Nepal and Bhutan News and discussion

[Sanku]

Thank heavens that at least what we are talking of on BRF has been put out into public domain by some body at least

Maoist rule in Nepal makes BJP see red

[quote]New Delhi: The BJP on Monday questioned the Maoists’ right to rule Nepal and said their victory in the constituency assembly elections was not a “good signâ€

[Apu]

Nepal king's 'crown' auctioned in UK?

TOI

KATHMANDU: More than a month before Nepal's new lawmakers formally abolished the country's 239-year-old monarchy, a priceless crown went under the hammer at an auction in London's Bond Street.

Now, with deposed king Gyanendra told to vacate the royal palace by June 12 and a government team beginning to take an inventory of the heirlooms in the palace, doubts are being raised, especially with the fabled crown reportedly missing.

"Where is the Shri Pench?" Nepali tabloid Naya Patrika asked on Saturday.

The 'Shri Pench' is the once revered crown worn by Nepal's Shah dynasty of kings, who were called 'Shri Panch', a reference to their sway over five kingdoms. The crown is easily identifiable because of the long, bird of paradise plume descending from the jewel-studded ornament at the apex of the turban-like crown.

"We haven't yet come across any details of the crown," Govind Prasad Kusum, a member of the inventory-taking team, told the daily.

"We checked all places but could not find any information about the crown."

It was last worn by Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, the last king of the dynasty, on June 4, 2001 when he succeeded his slain brother Birendra.

Another daily, the Kathmandu Post, said that along with the crown, the royal sceptre is missing as well.

On April 10, Bonhams, one of the world's oldest auctioneers, sold several items from the collection of a private collector, that also included the personal dagger of India's Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the fabled Taj Mahal that is one of the seven wonders of the world.

The auctioned items belonged to the late Jacques Desenfans, a French millionaire who for 50 years passionately amassed rare objects d'art related to Islamic, Indian and Southeast Asian cultures, funding his acquisition drive with the money made by his family from its textile mills in Lyon.

Along with Shah Jahan's dagger, Persian carpets and French clocks, the auctioneers also sold a 19th century gem-studded crown made for Nepal's royal family.

Sold for a staggering 90,000 pounds, the crown, decorated with pearls, precious stone pendants and gems, also has a bird of paradise plume issuing from the apex.

Could this be the missing crown?

Or, if the crown is kept under lock and key in Mahendra Manzil, the apartment in the palace where the former queen mother Ratna stays, as the Naya Patrika daily suggested, then whose crown went under the hammer in New Bond street?

How and when did the French collector acquire it? Who was the buyer?

It remains to be seen if these questions will ever be answered.

Though Nepal is now one of the poorest countries in Asia, in the past, its ruling families boasted of a fabulous treasury of jewels.

Much of it went underground after the omnipotent Rana prime ministers lost their hereditary post in 1950 following a pro-democracy uprising.

And so the looting and plunder by commie thugs begins.....

[Rye]

Why is it inconceivable that the Nepali Royalty sold that crown instead of handing it over to the Maoists?

[Keshav]

Why is it inconceivable that the Nepali Royalty sold that crown instead of handing it over to the Maoists?

Why wouldn't they just make a national Nepali museum and put it there?

[Anabhaya]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/ju ... tworkfront

Wearing a traditional white, black and red Nepalese cap and black jacket, the former monarch said he had given the new legislators the Shah dynasty's symbols of power: the diamond-studded crown and a peacock-feather and yak-hair ceremonial scepter.

[Rye]

So if the Crown is being handed over to the Nepali govt., what was sold at the auction house?
One of those two reports is an utter lie, and the following quote indicates that it was the report
that claimed that the crown had been auctioned off which is bogus... the article notes that its claims may be false.

Or, if the crown is kept under lock and key in Mahendra Manzil, the apartment in the palace where the former queen mother Ratna stays, as the Naya Patrika daily suggested, then whose crown went under the hammer in New Bond street?

