08-13-2005, 01:27 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-13-2005, 01:27 AM by Bharatvarsh.)
Indian guns let 'Nepal down in Maoist battle'
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Army spokesman Brigadier-General Dipak Gurung said the Indian-manufactured INSAS rifles malfunctioned during the fighting which continued for about 10 hours.
...
"Soldiers complained that the INSAS rifles did not function properly during the fighting which lasted for a long time," Gurung told a news conference when asked why the army death toll was high.
"May be the weapons we were using were not designed for a long fight. They malfunctioned," he said.
...
"There were stoppages during the firing, the rifles got hot and soldiers had to wait for them to cool," another officer said.
India is a key military supplier to the poorly equipped Nepali army. But New Delhi suspended arms supplies six months ago after the King's power grab to press the monarch to restore multi-party democracy and civil liberties.
Nepali troops have complained in the past about technical problems with the Indian designed and built INSAS or Indian Small Arms System assault rifle.
Indian troops using the rifle are also known to have faced difficulties using it, Indian defence experts say. Indian defence officials declined to react to the Nepali comments.
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=52642<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Private radios defy Nepal govt ban
August 12, 2005 22:42 IST
Several of Nepal's private radio stations began news broadcasts on Friday in defiance of a government ban after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this week ordered that one station closed under the rule be allowed to resume operations.
At least 16 private stations across the Himalayan nation were broadcasting news and current events programmes, said Ghamraj Luitel, spokesman for the Save Independent Radio Movement, formed by the protesting stations.
"The Supreme Court decision has opened the door for us. More station will resume news soon," Luitel said.
The government imposed the news ban as part of a wider media crackdown imposed by King Gyanendra after he seized power on February 1.
Nepal has 47 private radio stations, most of which aired news programs prior to the government ban.
The Supreme Court earlier this week told Nepal's royalist government to immediately suspend the closure of one of the private radio stations that defied a ban on broadcasting news.
The court issued an order on Wednesday directing the government to allow Nepal FM to reopen.
Nepal FM, along with two other private radio stations defied the ban by broadcasting news reports over the past month.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/12nepal.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Nepali forces gun down 20 Maoists
August 13, 2005 16:13 IST
Stepping up their anti-insurgency operation, Nepalese security forces have gunned down 20 Maoists after a rebel attack left one soldier dead and 5 injured in the southwest Nawalparasi district.
The incident occurred on Friday when the security forces were clearing obstacles placed by the Maoists in Chormara and Arunkhola areas along the highway in Nawalparasi, state-run 'The Rising Nepal' reported, quoting security sources.
The troops were first attacked by the rebels who killed one soldier and injured 5 others. Retaliating, the security forces shot dead 20 rebels, the report said.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/13nepal.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Villagers kill Maoist insurgentsÂ
Villagers in mid-western Nepal have killed five suspected Maoists after rebels allegedly kidnapped a villager.
The killings of three women and two men took place at Laxmanpur village in Banke district on Saturday.
Local people were reportedly tense and carrying home-made weapons fearing retaliation from the Maoist insurgents.
There have been a number of similar incidents in which villagers have attacked and killed Maoist rebels over the past few weeks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4151278.stm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pioneer
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Coup rumours make King skip UN trip </b>
Kanchan Gupta/ New Delhi
King Gyanendra of Nepal has cancelled his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session for which heads of state will gather next week. Â
Isolated at home by political parties and Maoists who have joined hands against the monarchy to supplant it with anarchy, King Gyanendra is believed to have cancelled his New York visit following reports of a possible attempt to overthrow the monarchy in his absence.
Kathmandu is awash with speculation that political parties, backed by Maoists, were planning to organise large-scale disturbances to undo the royal coup of February 1 when King Gyanendra dismissed Sher Bahadur Deuba's palace-appointed Government. There are persistent suggestions that a bid to dethrone King Gyanendra has the tacit blessings of New Delhi.
King Gyanendra was scheduled to leave for New York on September 9 for the UN General Assembly session that begins September 13. He was to have addressed the General Assembly on September 16. Nepal's delegation to the General Assembly is now likely to be headed by Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey.
While the palace has not offered any reason as to why the king has cancelled his visit, a top government official in Kathmandu has been quoted by Reuters as saying: "He is not going to go (to New York) now... This is taking into account the current situation in the country."
