NEW DELHI : India does not want the United Nations to sit in as neutral umpire in talks between Prime Minister GP Koiralas government and Nepals Maoists. This is a major snag now, as no other mechanism is in place to oversee the discussions. The challenge in Nepal, after the victory of the pro-democracy forces, is how to disarm the Maoists and bring them to the political mainstream.
India is willing to let the UN be involved in de-mobilisation of the Maoist cadres. However, New Delhi has put its foot down on the UN monitoring the ceasefire between the Maoists and the army. India wants civil society to be involved in this, but this is not a realistic proposition. There have been talks of Scandinavians as in the monitoring mission in Sri Lanka, or Norway getting involved, but so far New Delhi is not comfortable with either of these. Also, South Block wants the elections to the Constituent Assembly to be overseen by Nepals election commission and not the UN.
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New Delhi : India will not send an observer to the four-nation donors conference to be held in Japan tomorrow, wary of direct participation in the Sri Lankan peace process.
Despite several representations from the four co-chairs- the US, Norway, the European Union and Japan- India has decided to stay away from the meeting that drives the Lankan peace process.
However, a spokesperson in the external affairs ministry said today that as in the past, the Indian embassy in Tokyo would be briefed on the decisions arrived at regarding the conference. For an earlier conference in Oslo, Delhi had taken the
Guwahati - Civil society representatives of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in Assam have accused New Delhi of trying to sabotage the peace process by making contradictory statements over holding talks with the rebel leadership.
A sense of growing mistrust between the ULFA and the central government is pushing the much-hyped peace process to a point where it could reach a dead end and even collapse before actually taking off.
First they (central government) asked the ULFA to establish direct contact, then they asked to name the members who would participate in the talks, now they are saying
NEW DELHI : As the friend of Nepals democratic movement former Indian prime minister Chandra Shekhar relaxed in his New Delhi residence on the drizzling July morning, an Indian multi-party delegation Thursday embarked on a unique mission to convey Mahatma Gandhis message of peace and non violence to Nepal.
Led by Nationalist Congress Party General Secretary, D.P. Tripathi, who also runs a thinktank organization called Bichar-Nyash, the eight-member delegation left New Delhi at 11 a.m. Thursday. The road procession will take them to Kathmandu next Thursday - via Lucknow, Benaras, Patna, Vegu Sarai, Siliguri and Kakadbhitta border.
New Delhi : Holding DDA responsible for the delay in the process of regularisation of unauthorized colonies in the Capital, Delhi government today sought a survey report on such localities within 15 days.
Reviewing the process of regularisation of unauthorized colonies, Delhi Urban Development Minister A K Walia directed DDA to submit a report on survey of 228 such residential localities under its jurisdiction.
Observing that non-cooperation of DDA is delaying regularisation of unauthorised colonies, Walia during the meeting expressed deep concern over the lukewarm response of DDA in submitting a report even after repeated requests made by Delhi government,
New Delhi : Undertaking his first visit abroad after becoming the Prime Minister of Nepal, G P Koirala arrived here today on a four-day visit during which India is expected to announce economic assistance for reconstruction of the Himalayan country.
Attaching special significance to the visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set aside protocol and went to Indira Gandhi International Airport here to receive Koirala.
Singh and Koirala will hold talks tomorrow on the entire gamut of bilateral relations in the backdrop of the recent landmark changes in Nepal like restoration of democracy and clipping of powers of King Gyanendra.
The