[Rye]

What happened was that someone sold a fake crown and some auction house customer got conned. (I belatedly noted the article heading was a question, and not a statement.)

[Anabhaya]

Looks like the Maoists are gunning for both Presidency and Prime Ministership.

Maoist Ministers have submitted their resignations a day after Prachanda held talks with Koirala about forming a new govt.

Maoists, NC fail to grease gridlock

Prachanda rules out Koirala as first president of the Republic

Women and Social Welfare Minister Pampha Bhusal says the five ministers from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) handed their resignations to the party's chief to be delivered to the prime minister on Thursday.

Nepal's main communist party quits interim Cabinet

[Anabhaya]

Nepal leader eager to visit China

When it comes to foreign relations, ideology will "not be a barrier", said Prachanda. "We are eager to have diplomatic relations with countries which do not share our ideology."

Prachanda said the new government will take "strong measures" against anti-China activities in his country.

Over the past few weeks, Tibetan secessionists have protested almost daily in front of the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu. They are usually detained by police and soon released, only to repeat the story the next day.

"When we lead the government, we will change the situation," said Prachanda.

He said Nepal's new government will discuss with India the open border, which enables Tibetan demonstrators to come to Kathmandu from Dharmashala, the Dalai Lama's base in India.

"We will not tolerate anti-China activities on our soil and we will take strong administrative measures to control these activities," he said.

X-posted from Red Menace thread.

Meanwhile our dear comrades are busy rooting for Prachanda in Nepal.

According to Nepalnews, the meeting also formed a pressure group including the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of Nationalist Congress DP Tripathy and Communist Party of India National Secretary D Raja

The pressure group will urge the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh not to support Koirala.

Indian Left parties to propel Maoists to power in Nepal

[Anabhaya]

Famine in Nepal after China closes Tibet border

By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, June 14 (IANS) The northern tip of Nepal adjoining Tibet is facing a famine after China closed its border in a bid to crush protests by pro-Tibet activists. Nepal’s Mustang district, which was once part of an ancient Tibetan kingdom, has been reeling under food scarcity after China virtually closed its border with Nepal to stifle protests ahead of the August Olympics.

Beijing is enraged that anti-China protests are continuing .....

However, Nepal, warned by the US not to violate the fundamental rights of the peaceful demonstrators, has not dared heed the demand.

Whilst the Dragon is angry:

All the detained protesters will be freed later on Saturday, police said.

Nepal police break up Tibet protests, 182 held

[shyam]

Famine in Nepal after China closes Tibet border

Blessing in disguise if India wanted to play its cards.

[Anabhaya]

More on the Tibetan protests. Dragon's fuming.

KATHMANDU: Beijing has accused exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama of fomenting the Tibetan protests that have been rocking Nepal's capital city Kathmandu through a leader holding "secret meetings with the ringleaders of some organisations".

Secret Dalai agent fomenting Nepal unrest: Chinese envoy

Meanwhile they're still slugging it out as to who'll become President and more importantly about the modalities for integrating the Moaists into the RNA.

Nepal talks inconclusive

And guess who bats for Maoists in India?

'There should be no interference in Nepal's affairs' : Sitaram Yechury

He said the Committee had "strongly objected to any interference by any country, including India, in the internal affairs of Nepal". Without elaborating, Yechury said "a deliberate and mischievous campaign is being conducted regarding the developments in Nepal, attributing them to me".

His statement came after the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) threatened to quit the ruling coalition by Wednesday if Premier G P Koirala did not step down immediately. Last week, their ministers had resigned en masse over differences on power sharing.

Trust the commies to bat for everyone except their homeland.

[Sanjay M]

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/dis ... d=11579363

[sanjaychoudhry]

From the above link:

The UN mission has supervised the storage of weapons from both sides and screened Maoists for their eligibility for the army. Out of more than 31,000 candidates, some 19,600 passed muster. This is a large number relative to the army as a whole, which has expanded to 93,000 troops from about 50,000 in 1996.

