Kathmandu: Leaving the lame-duck agitation against regression in the lurch, the commander of the said movement, Girija Prasad Koirala, is on a weeklong Delhi pilgrimage.

Tired and perhaps frustrated by the insignificant outcome of the agitation, Koirala felt the need to refresh him by making a tour to Delhi wherein he could rejuvenate his old ties with the Indian leaders.

The fact is also that Koirala is in effect suffering from certain ailments that needed thorough medical check-ups in Delhi. It is altogether a different matter as to whether Nepali hospitals were competent enough to attend on Koirala or not. In the past, Koirala used to visit Dharan hospital which is considered to be one-of-the best in the South Asian region.

Should this mean that Koirala’s sudden departure to Delhi has some thing more than meets the eye?

Now that Koirala is already in Delhi, analysts concentrate their analyses as to whether Koirala will see the top-hats of the Maoists insurgency, albeit if they were in Delhi?

The other question the analysts ask whether the Indian establishment under Prime Minister man Mohan Singh will allow such meetings to happen given the fact that as and when such meetings have taken place in between the Nepali leaders and the Maoists leaders, Indian establishment have had to feel some sort of embarrassment.

However, the manner Koirala a week ago declared that he was enough to settle the Maoists issue and that he would accomplish the task of bringing the insurgents to the mainstream come what may.

His impromptu declaration forces analysts in Kathmandu that Koirala’s Delhi trip has two purposes: firstly, to go in for a medical check-up which is what he in effect needs and secondly, if things remained normal, to see Maoists leaders and share his experiences on the fresh political developments in Nepal specially after his rival Deuba assumed the nation’s prime minister ship.

If one were to recall how the Indian establishment reacted to Madhav’s clandestine meetings with comrade Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai late November last year in Lucknow, India, it becomes clear that the new government in Delhi will not allow Koirala so easily to meet those whom Koirala wishes to meet. And Koirala can’t afford to annoy the host country and perhaps will return Kathmandu stating that since he had gone to Delhi only for medical check-up, he did not meet the leaders of the insurgency.

Media sources in Kathmandu opine that Koirala, if things went as per the schedule, will meet Maoists leaders somewhere in NOIDA and the facilitator would be this time the Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Other sources say that Koirala’s long time friend, George Fernandes, will manage such a meeting in between the two.

The third source claims that it would be former Prime Minister, Chandra Shekhar, a family friend of Koirala, who would arrange such a meeting for Koirala with the Maoists at his own Bhondse Ashram that is talked to be located in the outskirts of Delhi.

Koirala prior to leaving for Delhi point blank rejected that he was all set to meet the Maoists leaders.

Whether Koirala meets the leaders of the insurgency or not, nevertheless, UML’s Madhav Nepal has offered his congratulations to Koirala by saying that if Koirala succeeded in settling the Maoists issue and restore peace in the country, he and his party would wish to declare him a national hero.

Madhav Nepal speaking in Pokhara, Tuesday indicated that Koirala might meet the insurgent leaders during his Delhi sojourn.

Understandably, Koirala’s mission depends on the sagacity of the Indian establishment indeed. If Delhi entertains Koirala’s wish and allows the two to meet in private will mean that Koirala still can influence the powers-that-be in Delhi. If he fails would mean that Delhi simply distanced itself from the mess of an exclusively Nepali affair.

Nevertheless, let’s hope that Koirala brings positive message when he returns to the capital.

Telegraph adds: A senior NC activist who is close to Koirala told this scribe Tuesday afternoon that Koirala will not meet the Maoists leaders while being in India and that the media reports that Koirala will see the leaders of the insurgency in Delhi were all rubbish designed to malign both Koirala and India. “If Koirala wishes to meet them, he can do so even in the Nepalese territory or can opt for a third country for such a meet”, added the NC source. The source went on to say that Koirala was well received in India.