Kathmandu: Nepali politics has come out of its slumber suddenly. The otherwise stagnant politics of the country unexpectedly has become active. However, whether it is heading for the better or for worse will have to be watched.
Nevertheless, the manner the Nepalese leaders’ are making secret trips to New Delhi does hint that some political undercurrents are going in between Kathmandu and New Delhi. But for what purpose are these visits being made?
It was the RPP Chairman, Pashupati S. Rana who made the first trip to New Delhi in the recent days. Whom he met and who had invited him to Delhi is not known. But then yet what is for sure is that Mr. Rana has some relatives in Delhi placed in high places. His political connections with both the BJP and Congress are well known.
Nevertheless, was it Mr. Rana’s private or a business trip has so far been not made clear? Rumors were that Rana was to leave for his Delhi sojourn upon meeting the Monarch. However, he could not meet the King, it was reported. The conspiracy lies here.
Then it was the turn of UML leader, Madhav Nepal, to make a similar pilgrimage to Nepal’s political Mecca, New Delhi, and reports have it that Mr. Nepal is yet to conclude his meetings there with his patrons, mentors and the likes.
Though Mr. Nepal has assured the pressmen that it was his private trip, but a section of the analysts beg to differ with Mr. Nepal’s contention and say that he is there to seek the blessings of his communist friend and mentor, Harv Kishan Singh Surjeet, who has a powerful say in the man Mohan Singh led congress coalition government.
Clearly, Madhav Nepal is in Delhi to secure prime Ministerial post in Kathmandu. If this is so then it should be a matter of sheer shame on all who conclude that Nepali politics is guided or should be guided by New Delhi. If not then what could have brought Mr. Nepal to Delhi? Either he should explain his mission to Delhi or else people in Kathmandu would conclude that he was there as usual to maneuver Nepali politics through the kind courtesy of Indian leaders.
It’s not a secret now that Mr. Nepal has of late developed a special sort of lust for the Prime Ministerial chair in Singh Durbar. His conviction that if he enjoyed the Delhi support for fulfilling his inner ambitions then he deserves a salute!
This is not all.
For the readers’ record, Sadbhavana-Anandi Devi leader, Rajendra Mahato, has just returned from New Delhi. During this trip, Mahato is supposed to have had the honor to meet and have a tete-a-tete with Madame Sonia Gandhi.
In the marathon to Delhi is Chakra Prasad Bastola, a congress leader who is supposed to have wider links in the Indian leadership as well in the bureaucracy. It is understood that Koirala is sending him to Delhi to gauge the mood of the Maoists leaders reportedly residing in Delhi. To recall, Bastola in the past has met the insurgents in Delhi many a times. His trip this time could also have been guided by the same spirit.
Other sources say that Bastola is fleeing to Delhi for fear of being nabbed by the CIAA for he is, rumors have it, in the hit-list of the corruption watch-dog. Any way he is going to Delhi for whatever reasons.
Unconfirmed reports have it that NSP-A leader, Mr. Tripathi too is trying on his own to be in Delhi and meet leaders there.
To give a counter to RPP chairman Rana’s trip to Delhi, S.B.Thapa, yet another RPP leader and a matching rival to Rana, is also planning to send his brother H. Thapa to Delhi. It is yet uncertain as to whom this junior Thapa will meet in Delhi and what were his agenda for talks there!
President Koirala understanding the hidden “importance” of such trips being made by his competing rivals in Nepal too is planning a similar trip to New Delhi. In effect, Koirala will have by this time left already for Delhi, however, a minor bronchial problem of his dear daughter, Sujata-Jost Koirala did not allow his to materialize his trip. Nevertheless, he is all set to leave Kathmandu for Delhi this Friday, if every thing went smoothly. TG adds: Yet another congress source claims that Koirala will be touring various districts around the time he is rumored to be in Delhi. The source dubs Koirala’s rumored trip to Delhi as baseless and propagated with all mal-intentions. Nevertheless, Sujata is visiting Delhi for sure, adds the same source.
While all these trips appear to have been made on an unofficial basis, nevertheless, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba too is officially visiting New Delhi some time next week. Since this trip is an official one, this will presumably carry much weight than those made by others.
What Deuba will talk with his Indian counterpart and what political benefits the country will gain from this visit is not known, however, what is already guaranteed, predict analysts, is that he will provide several concessions to New Delhi in lieu of meager gains. Nothing unusual as this has been the Nepali fate since 1950 and the Nepali population has made it a habit of accepting the results pleasingly.
It is unfair to blame India for our diplomatic failures, analysts maintain.
The fact is that the Indian diplomacy is superb while dealing with her smaller neighbors. Why India should be blamed for our self-defeating attitudes.
It is not the fault of the Indian leaders if Nepali leaders approach them for blessings.
It is these Nepali faults in series that India’s influence is ever increasing in this country.
According to analysts, Nepali leaders presume that for all the Nepali ailments, New Delhi has a cure and hence rush to Delhi. This puts Delhi, like it or not, in an advantageous position vis-à-vis Nepali politics.
It is the Nepali leaders who have provided undue importance to New Delhi in our internal affairs.
Analysts suggest the Nepali leaders to open their party branches in New Delhi which would enhance their political maneuvering capabilities in Nepal as and when a sort of political crisis grips Nepal because their party men in Delhi would be quick enough to seek proper advices.