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Prachanda’s political ambitions : Demands scrapping of 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty |
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Buoyed by his agreement with the Seven-Party Alliance to dissolve Parliament, form an interim Government and hold elections for a Constituent Assembly, the Maoist leader of Nepal, Prachanda, is already harbouring political ambitions and is making statements which have an anti-India streak. He has demanded the abolition of the 1950 treaty between Nepal and India and signing a new treaty.
In an interview with CNN-IBN Prachanda said he would fight elections and is ready to be the next President of the Republic of Nepal if elected. More immediately, he sought 50 per cent participation in government for his cadres. He made it clear in the interview that the monarch is finished in Nepal, the royal massacre would be re-investigated and that India would have to change its equation with Kathmandu and scrap the 1950 treaty. Seeking a review of the 1950 treaty, he said, a new treaty should be signed according to what he called “the new consciousness of our people and the Indian people.” “India should be even more supportive of eight-point understanding now”, he said.
The 1950 treaty provides for military and economic assistance to Nepal, if required. It has a clause that arms that Nepal imports through the territory of India shall be with the agreement of India. The opposition in Nepal feels that this treaty reduces its sovereignty.
Seeking a review of the 1950 treaty and release of Maoist prisoners in Indian jails, Prachanda, however, acknowledged India’s assistance during the people’s movement that finally helped to overthrow the monarch. Referring to the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s envoy, Karan Singh to Nepal, who allegedly advised the King only to choose a Prime Minister rather than reinstate Parliament and the civilian Government, Parchanda said India’s support was crucial. It played a big and positive role, “but later on India made a very serious mistake.”
The Maoist chief was equally critical of the US Ambassador in Kathmandu, James Moriarty and accrued him of conspiring with the Palace and interfering in their efforts to participate in government. He said he would like to meet Moriarty to know why Washington was “so biased” against their party.
However, the American envoy has already given a negative signal. “They [Maoists] should change their behaviour instead of trying to meet diplomats”, Moriarty said before heading to Washington for three weeks to brief the State Department about the current developments there.
The Maoist chief has also agreed to close down some of the People’s courts’ set up during their decade-old revolt, to boost peace process with the new Government. He has also withdrawn the charge of killings and rape against some army personnel.
The guerilla chief, Prachanda, whose’s real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, said in a statement on July 3, his party has given instructions to the district committees to stop running these people’s courts in order to make the peace talks work easily. The move came a day after Home Minister, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and other Ministers called upon the rebels to wind up the courts, stop extortion and fulfil a commitment to June’s power sharing agreement.
Demanding that the Maoists immediately halt extorting money and scrap their “people’s courts” to maintain the rule of law, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oili, who is also the Foreign Minister, said this amounted to terrorization of people. Separately, Nepalese Congress Central Committee member, Sekhar Koirala said the rebels should return property seized from various political workers and the common people as per their commitment. The Maoists should sincerely implement the eight-point understanding they had signed with the government and scrap their so-called people’s court, said Koirala, He said the seized property should be returned before the next round of talks.
The CPI[M] Politburo member, Sitaram Yechury, who paid a three-day visit to Nepal during which he had talks with both the Government and Maoist leaders, including Prime Minister Koirla and Prachanda, said on return that the Maoists had assured him that they will not take up arms again and will have no links with any militant Indian outfit.
Another demand of Prachanda to merge his guerilla cadres which goes with the name People’s Liberation Army, with the regular Nepal Army has been received with a cold welcome in the Government. There are no takers for the suggestion though the SPA leaders have refrained from publicly rejecting the suggestion. Critics call the suggestion the most bizarre product of his fertile imagination. Political observers say this implies that the Maoists have no intention of surrendering their own instruments of domination. Any claim they could possibly have to exclusion from the global list of terror organisations thus stands effectively cancelled. The United Nations, which has expressed reservations about the Maoists’ intention to honour their commitments, has been right to use its influence on donor nations to hold back aid to Nepal. Only last week, the Office of the UNHCR confirmed that the truce had not led to any reduction in Maoist proclivity to abduct and kill. The constitutional process will not acquire any credibility unless the Maoists surrender their arms and enter the democratic process. The US has openly said that it would stop releasing aid to Nepal until the Maoists end their killings. India, observers say, too should make such an unequivocal statement, for, if the Maoists realize their dream of ruling Nepal, it could have serious consequences for India’s security.
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