The decision to call of the king's visit to New York came 72 hours after the surprise three-month truce offered by Maoists who have been waging a bloody battle against the monarchy and government for a decade in which more than 12,500 people have died.
The so-called truce was announced last Saturday by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Comrade Prachanda, who heads the banned Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and is the commander of its armed wing, People's Liberation Army.
Prachanda is understood to have been in India prior to the truce declaration for consultations with senior officials of the UPA Government. Ever since February 1, the UPA Government has been urging a soft line towards Prachanda and his People's Liberation Army, apparently at the behest of the CPI(M).
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Last week, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) issued a joint declaration with Communist Party of India (Maoist) calling for revolutionary change in both countries.</span>
The Maoists, through Prachanda's "truce offer", have now sought an alliance with Nepal's seven main political parties, especially Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to strengthen the anti-monarchy forces. They want a republican Constitution to be drafted in which the monarchy will find no space.
The current government in Kathmandu has made it clear that there is no question of reviving Parliament and that it is sticking to the scheduled elections to be held by April 2006.
Meanwhile, responding to Prachanda's "truce offer", King Gyanendra's government has termed it "unreliable" and "no guarantee" for lasting peace. Minister for Information and Communications Tanka Dhakal issued statement Monday night, which said: "In view of the past experiences, when repeated announcement of the cessation of terrorist activities failed to pave the way for permanent peace, there is no reason to be assured yet."
The official response comes after a two-day extraordinary meeting, followed by a cabinet meeting Sunday chaired by King Gyanendra, to discuss the "truce offer".
Officials have also rejected the demand of political parties and human rights activists that the government should announce a ceasefire against the Maoists.
It may be recalled that in 2001 and 2003, Prachanda and his comrades had violated truce agreements and walked out of peace negotiations. Using the ceasefire to recuperate, regroup and re-arm, the Maoists had relaunched ferocious assaults against security forces and government installations
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Swapan Dasgupta in Daily Pioneer. The URL may not be archived
Quote:
Why be so myopic?
Government circles have reacted angrily to reports in The Pioneer last week that its representatives met Nepal's Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, last month.
Although there has been no formal denial, 'knowledgeable circles' would have us believe that meetings with Prachanda did take place but that it is not in 'national interest' to make them public. Prachanda, in a carefully worded interview, has denied meeting MEA officials but is curiously silent on the suggestion that his Indian interlocutors were officials of the ubiquitous Cabinet Secretariat.
Considering there was no official response to earlier media reports of Indian Intelligence taking Nepal's JNU-trained Maoist 'ideologue' Baburam Bhattarai on a nostalgia trip around Delhi's Left circles, the angry silence over the Prachanda visit is understandable. The supercilious we-don't-react-to-media attitude of the present MEA dispensation has become a euphemism for arrogant non-accountability.
The issue is not some ethical lapse in the conduct of neighbourhood relations. Upholding national interest often demands a less-than-scrupulous adherence to pious proclamations for peace and goodwill among all men. It all depends on how the 'national interest' is defined and perceived.
Since the royal takeover on February 1, India's Nepal policy has followed an interesting course. First, the MEA chose to give King Gyanendra a crash course in democracy, with the Foreign Secretary going to the extent of enunciating a 'doctrine' of democratic fundamentalism. Second, it was followed by sustained engagement with the leaders of Nepal's political parties to build a united front against the King. Finally, India appears to be in the process of brokering a deal between the seven-party alliance and the Maoists that will create conditions for the overthrow of the monarchy by the end of 2005.
The three-month ceasefire announced by Prachanda last week is not the prelude to the Maoists laying down arms, disbanding their People's Liberation Army and choosing the parliamentary path. It is prefaced on the belief that a united front with the 'lesser' enemy is necessary to defeat the 'main' enemy.
The Maoists are aware that a frontal march on Kathmandu will not be acceptable to international opinion. Prachanda would rather use the Nepali Congress and the UML as the public face of the turbulence that leads to the final overthrow of the monarchy. It is one thing for Prachanda to seek out his Kerensky, it is a different matter for India to facilitate his revolution. Having decided that the monarchy is also its main enemy, New Delhi has put its weight behind a project that will not only witness the creation of a Red Nepal but will have horrific consequences on Indian democracy.
