A leading industrialist, Mohan Gopal Khetan, has rejected the accusation by some Indian newspapers that Nepal was playing China-card. “China now plays global card,” he asserted.
A leading industrialist, Mohan Gopal Khetan (File photo)
A leading industrialist, Mohan Gopal Khetan (File photo)
In an exclusive interview with the state-run The Rising Nepal daily on Sunday, senior Khetan said Nepal played important role of bringing in China and Japan as observer in the SAARC forum.
“(At the SAARC summit), His Majesty demonstrated the maturity and sagacity of a statesman and His Majesty’s statement was featured prominently by the media in South Asia, South East Asia and even in other countries,” he added.
Khetan said His Majesty the King as chairing president of a session at the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis was a fitting reply to what he called baseless noises made about Nepal’s participation in the UN General Assembly. Referring to King Gyanendra’s visit to Nepal’s traditional friends such as Egypt, Tanzania and other countries, he said no one comes to you to give support and aid, one needs to reach to friends.
An outspoken commentator of the contemporary politics, Khetan claimed that it was the right time to go for elections as people had experienced peace and the cadres of the Maoist terrorists, too, had felt relief from their spate of violence.
“The so-called extremists must have realised how important peace is for society and the country,” he added.
The government has done its part in imparting security to the people and it is evident that the Supreme Court still functions under the constitution. “This needs to be furthered and bolstered,” he added.
Commenting on the agreement between the seven opposition parties and the Maoists, Khetan said the seven-party alliance did not exist in the real sense. “Yes, it might be on paper, but we haven’t seen a firm committed alliance.” “(Nepali Congress president) Girija Prasad Koirala might have done a political blunder by supporting and taking refuge with the extremist elements,” he added.
”With Nepali Congress already divided and five other parties featuring nowhere, the seven parties actually means the CPN-UML,” said Khetan, once known as one of the major funders of political parties in the country.
Khetan came down heavily on the rally of the UML saying that when stones were thrown at the royal carcade, why did not Ian Martin, representative of the UN on Human Rights in Nepal and National Human Rights Commission speak. “Again, why does Madhav Kumar Nepal not condemn it saying it was wrong?,” he asked.
In the front-page interview with the state-run daily, Khetan advised that there should be phase-wise talks at the lower level to build up confidence and finally at the state level to resolve the Maoist problem. “It should be a gradual process and there is no alternative to this,” he added.
”If there were attempts to weaken the monarchy who can guarantee that there would not be another Jung Bahadur,” said Khetan, referring to the Prime Minister who established the 104-year long Rana oligarchy. The Rana regime was overthrown by an armed rebellion led by Nepali Congress in 1950.