This is shocking. How can UN (meaning Americans and British citizens manning its Nepal-related bodies) decide which Maoists are fit to join Nepal army and in what numbers? Isn't nepal an independent, soveriegn country?

And notice the attempt to stuff as many Maoists into Nepal army as possible, as a guard against the possibility that the nationalist army may again rally against Maoists some day. It is simply amazing the way Goras have landed in Nepal to take control and help Maoists intergrate themselves into the country's institutions, especially the army which is the only organisation that can still pose a challenge to Prachanda's thugs.

Is the Indian government sleeping while the Anglo-Saxons run riot in Nepal and begin to rule it through their "armed and anti-Hindu" puppets?

[Anabhaya]

This is shocking. How can UN (meaning Americans and British citizens manning its Nepal-related bodies) decide which Maoists are fit to join Nepal army and in what numbers? Isn't nepal an independent, soveriegn country?

As of now the issue of Maoists joining the RNA is unsettled. Neither the RNA nor the other political parties are going to let Maoists join en masse.

Is the Indian government sleeping while the Anglo-Saxons run riot in Nepal and begin to rule it through their "armed and anti-Hindu" puppets?

To answer in one word: NO.

[paramu]

To answer in one word: NO.

True. They are busy to get the nuke deal through. Who cares WTF is happening in Nepal.

[Rye]

So basically the GoI is useless because people here have not been paying attention to what the GoI has been doing in Nepal since the revolution started? Get a clue before you whine and groan and moan, people.

Sitaram Yechury has been working with the GoI in creating space for a dialogue with the maoists, and here we have a bunch of clueless people weeping and wailing that the GoI has lost Nepal to China/USA/Burkina Faso. Most of the clueless "analysis" in the various threads are by people who seem to lack the attention span or the memory to understand the big picture and they repeat the same old tired BS about people in the GoI being sellouts and traitors.

These very threads on Nepal (and earlier versions of this thread) has news items about Prachanda visiting New Delhi often and working with one or more interlocutors for the GoI.

JMTs

[paramu]

Sitaram Yechuri representing GoI.... and what did they achieve after all this chai-biscoot sessions?

Everything moved and moving in such a way that they are going to be against the interests of India.

[Anabhaya]

The way I see it: GoI has been succesful in disarming the Maoists and bringing them into mainstream politics. We failed in Sri Lanka(The 80s) but looks like we're closer to settling a crisis in Nepal.

[shyam]

How are you sure that all this is because of GoI initiative?

Following old news shows that India is nowhere in picture:
Nepal’s PM meets foreign envoys secretly, Indian envoy left out

Nepali Maoists have to deal with India and for that they will provide all lipservices needed.

[Rye]

Since when did Koirala become a maoist? It is the Nepali congress that sidelined India -- at least read the article before posting it as "proof".

Koirala has always hated India, even though his "hindu" credentials probably yanks the crank of most of the crowd here...the Nepali congress and Koirala have always been hostile to India.

This rush to prove that the GoI has screwed up (which I have been guilty of many times in the past) is a result of a basic lack of a clue as to what is really going on....after all that takes attention to details over the years. Why bother?

Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala held extensive consultations with the residential Ambassadors of several powerful countries in Kathmandu, on May 5, 2008.
Surprisingly, the newly arrived Indian envoy to Nepal Mr. Rakesh Sood was not invited but was left in the cold, say reports.

[shyam]

Are you implying that it is GoI initiative to get maoists in Nepali army?

[Rye]

If GoI says that the Nepalis can run their govt., it really means it. Do you want GoI/India to behave like the US in Iraq and try to remote-control Nepal? There is also the regular RNA people in the army and a lot of other people other than maoists. why the assumption that the maoists will gain control of the army down the line?

[shyam]

If there is government patronage for people of certain ideology in the army, eventually promotions and finally control of the army will go to that group. Under no circumstances people of certain ideology be put into army or police because it will no longer be neutral at the time of a crisis.