Let's not delude ourselves that a republican Nepal will be like a Himalayan India. For the moment the Maoists will take a backseat to the G P Koiralas and Madhav Nepals. However, with an armed militia at their disposal and control over at least two-thirds of the countryside, it is only a matter of time before Prachanda gobbles up the fractious political parties. To survive and operate, the seven-party alliance will need a no-objection certificate from the Maoists. And that will either not be forthcoming or will come at the cost of permanent subordination to the red flag.
For India, this is short-sightedness at its resplendent best. It is conceivable that the King may have given offence to one or two senior functionaries of the MEA by not being sufficiently deferential. Is that a good enough reason to collude in a regime change? So intense is the personal animosity against the King that South Block mandarins have even delighted in whispering grave charges of personal misdemeanour against those Cabinet Ministers who have cautioned against vindictive diplomacy.
What is also amazing is that MPs who realise the implications of India playing footsie with Nepal's Maoists have not chosen to speak up. Will we wait for the 'revolutionary corridor' across India to become operational before we wake up to our folly in Nepal?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>UPA Govt hosts Prachanda to broker anti-King deal </b>
Kanchan Gupta / New Delhi
Senior politicians of Nepal's seven-party alliance leading a campaign against King Gyanendra are believed to have met top <b>Maoist leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias 'Comrade Prachanda' and his deputy Baburam Bhattarai at a Government guest house in New Delhi over last Wednesday and Thursday</b>. Â
Red-cornered guests of honour
The UPA Government brokered the meetings where a common anti-monarchy programme was worked out. Although the Ministry of External Affairs has claimed it has "no information" about the presence of the Maoist leaders in Delhi, BBC and Nepali newspapers have reported on the clandestine meetings.
This is the second time Comrade Prachanda, who leads a Maoist movement blacklisted by the US State Department and whose members are officially described by the Government of India as terrorists, has travelled to India for talks.
The Pioneer first reported his presence in Delhi on September 4. During that visit, he is believed to have discussed with his Indian interlocutors measures to corner King Gyanendra, who took over the reins of Government in a palace coup on February 1 and launched an all-out assault on Maoists.
The UPA Government has been steadfast in its opposition to the King and has taken several steps, including suspension of arms supplies to fight the Maoists, to convey its displeasure. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated his Government's pro-democracy - read anti-monarchy - position when he met King Gyanendra on the sidelines of SAARC summit in Dhaka last weekend.
<b>In a carefully choreographed operation, Nepali Congress president and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was first flown to Delhi, ostensibly for "medical treatment". Mr Koirala had a series of meetings with various leaders, including former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.</b>
The next man to fly in was Communist Party of Nepal (UML) chief Madhav Kumar Nepal, who arrived on Wednesday. He was in Delhi for three weeks, also for "medical treatment", and returned within five days of his last visit. His deputy KP Oli, accompanied him on this trip. Mr Nepal flew back to Kathmandu on Friday evening.
The deal said to have been worked out by the Nepali Congress, the CPN (UML) and the Maoists involves launching a joint agitation against King Gyanendra to push their demand for fresh polls to elect a Constituent Assembly and downgrade the status of Narainhity Palace to "ceremonial or truly constitutional monarchy".
It is believed that Comrade Prachanda, who announced a unilateral ceasefire on September 3 which has not been acknowledged by the palace as yet, has offered that the Maoists will lay down their arms "under UN supervision" and "join mainstream politics". Comrade Prachanda and the Maoists have been waging a ruthless insurgency for more than a decade to convert the world's only Hindu kingdom into a Communist State.
According to BBC, Mr Madhav Kumar Nepal has "confirmed that the dialogue with the Maoists had opened in recent days" and that "from now on the seven-party opposition alliance and the Maoists would have a common target of fighting the monarchy."
<b>King Gyanendra, at present on an African safari, is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on December 2.</b> Reacting to reports of the UPA Government-brokered Delhi deal, palace loyalist and Education Minister Radha Krishna Mainali told newspersons in Kathmandu that "leaders who have spoken to Maoists could be held under anti-terrorist laws... The frantic visit of some prominent political leaders and diplomats to Delhi is an unfortunate development, consultation will not yield any good result."
Curiously, US Ambassador to Nepal James Moriarty visited New Delhi early last week and met Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran. The two are believed to have discussed the political situation in Nepal. "We discussed the continued need of the King to reach out to the political parties to find an effective way to work toward restoring democracy and to address the threat of Maoist insurgency," Mr Moriarty said in a statement on Thursday after returning to Kathmandu.
