UPA traitors Pranab mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, and Shyama Saran seem to towing yechury's line.......
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As Kathmandu crumbles, India may abandon King
Pramod Kumar Singh | New Delhi
With Nepal swiftly slipping into Maoist control, India on Monday appeared all set to abandon Nepal's beleaguered monarchy and instead prepare a contingency plan to tide over developments post-monarchy.
Concerned over the unfolding situation, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee presided over a meeting attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, National Security Advisor, Home Secretary, Raw Chief, Director (Intelligence Bureau) and MEA Joint Secretary, Nepal desk. <b>Highly placed sources told The Pioneer that India has decided not to extend military help to the Royal Nepalese Army since the situation has reached a flashpoint not conducive to military support. </b>The meeting also deliberated a scenario wherein King Gyanendra is forced to abdicate as the Maoists are on the threshold of storming Kathmandu.
The Government has also decided to keep civilian and military aircraft in readiness in case of a need to evacuate Indian embassy officials and other Indians stranded in the Himalayan kingdom. Later, the Defence Minister briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Germany about the developments. The Government is keeping a close watch on the developments and evolving measures to be taken in case the situation demands, sources added.
Meanwhile, although India has reasons to be worried over a Maoist-takeover of Nepal, the UPA Government's Left allies here are working overtime to reach out to the Maoists and grant them political legitimacy.
While India officially wants the "people of Nepal" and the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) to escort Nepal back to democracy, the ground reality is that a weakened monarchy has in fact strengthened the arms-wielding Maoists, not the SPA, in the process emboldening the UPA's Left allies here to spring into action.
That the Left in New Delhi is actively seeking the inclusion of the Maoists in Nepal's political process was yet again in evidence on Monday when CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Openly seeking King Gyanendra's abdication, Mr Yechury asked the Government to take a position on the Nepal issue "in sync" with the people's aspirations and seek restoration of Parliament. "The Government of India should keep in mind the sentiments in Nepal and seek restoration of the Parliament," Mr Yechury told the media. Mr Mukherjee and Mr Yechury have been holding consultations on Nepal for the past few days.
"The situation has gone beyond the concept of two pillars of democracy -- King and Parliament. The way the popular movement is going on, the King should transfer power to the people," the Left leader said. As for the Maoists, Mr Yechury said they have told him they would like to participate in the democratic process and lay down arms if steps are taken towards complete restoration of democracy.
As for his four-point formula to defuse the current crisis, Mr Yechury said that it has been accepted by the SPA as well as the Maoists. The formula includes immediate restoration of the dissolved Parliament which should set up an interim Government that will also decide on fresh election and formation of a new Government. The interim Government will hold negotiations with the Maoists. The new Parliament would review the Constitution and the role of the King.
On leader of the Opposition LK Advani's statement that Maoists should be kept out of the democratic process, the CPM leader said "It would be better if senior leaders of India understand the people's sentiments. The people of Nepal trust the Maoists more than the King."
Although the Left here ostensibly wants the inclusion of the Maoists as a means to get them to give up their arms, the Maoists themselves have given no such indication. The violent protests in Kathmandu on Monday bore the Maoist signature all over.
Mr Yechury is in touch with Nepali Congress veteran Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML leader Madab Nepal and has brifed them about his meeting with Mr Mukherjee. The Left leader has also been in touch with Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai.
Interestingly, the Left agenda was worked out between the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxists), keeping other Left parties out. Senior RSP leader Abony Roy and his party were kept out of the discussions even though the RSP is learnt to have evinced interest in being part of any Left consultations for restoration of democracy in Nepal.
That New Delhi would abandon the King and its "two-pillar policy" was evident over the weekend when <b>Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said, "If today or tomorrow the people of Nepal wish to see a different future for themselves, different kind of political arrangements for themselves, that is for the people of Nepal to decide, not for India to decide."</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As Kathmandu crumbles, India may abandon King
Pramod Kumar Singh | New Delhi
With Nepal swiftly slipping into Maoist control, India on Monday appeared all set to abandon Nepal's beleaguered monarchy and instead prepare a contingency plan to tide over developments post-monarchy.
Concerned over the unfolding situation, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee presided over a meeting attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, National Security Advisor, Home Secretary, Raw Chief, Director (Intelligence Bureau) and MEA Joint Secretary, Nepal desk. <b>Highly placed sources told The Pioneer that India has decided not to extend military help to the Royal Nepalese Army since the situation has reached a flashpoint not conducive to military support. </b>The meeting also deliberated a scenario wherein King Gyanendra is forced to abdicate as the Maoists are on the threshold of storming Kathmandu.
The Government has also decided to keep civilian and military aircraft in readiness in case of a need to evacuate Indian embassy officials and other Indians stranded in the Himalayan kingdom. Later, the Defence Minister briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Germany about the developments. The Government is keeping a close watch on the developments and evolving measures to be taken in case the situation demands, sources added.
Meanwhile, although India has reasons to be worried over a Maoist-takeover of Nepal, the UPA Government's Left allies here are working overtime to reach out to the Maoists and grant them political legitimacy.
While India officially wants the "people of Nepal" and the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) to escort Nepal back to democracy, the ground reality is that a weakened monarchy has in fact strengthened the arms-wielding Maoists, not the SPA, in the process emboldening the UPA's Left allies here to spring into action.
That the Left in New Delhi is actively seeking the inclusion of the Maoists in Nepal's political process was yet again in evidence on Monday when CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Openly seeking King Gyanendra's abdication, Mr Yechury asked the Government to take a position on the Nepal issue "in sync" with the people's aspirations and seek restoration of Parliament. "The Government of India should keep in mind the sentiments in Nepal and seek restoration of the Parliament," Mr Yechury told the media. Mr Mukherjee and Mr Yechury have been holding consultations on Nepal for the past few days.
"The situation has gone beyond the concept of two pillars of democracy -- King and Parliament. The way the popular movement is going on, the King should transfer power to the people," the Left leader said. As for the Maoists, Mr Yechury said they have told him they would like to participate in the democratic process and lay down arms if steps are taken towards complete restoration of democracy.
As for his four-point formula to defuse the current crisis, Mr Yechury said that it has been accepted by the SPA as well as the Maoists. The formula includes immediate restoration of the dissolved Parliament which should set up an interim Government that will also decide on fresh election and formation of a new Government. The interim Government will hold negotiations with the Maoists. The new Parliament would review the Constitution and the role of the King.
On leader of the Opposition LK Advani's statement that Maoists should be kept out of the democratic process, the CPM leader said "It would be better if senior leaders of India understand the people's sentiments. The people of Nepal trust the Maoists more than the King."
Although the Left here ostensibly wants the inclusion of the Maoists as a means to get them to give up their arms, the Maoists themselves have given no such indication. The violent protests in Kathmandu on Monday bore the Maoist signature all over.
Mr Yechury is in touch with Nepali Congress veteran Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML leader Madab Nepal and has brifed them about his meeting with Mr Mukherjee. The Left leader has also been in touch with Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai.
Interestingly, the Left agenda was worked out between the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxists), keeping other Left parties out. Senior RSP leader Abony Roy and his party were kept out of the discussions even though the RSP is learnt to have evinced interest in being part of any Left consultations for restoration of democracy in Nepal.
That New Delhi would abandon the King and its "two-pillar policy" was evident over the weekend when <b>Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said, "If today or tomorrow the people of Nepal wish to see a different future for themselves, different kind of political arrangements for themselves, that is for the people of Nepal to decide, not for India to decide."</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->