becomes entirly maoist and they are stuck with another much worse than Pakistan a befriended country they have to exterminate to protect themselves.
Maoist are not exactly reputed for being reasonable.
Nobody says we cannot understand ourselves yet the way it goes process is not only stuck the truth is internal matters are best kept internal and this one got out of hand.
Why should India tolertate from you which they do not accept from their own?
Logical is a word I do not see much in nepali newspapers so combattants are being released, the indian army returns to Nepal and we get or do not get bandha on 24 quote unquote the poor dependent traveller and newslistener.
I am moving into Jawalakhel Zoo with my friends….
THank you India for managing my world. Why o Why dr Baburam is always right? Because ALL THE OTHERS ARE TOO SLOW>
Here’s a link that i found useful, its a poll regarding the integration of maoist combatants into the army do visit this one
http://www.learnmyself.com/personality.asp?p=poll-results&qp=35719x8eD44dD3&t=y
Indian should be a good friend to Nepal as should China, but Nepal should be clear as to its own interests and not allow itself to be dominated by either giant neighbor. Comments of one politician or general does not create or negate mutual respect. http://www.jeffreyrasley.com
Can anybody journalistic from BBC or so confont man o man Singh with his use of paramilitaries?
The phenomena is those guys kill streetkids in Brazil paramilitary usually on the right fascist side.
Nepal we have all different we have mercenaries without brand.
But kids are not right or left they are kids.
fxxxxck politicians. I thought SIkhs were decent but after killing Indira Gandhi maybe all superpowers included indian chinese are shallow superficial.
After all they want money and railroads, highways like Hitler did.
I think the time has come to frontally attack indian ADMINISTRATION.
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