<b>As a precursor to the new strategy to corner King Gyanendra and win the sympathy of the American and British Governments - both of which have officially called on the Maoists to end their armed insurgency and join democratic politics - Comrade Prachanda and his colleagues have adopted a new strategy.</b>
After the Maoists' plenum in Rolpa, Nepal, in October, Comrade Prachanda claimed a decision was taken to "join pluralistic politics, allow unimpeded access to the heartland by the political parties, and seek UN involvement in overseeing the laying down of arms in the run-up to Constituent Assembly elections."
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UPA policy to keep Indian commie in good humor, so that they can stay in power.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Our loss in Nepal </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
By choosing to isolate King Gyanendra of Nepal and support discredited, thoroughly corrupt politicians and the Maoists after last February's palace coup, the UPA Government adopted a disastrous policy whose impact is now beginning to take shape. Faced with total non-cooperation from India, especially after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his team decided to suspend arms supplies to the Royal Nepal.
Army which were needed to combat the Maoist terrorists, King Gyanendra has been forced look towards China. Ironically, while India decided to break with its long-standing policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state and, to an extent, successfully lobbied with the US and the EU to put pressure on the King for restoration of democracy, China refused to take a moral position.
<b>The real contours of Beijing's disinterest have now begun to emerge with the arrival of truckloads of arms and ammunition for the Royal Nepal Army</b>. With New Delhi abdicating its responsibility to actively engage with the King and provide him with the wherewithal to fight the Maoist menace that is as much a threat to Nepal as, it is to India, and <b>Washington and Brussels remaining aloof since their stakes in the world's only Hindu kingdom are marginal, Beijing has decided to step in and make its presence felt</b>.
It is nobody's case that the Communist Party of China is interested in propping up direct rule by Narayanhity Palace, but it is obvious that New Delhi's cussed response has provided Beijing with an excellent opportunity to grab the space vacated by us. And, it does not require a soothsayer to predict that if China continues with its policy of engagement, then a day shall arrive when New Delhi can claim to have won moral victory but the strategic victory will be of Beijing.
<b>Between February and November, the UPA Government has managed to squander India's advantage and spike the policy that had been painstakingly put in place ever since we managed to dissuade King Mahendra from cosying up to the Chinese in the early-1960s</b>. The net result of this folly is manifesting itself in the rapid shrinking of India's sphere of influence in the region, such as it was to begin with.
There is time yet for the Prime Minister to undo the mistakes of these past months and retrieve some of the ground we have lost in Nepal. For that, he must scrap the policy of disengagement, drop the contrived demand for restoration of democracy and instruct his advisers not to cut deals with politicians who have lost credibility with the masses and survive on Government of India largesse or criminals like Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Comrade Prachanda, who heads the Maoist terror brigade.
<b>If the Prime Minister can so enthusiastically participate in dialogue with a military dictator masquerading as 'President' in Pakistan, if the Government can do business with the regime in Myanmar and if we do not sit in moral judgement on the presidents, kings, princes, emirs and sheikhs who rule Arabia with tyrannical fervour, then there is no reason why we should be so fanatically obsessed with restoring democracy in Nepal.</b>
<b>This is not to suggest that King Gyanendra can turn the clock back and return to the days of absolute monarchy. But to mollycoddle the Maoists and allow the Chinese to consolidate their hold over Narayanhity Palace are not the best tactics to prevent King Gyanendra from doing precisely that</b>.
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When jerk is a Prime minister of india and traitor aa Foreign minister, what else we can expect.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Tibetan Traditional Art Threatened
Many of the traditional Tibetan artists fled to Nepal for safety after the 1950's invasion of Tibet by China. Now Maoist rebels threaten the refugees in Nepal and many are opting to relocate.
(PRWEB) January 8, 2006 -- For the last forty years most traditional Tibetan art has come from Nepal. This will soon change due to increasing pressure on the refugee Tibetan community in Nepal.
