Will India allow the UN to meddle in Nepali affairs?

August 4, 2004
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Kathmandu: Nepal’s self-proclaimed elites and academia appear visibly divided over whether the “good offices” of the United nations systems be sought in order to tackle the Maoists issue or an exclusively home-grown scheme as usual be continued to handle the same.

Whether Nepali establishment likes it or not, the UN representatives, presumably the strong emissaries of UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, are arriving soon to take stock of what they call of assessing the Nepal situation as that stood today.

The fact is that if Nepali establishment has some reservations over the possible UN mediations efforts then what is equally true is that the “lone super power”, the United States of America, too has exhibited her interest that if the UN preferred to remain at a distance would be more than a welcome move.

This is what the US Ambassador James Moriarty hinted, indeed in an implied fashion while talking to NTV interview Monday evening.

Contrary to the US posture, what is also very much clear is that the allies of the US, the European countries, have times and again exhibited their interest in favor of the UN mediation in the Nepalese case.

The contradiction lies here.

Prachanda prefers the UN mediation. The government rejects his preference outrightly claiming that since it were an internal matter and hence invitation to any third party would be undesirable.

Whether the Nepali establishment is reiterating so under the fear of the US or for that matter of that of India is still to be ascertained.

However, what remains to be seen is that how India will allow the UN mediation in Nepal given the fact that the first four of the forty “original” point demands go out rightly against Indian interests in Nepal.

The question remains how, apart from India, the US will react to UN mediation, if at all it is invited by Nepal, to settle the Maoist issue?

How the Indian authorities will react if the Maoists stress on severing all the unequal treaties with India at time of the talks will have to be watched.

Equally enlightening would be to watch as to how the UN would impress upon India to heed to the demands of the Maoists?

The Himalayan question remains: Will India allow the UN to come to Nepal?

Moreover, the UN must now spell out as to in what manner it wishes to support Nepal? As a facilitator? As mediator? Or guarantor?

Kul Chandra Gautam, a top ranking official of the UN system, who is arriving here shortly, has to explain the UN scheme of things vis-a-vis Nepal and her problems.