Kathmandu: The United States of America has once again urged all the major political parties in the country to take up a positive stance that goes in favor of the country which ultimately paves a way for the end of violence.
The Ambassador of the United States, Michael Malinowski, made this fervent appeal to the Nepali people, its leaders and the civil society members the other day when he was addressing a gathering of the Nepalese organized by the Foundation of Nepalese in America, Nepal chapter.
“We continue to encourage the legitimate political parties to put aside their differences and take up a positive, active role in promoting sincere discussions designed to lead to an end to violence that threatens not only the people of Nepal as individuals but undermines the ability of Nepal to take its rightful place among the democratic and prosperous nations of the world”, is what Ambassador Malinowski said.
Analyzing the Ambassador’s comment made just above, what comes to the fore is that the United States wishes that the political parties shun their political differences (with the King perhaps!) and engage themselves in a positive manner that ensures an end to violence and also that guarantees Nepal’s prestige as a democratic nation in the comity of the nations.
Going deep into the Ambassador’s remarks, what becomes clear is that the US views the political parties now in agitation to be legitimate political parties whose corollary would be that the US views the agitation also to be a legitimate affair much to the discomfiture of some quarters who wish to dub the agitation as to have been a ploy of some political parties to come to power. Secondly, Ambassador Malinowski does admit that there exist political differences in and among the nation’s major political forces; thirdly he also hints that the stances taken as of now by the agitating political parties vis-à-vis the country’s pressing issues have so far remained negative; fourthly, he also mentions that the political parties must exhibit their sincerity in initiating serious discussions that leads to an end to violence which till today they have not; and finally he warns the political parties to be serious on the deteriorating situation of the country or else Nepal might not be able to secure a rightful place among the democratic nations of the globe.
Though Ambassador Malinowski deplores the break-down of the most recent peace talks in between the government and the rebels, he, however, still favors a sort of dialogue between the two warring sides.
“The US government has been consistent in its encouragement and support of dialogue between the government and the rebels to resolve their conflict, and we have made our stance known to all parties as well as publicly through the media”, says Ambassador.
The US envoy Also made it clear that the “anti-terrorism activities agreement is actually designed to be an encouragement to friendly countries to join in the international effort to fight global terrorism”. To recall, the Maoists rebels have time and again criticized the Nepal-US agreement on anti-terrorism activities alleging that it was a sort of US interference in the Nepalese internal affairs. The US clearly says that it was not as alleged by the Maoists.
In the meanwhile US Assistant Secretary of State, Ms. Christina Rocca, said in Delhi, a day prior to the Ambassador’s presentation at the FNA in Kathmandu, that the US would wish to see the Indian good offices being used in sorting out the Maoists issue in Nepal.
“India’s historic, cultural and social ties with Nepal continue to make it the most important outside influence on events in that country”, says Rocca.
Ms. Rocca apparently wishes to convey to Nepal that it would be an act of wisdom if Nepal sought Indian support in sorting out the issue of the insurgency. Analysts fail to understand as to whether Ms. Rocca’s statement is an advice to this country or an instruction?
But there is nothing to panic. Ms. Rocca quickly hastens to add, “working in tandem, our governments can help Nepal defeat the Maoist threat and reestablish democratic institutions responsive to the needs of the people”. IN saying so, the US clearly wishes Indian support to go in tandem with that of the US vis-à-vis the Maoists issue in Nepal.
Ms. Rocca’s subtle remarks in favor of India must have pleased the Indian envoy seated in the dais of the FNA sponsored program as one of the speakers who later came heavily down against the Maoists.
To recall, the Indian foreign secretary. Kanwal Sibbal, is on record to have stated long time back in Paris and Delhi that Nepal must tell India whether she wanted Indian support in this regard or not?
The fact is that India wishes to be one and the only one mediator in between the Nepal government and the Maoists in arriving at a solution to the almost eight years old insurgency issue in Nepal. High placed sources in Kathmandu maintain that India would love to hate third country’s mediator role in the solution of the Maoists insurgency. Now that the US has hinted that India must use her “influence” must have come as a pleasant surprise for the establishment in New Delhi.
Ms. Rocca, nevertheless, admits frankly that the emergence of the Maoists in Nepal had some intrinsic reasons, for example, poverty, no security and under-development etc. and that the US programs in Nepal were all intended to facilitate the government’s efforts both to restore security and to focus on development and poverty which in the words of Ms. Rocca “some of the social ills that initially gave rise to the Maoists”.
This means that the US is in full knowledge as to what were the root causes for the sudden emergence of the Maoists in this country.
Ms. Rocca’s statement in Delhi and Ambassador Malinowski’s expressions in Kathmandu have come close on the heels of an abrupt failure of the peace talks in between the Maoists and the establishment side.