Karan
Singh, Shyam Saran meet Nepali leaders
Kathmandu:
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's Special Envoy to
Nepal, Dr. Karan Singh and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran
here on Wednesday held talks with the Nepalese leadership.
The two met Nepalese Chief of Army Staff General Pyar Jung
Thapa and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala
and held talks on current political situation in Nepal.
Speaking to journalists after meeting Koirala, Dr Singh
stressed on the consensus formula of India to resolve Nepal
crisis, reported local dailies. He said that he was assessing
the situation here. Later, Singh and Saran also held talks
with Nepali Congress (Democratic) President and former Premier
Sher Bahadur Deuba. Veteran Congress leader Dr Singh and
Saran were sent today to hold talks with the Nepalese monarch,
King Gyanendra to try to defuse a fortnight of crippling
protests. Earlier, upon his arrival Dr Singh said that he
was "optimistic" about the talks he would be holding with
King Gyanendra and leaders of various political parties.
Talking to newsmen at the Tribhuvan International Airport,
Dr. Singh said that he had come to Nepal with India's good
wishes to the Nepalese people. Saran, who is also the former
ambassador to Nepal, arrived in Kathmandu from Thimpu, to
assist Dr. Singh in his talks with the Nepalese leadership.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Nepalese have been wounded in police
action against protesters and hundreds of others arrested.
On Tuesday, a woman hit on the face by a tear gas shell
during a protest died, taking the death toll in the campaign
to six. The anti-monarchy campaign by a seven-party alliance
has brought the kingdom to a standstill with nationwide
street protests and a general strike, which has stopped
the movement of food and fuel. Diplomats have said events
in Nepal were moving toward a climax. One flashpoint could
come on Thursday at mass rallies called by the political
parties, which have vowed to bring out hundreds of thousands
of people on the streets. Sporadic protests took place in
the capital and other towns on Wednesday but activists appeared
to be reserving their strength for Thursday. India has expressed
worry because of the long, porous border it shares with
Nepal. India and the US have repeatedly called for the restoration
of democracy in Nepal. King Gyanendra sacked the government
and assumed full power in February 2005, vowing to crush
a decade-old Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people
have died. He has offered to hold elections by April, but
activists say he cannot be trusted and should immediately
hand over power to an all-party government. King Gyanendra
came under further pressure on Tuesday when three top human
rights groups called for international sanctions against
the monarch and top Nepalese officials, accusing them of
being "impervious to the suffering" of the Nepalese people.
Despite the pressure, the World Bank's representative to
the country said the economy could hold out for months even
if Nepal was internationally isolated.
India for constitutional monarchy in Nepal
Kolkata: Defence
Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that India sent Dr Karan
Singh as special envoy to Nepal to convey New Delhi's desire
for restoration of constitutional monarchy in the country.
"Our position is quite clear in respect to Nepal. When the
power was taken over by His Majesty King Gyanendra of Nepal,
we made it abundantly clear that we want constitutional
monarchy in framework of multi-party democratic system,
which was introduced in the Constitution of Nepal in 1990.
That constitutional framework should be restored in Nepal,"
said Mukherjee. Veteran Congress leader Dr Karan Singh and
Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran were sent on Wednesday to
hold talks with the Nepalese monarch, King Gyanendra to
try to defuse a fortnight of crippling protests. Dr. Singh
is the scion of the royal family of Kashmir and is related
to King Gyanendra by marriage. He was to meet political
representatives later on Wednesday and call on the king
on Thursday.
India steps up vigil at Nepal border
Sonoli
(UP): Security has been tightened up along the Indian
side of the India-Nepal border in the wake of increased
incidents of violence in Nepal. The states sharing borders
with Nepal have alerted the check posts to keep a strict
vigil along the border. The Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) or
paramilitary border guards have been checking every vehicle
at the Sonali border point in Uttar Pradesh. Seema Suraksha
Bal Commanding Officer Vijay Kumar said that they were keeping
a close watch on the ongoing situations in Nepal. "Keeping
in mind the situation in Nepal, which have been receiving
from headquarters, we have increased vigil at the border.
Checking has been increased. Patrolling is on. We are keeping
a strict eye on the situation," Vijay Kumar said. Nepal
is observing 14th day of a general strike called by the
seven-party political alliance opposing King Gyanendra's
rule in the Himalayan Kingdom. The Maoists are backing the
strike, which started on April 6. On Tuesday, hundreds of
protesters gathered in various parts of the capital, Kathmandu,
despite bad weather and attempted to start a procession.
However, police foiled their attempt without hurting anyone.
Although the powerful army remains loyal to the king, protests
are spreading from the street to the civil service. Nepalese
Police arrested at least 25 government officials for demonstrating
against King Gyanendra inside the Home Ministry yesterday.
Those detained included the private secretary to Home Minister
Kamal Thapa. The Home Ministry controls the kingdom's police
who have been deployed in large numbers to counter growing
anti-monarchy protests in recent days. It is the first time
officials have joined the opposition protests against the
king. Outside the capital, police fired rubber bullets to
break up protests in two towns, injuring about a dozen,
witnesses said. Nepal's political parties have called for
mass rallies, and vowed to bring out hundreds of thousands
of people on the street on Thursday. The king earlier this
week held talks with the United States, Chinese and Indian
ambassadors and indicated that he could meet some of the
protesters' demands. The United States and India have been
repeatedly calling for the restoration of democracy in the
country. India fears that the Nepal's Maoist rebels may
create trouble with the help of Indian Maoists active in
the Indo-Nepal border areas. King Gyanendra sacked the government
and assumed full power in February last year, vowing to
crush a decade-old Maoist revolt in the country. He, however,
has offered to hold elections by April next year, but the
politicians and the activists have demanded immediate transfer
of power to an all-party government.
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