The rising tensions caused by Maoist rebels in Nepal have caused the tourist trade to almost completely dry up in Nepal. Most traditional tibetan art and trained artist are not able to sell their art. The art has been carefully preserved in scrolls called thangkas. Thangkas are usually painted on a 15" by 20" canvas with very bright colors and measured specifically to be recreated the same way each time they are painted. The artist themselves are usually Buddhist monks of one of the three schools of Buddhism originally from Tibet. The three are the yellow hat, the red hat and the black hat. The Dalai Lama is a yellow hat but is the spititual leader of all Tibetan buddhist.
More than ten thousand buddhist have applied for political asylum in the US. Many will move to northern India where tibetan monasteries are already present. One good thing may come of this migration and that may be a new flourishing of very old art that will come with these skilled artist.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb329905.htm
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Is China grooming 'another Tibet'?
by Frederick Stakelbeck Jr, The Washington Times
December 29th, 2005
Over the past 10 months, the Himalayan nation of Nepal has adopted a potentially explosive pro-China foreign policy strategy designed to expand diplomatic and military relations between the two countries. The genesis of this policy can be traced to February, when dictatorial King Gyanendra seized absolute power by suspending free elections and democratic reforms.
Since then, Katmandu has come under intense pressure from traditional allies India, Britain and the United States, all of which imposed a range of tough sanctions, essentially freezing all military exchanges. All three countries have stated recently that military assistance to Nepal would resume only when King Gyanendra has handed over executive power to a democratic government and addressed human-rights concerns.
Facing the prospect of escalating internal unrest from an alienated public and a rising Maoist insurrection, war-torn <b>Nepal has turned to alternative sources for military support, namely, mainland China. This new relationship poses difficult questions for India and the United States, testing the resolve of the world's two largest democracies.</b>
In November, Royal Nepalese Army Gen. Pyar Jung Thapa secured a "no strings attached" grant of $12 million from China, the first such assistance since 1998. That same month, Nepal's Kantipur Daily reported that truckloads of arms and ammunition had crossed over the China-Nepal border under the close escort of the Chinese army.
Just a few weeks earlier, Gen. Thapa met with Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan in Beijing. During their meeting, Gangchan indicated that his country would continue to promote military cooperation with Nepal, noting that bilateral relations have "witnessed progress." Later, Liang Guangile of the Chinese People's Liberation Army discussed issues related to Taiwan and Tibet with Gen. Thapa.
Although Indian and U.S. military aid to Nepal still far exceeds <b>China's recent "donations,"</b> expanded military cooperation sends a clear message to New Delhi and Washington that Beijing plans to increase its influence in the region. <b>All of this makes economic competitor and past military adversary India especially nervous. "It is a serious concern for India especially if the [defense] agreement with China is to be a long-term plan," one Indian defense official said.</b>
In the past, India has supplied Nepal with rifles, Lancer helicopter gun ships, armored vehicles and ammunition in order to support democracy efforts and to repel Maoist activities on its northern border. For its part, the United States has supplied Nepal with millions of dollars in military aid and tens of thousands of M-16 assault rifles, while Britain has provided "non-lethal" equipment such as transport helicopters and trucks.
<b>Nepal's military relationship with China is a national security concern for India, raising questions regarding China's ultimate intentions and the use of Nepalese territory to spy on Indian military installations. In addition, the joint Pakistan-Chinese construction project at the port of Gwada and the use of Myanmar's Cocos Islands by China also have New Delhi concerned.</b>
With several lucrative oil and gas pipeline deals in the works, agreements to jointly construct north-south roads and railways, and ongoing discussions designed to create an "information superhighway" between the two countries, Katmandu is beginning to view Beijing as a powerful and influential regional friend and a possible long-term alternative to India and the United States.
But the government of King Gyanendra has recently bolstered military and political ties with coup supporters Pakistan and Russia as well. Nepalese Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey visited both countries in October, sending a message to New Delhi and Washington that a growing regional security concern may be on the horizon.
In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in November, seven U.S. congressmen urged the secretary to chair a high-level group to discuss, develop and implement a strategy to address the situation in Nepal. "We believe that a package that combines diplomatic intervention, economic development, and restoration of civil security is required to persuade King Gyanendra to embrace democratic governance," they noted.
<b>Nepal may not become another Tibet in the near future; however, Beijing could gradually bring its considerable influence to bear on the tiny, poverty-stricken nation in an attempt to change the leadership in Katmandu. The first steps have already taken place.
