05-27-2005, 06:48 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Red-faced govt in denial mode </b>
Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi
Karat claims he never met Nepal Maoist--- A thoroughly embarrassed External Affairs Ministry on Thursday was left waving CPM general secretary Prakash <b>Karat's denial of a reported meeting between him and Nepalese Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai amid reports of utter policy chaos in the corridors of South Block on Nepal.</b>
At a juncture when the UPA government is battling to evolve a watertight Nepal policy, reports of the Karat-Bhattarai meeting only added to speculations about an unprecedented lack of consensus, even clarity, within the government, on Nepal.
<b>Karat, aware of the serious implications of such a meeting both on the domestic and the international front</b>, said reports that he "met a Maoist leader from Nepal in a meeting arranged by the Indian security agencies is untrue. No such meeting was held."
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A curious denial emanated from across the border. In an "<b>underground" statement, Bhattarai, while not denying the fact of the meeting, took umbrage to the charge that the "Indian intelligence" had arranged the meeting. Terming the report "utterly baseless, imaginary, erroneous and an attempt at character assassination,"</b> the statement said the report was an attempt to sabotage the pro-democracy movement in Nepal.
Amid the various flip-flops by the Indian foreign office and the PMO between outright opposition to the Nepalese monarchy and extension of conditional support to it, New Delhi in recent weeks has been struggling to position itself vis-a-vis the three key players in Nepalese politics - the monarchy, the political parties and the Maoists.
<b>Aware of the risk of King Gyanendra turning to China in the event of India suffocating military aid to Nepal, New Delhi recently announced the resumption of defence supplies</b>. At the same time India has to sing in chorus with global champions of democracy like the US to seek early restoration of democracy in Nepal. <b>What, however, came as the crowning glory was the reported meeting between Karat and Bhattarai last week. The report hinted India would like to use the Left's influence to prevail upon them to convince the Maoists to join Nepal's seven-party pro-democracy alliance.</b>
However, not one to be seen hobnobbing with the Maoists in Nepal while battling their counterparts on home turf, New Delhi had to reiterate its disapproval of the Maoists' violent ways. The MEA said India "strongly condemns the terrorist and violent activities of the Maoists that have caused enormous sufferings to the people of the kingdom." In a statement, the spokesperson said, "There is no change in respect of our policy with regard to CPN (Maoists)."
The spokesperson said India believed there was no purely military solution to Nepal's Maoist insurgency: "Durable peace and stability in Nepal can only be achieved through a political settlement, which, among other things, requires the Maoists to forswear armed struggle and lay down their arms." When asked if Mr Bhattarai had visited India, he said he had no information about it.
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Commie Karat had meeting with head of group, which now on International terrorist list and now they are denying. When MEA and PMO was singing chorus, it means meeting took place.
Too late. Which also shed Karat influence on Indian maoists.
Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi
Karat claims he never met Nepal Maoist--- A thoroughly embarrassed External Affairs Ministry on Thursday was left waving CPM general secretary Prakash <b>Karat's denial of a reported meeting between him and Nepalese Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai amid reports of utter policy chaos in the corridors of South Block on Nepal.</b>
At a juncture when the UPA government is battling to evolve a watertight Nepal policy, reports of the Karat-Bhattarai meeting only added to speculations about an unprecedented lack of consensus, even clarity, within the government, on Nepal.
<b>Karat, aware of the serious implications of such a meeting both on the domestic and the international front</b>, said reports that he "met a Maoist leader from Nepal in a meeting arranged by the Indian security agencies is untrue. No such meeting was held."
Â
A curious denial emanated from across the border. In an "<b>underground" statement, Bhattarai, while not denying the fact of the meeting, took umbrage to the charge that the "Indian intelligence" had arranged the meeting. Terming the report "utterly baseless, imaginary, erroneous and an attempt at character assassination,"</b> the statement said the report was an attempt to sabotage the pro-democracy movement in Nepal.
Amid the various flip-flops by the Indian foreign office and the PMO between outright opposition to the Nepalese monarchy and extension of conditional support to it, New Delhi in recent weeks has been struggling to position itself vis-a-vis the three key players in Nepalese politics - the monarchy, the political parties and the Maoists.
<b>Aware of the risk of King Gyanendra turning to China in the event of India suffocating military aid to Nepal, New Delhi recently announced the resumption of defence supplies</b>. At the same time India has to sing in chorus with global champions of democracy like the US to seek early restoration of democracy in Nepal. <b>What, however, came as the crowning glory was the reported meeting between Karat and Bhattarai last week. The report hinted India would like to use the Left's influence to prevail upon them to convince the Maoists to join Nepal's seven-party pro-democracy alliance.</b>
However, not one to be seen hobnobbing with the Maoists in Nepal while battling their counterparts on home turf, New Delhi had to reiterate its disapproval of the Maoists' violent ways. The MEA said India "strongly condemns the terrorist and violent activities of the Maoists that have caused enormous sufferings to the people of the kingdom." In a statement, the spokesperson said, "There is no change in respect of our policy with regard to CPN (Maoists)."
The spokesperson said India believed there was no purely military solution to Nepal's Maoist insurgency: "Durable peace and stability in Nepal can only be achieved through a political settlement, which, among other things, requires the Maoists to forswear armed struggle and lay down their arms." When asked if Mr Bhattarai had visited India, he said he had no information about it.
For any comments, queries or feedback, kindly mail us at feedback@dailypioneer.com<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Commie Karat had meeting with head of group, which now on International terrorist list and now they are denying. When MEA and PMO was singing chorus, it means meeting took place.
Too late. Which also shed Karat influence on Indian maoists.