India and the United States should make every attempt to prevent further destabilization in Nepal and deter further Chinese influence, which will only serve to agitate an already unstable regional security situation.</b>
Frederick Stakelbeck Jr. is a foreign affairs analyst based in Philadelphia.
http://tinyurl.com/cfmoa
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->China, Pak pumping arms into Nepal
http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/jan/22nepal.htm
January 23, 2006 00:00 IST
As India continued its freeze on defence supplies to Nepal, the royal government has started procuring military articles from other countries, including China and Pakistan.
Just a month before King Gyanendra launched repressive measures on political activities in the Himalayan Kingdom, Nepal purchased a substantial quantity of ammunition and grenades from China, official sources told PTI.
As part of the purchase, a consignment of at least 18,000 grenades and 4,000 rounds of ammunition has already been delivered to the Royal Nepal Army, they said.
From Pakistan, the government purchased non-lethal military accessories recently, the sources said.
Unconfirmed reports said Nepal has also procured defence equipment from Israel, the sources said.
Nepal has been traditionally dependent on India for its defence needs as it has been providing it in the form of aid.
In the past, India has supplied military wares worth Rs 450 crore to Nepal.
Sources in the Indian government said China and others were only selling the military ware to Nepal out of business considerations and were not giving aid as India has been doing all along till February 1 when Gyanendra seized power.
New Delhi believes that the king is using such tactics in an attempt to influence change in India's approach, particularly on military supplies, which were frozen.
But India is not perturbed by Gyanendra's tactics as it feels that Beijing will not gain anything by playing into the hands of the king.
"For China, there is no strategic importance in Nepal," the sources said, brushing aside reports about Beijing's growing interest in the Himalayan Kingdom lately.
Pointing out that Sino-India relations had now changed for the better, they said, "Beijing and New Delhi are not competing for space in Nepal."
India, which has maintained that there could be no military solution to the Himalayan Kingdom's ills, feels that the coming weeks would be crucial in the context of assessing which way Nepal is heading.
But with regard to Pakistan, the sources said the ISI continued to be active in Nepal, pumping in fake Indian currency and helping in the growth of madrassas along the Indo-Nepal border.
India is of the view that international community needed to mount political pressure on King Gyanendra to make him restore multi-party democracy.
"The king is competing for power with political parties. He should not do it," the sources said, noting that this had brought the Monarch in direct confrontation with politicians and people.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Massive Maoist attacks in mid-western Nepal</b>
Maoist guerrillas launched a series of massive attacks in a key city in Nepal, a day after the home minister said security has been beefed up across the country and civic elections would not be postponed.
Nepalgunj, headquarters of Banke district and an important administrative and commercial centre in midwestern Nepal, was racked by gunfire and explosions Tuesday night as the rebels began a simultaneous attack on more than five targets.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetai...230168&cat=Asia
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http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.p...opstories/main1
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Let us dedicate our time for peace: HM
By A Staff Reporter
BIRGUNJ, Apr. 7: His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev has said that to establish peace in the true sense is the need of the day.
His Majesty made this remark while addressing the inaugural session of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary Celebration of the World Hindu Federation at Pipara Muth Friday.
âLet us all pledge to dedicate some of our time towards this noble cause,â His Majesty noted. âThere are several instances where, for peace, sages have sacrificed their lives.â His Majesty further said that the holy Vedas also laid special emphasis on peace and humanism.
His Majesty said that Hinduism, which dates back to the beginning of civilisation itself, embraces the high ideals of tolerance and âVasudaiva kutumbakamâ or universal fraternity. âIn these ideals lies the strength in the relations amongst various faiths in this Hindu Kingdom.â
Based on humanistic ideals, the Hindu culture, which espouses the precept âSarve bhawantu sukhina, sarve santu niramayaâ or âLet every human being be happy and free of disease; let every individualâs well being be ensuredâ, is dedicated to the good and peace of all, the Monarch said. âThese ideals must be incorporated into our way of life, as inscribed in the great religious epic The Bhagawat Gita.â
His Majesty said that the Hindu religion âtouches every aspect of our livesâ adding, âto this day, it continues to occupy the pride of place it had acquired during ancient timesâ. âWe are confident that, like in the past thousands of years, its future is eternally secure because its ideals and philosophy have not been distorted. We believe that religion leads an individual on the path of righteousness.â
His Majesty said the Kingdom of Nepal was the fountainhead of Hinduism which had, since time immemorial, provided ascetics and mystics with the spiritual ground for meditation. Having never faced any kind of discord in the name of religion, Nepal can be taken as a paragon of perfect harmony in terms of religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence, the Monarch noted. âWhile holding all religions in high esteem, we firmly believe in the good virtue of creating a peaceful environment. This is also an outstanding attribute of Hinduism.
The function is being attended by revered sages, religious leaders, and scholars from home and abroad.
<b>The full-text of His Majestyâs address is as follows:</b>
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is indeed a pleasure for us to be amongst this august gathering of revered sages, religious leaders, excellencies, scholars and participants who are here to take part in this ceremony being held on the occasion of the silver jubilee anniversary of the World Hindu Federation.
The Kingdom of Nepal, the fountainhead of Hinduism, has, since time immemorial, provided ascetics and mystics with the spiritual ground for meditation. Siddhartha Gautam, the founder of Buddhism, is a son of this land. Buddhism later spread far and wide, including India, China and Japan, and Lord Buddha came to be revered as the proponent of peace, a fact we should take pride in. Janaki is also a daughter of this soil. Having never faced any kind of discord in the name of religion, Nepal can be taken as a paradigm of perfect harmony between religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence. While holding all religions in high esteem, we firmly believe in the good virtue of creating a peaceful environment. This is also an outstanding attribute of Hinduism.
Nepal is not only home to Vedic sages and Buddhist philosophers. According to scriptures, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, meditated on the banks of the holy Bishnumati River and Emperor Bharat, son of Rishabhdev, considered the first Tirthankar of the Jain sect, meditated on the banks of the Kali Gandaki River in Nepal. So it can be surmised that the strong religious pillars of all four sects, namely Vedic, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh, were bonded in Nepal, thereby paving the way for the spontaneous development of the Omkar Parivar.
The holy land of Nepal, which has the distinction of having sacred places like the Pashupat, Baraha, Ruru and Mukti Regions and is also referred to in the Puranas, is a common site of pilgrimage for all. The people of Nepal and India enjoy similar culture and tradition, with the age-old affinity and affection fostered by shared religious beliefs complementing one another. Common perspectives have been developed in a number of issues. The deep sentimental relations between the Hindus of the world has augmented and inspired the advancement of fraternity amongst Hindus all over in the 21st century.
Hinduism, which dates back to the beginning of civilisation itself, embraces the high ideals of tolerance and âVasudaiva kutumbakamâ or universal fraternity. In these ideals lies the strength in the relations amongst various faiths in this Hindu Kingdom.
Based on humanistic ideals, the Hindu culture, which espouses the precept âSarve bhawantu sukhina sarve santu niramayaâ or âLet every human being be happy and free of disease; let every individualâs well-being be ensuredâ, is dedicated to the good and peace of all. These ideals must be incorporated into our way of life, as inscribed in the great religious epic The Bhagawat Gita.
There are many instances where, for peace, many sages have sacrificed their lives. To establish permanent peace in the true sense is the need of the day. Let us all pledge to dedicate some of our time towards this noble cause. The holy Vedas also lay special emphasis on peace and humanism.
The Hindu religion touches every aspect of our lives. To this day, it continues to occupy the pride of place it had acquired during ancient times. We are confident that, like in the past thousands of years, its future is eternally secure because its ideals and philosophy have not been distorted. We believe that religion leads an individual on the path of righteousness. Hinduism endorses reincarnation and purity of the soul. Our religion teaches us that no matter how difficult a task may be, we must pursue to execute it with a sense of dedication and dutifulness since our good deeds in this world ensures our well-being in the next. At the same time, it also inspires us to view life in a positive manner.
It is a matter of satisfaction that the Third World Hindu Convention and, under the auspices of the Convention, the Shanti Sammelan (Peace Conference) and Santa Sammelan (Sagesâ Conference) are being held on the auspicious occasion of the silver jubilee anniversary of the World Hindu Federation. We are confident that the recommendations adopted by these conferences will provide important guidelines for the benefit of the Hindu world as well as humankind as a whole.
Finally, while conveying best wishes for the success of the silver jubilee anniversary, we wish to thank the organisers and participants on behalf of the Queen and ourselves.
May Lord Pashupatinath bless us all!
Jaya Nepal!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
India is mishandling Nepal.
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