This looks like a first step to get leftists into Nepali social circles such as academics, history departments etc. (like it happened in India) in future.

[Rye]

There was an article by Mr. H. Tharakkan on Nepal that was posted on this thread which indicated GoI involvement at multiple levels in Nepal. Not that it should make any difference to people who are too busy whining to pay attention. There is the whole madheshi issue that Nepal needs to solve too.

[vsudhir]

There was an article by Mr. H. Tharakkan on Nepal that was posted on this thread which indicated GoI involvement at multiple levels in Nepal. Not that it should make any difference to people who are too busy whining to pay attention. There is the whole madheshi issue that Nepal needs to solve too.

Well said, Rye sar.

These whiners are blind, dumb and boring! Sadly, I count myself among those who are unable to see Nepal's events as benefitting India.

My reading of the situation is:

Prachnda is, bottomline, a thug.

His comfort level with PRC will likely be higher than with Delhi. No? Sure, he may keep us in the picture to hedge his bets (much like the NC under GPK did and the junta in Burma is doing currently), but that doesn't mean he is pro-India or a GoI man.

And then there's stuff happening. Dhimmi Carter declaring Nepal polls legit, the RNA forced to induct Maoists into its ranks, Prachanda in an interview openly saying that ultimately they [the Maoists] will have to fight the real enemy - the Indian army, in Nepal....just smokescreens I'm sure.

Am sure, am missing a lot here. Thats understandable, as I'm not as well-read and cued in to GoI's motives and motivations as you clearly seem to be.

If you can see something less-read folks can't , might as well spell it out in small, simple easy-to-read sentences than belch and curse these detractors of GoI, maybe? Just a thought onlee.

TIA and IMVVHOs onlee.

[Rye]

vsudhir,

The Nepali Congress/Koirala have been hostile to India and he does something to prove that Koirala is still the spiteful India-hating politician he has always been. He and the maoist do NOT get along...the maoists are the ones who overthrew Koirala and got him to resign. This would be clear to anyone reading all the news items on this thread.

As for the revolution, it was long overdue given the worthless governance of these same Nepali congress with India-hating clowns like Koirala. Prachanda studied in India but he is not beyond sucking up to china to India's detriment, though his rhetoric has been "balancing relationship with China". Nepal is a landlocked country and is not about to slip through India's fingers, really.

Anyway, everyone here has correctly analyzed the various news articles that were in previous version of the thread. I stopped archiving BR threads, else I would dump it somewhere and point people to it.

But why bother. Everything in Nepal is effed up beyond recognition. India is doooomed. It is just less painful to live in a world of illusion like I am when all is lost and there is no hope.

People can't tell the difference between Koirala and the maoists and their respective interests, and yet somehow can tell the the GoI has screwed up because Koirala did not invite the GoI. And pointing out the utter stupidity of this point of view is somehow irksome. Have a nice century everyone. Last post on this thread.

[vsudhir]

Rye,

The Nepali Congress/Koirala have been hostile to India and he does something to prove that Koirala is still the spiteful India-hating politician he has always been. He and the maoist do NOT get along...the maoists are the ones who overthrew Koirala and got him to resign. This would be clear to anyone reading all the news items on this thread.

As for the revolution, it was long overdue given the worthless governance of these same Nepali congress with India-hating clowns like Koirala. Prachanda studied in India but he is not beyond sucking up to china to India's detriment, though his rhetoric has been "balancing relationship with China". Nepal is a landlocked country and is not about to slip through India's fingers, really.

Anyway, everyone here has correctly analyzed the various news articles that were in previous version of the thread. I stopped archiving BR threads, else I would dump it somewhere and point people to it.

Fair enough.

Thanks for spelling it this way. I now see what you've been pointing to and actually now quite agree.

Sad you've decided to leave the thread just when your posts have become illuminating and clear. I too shall reduce posting here now on but will, if something really worthwhile comes along.

/Have a nice day.

[Rye]

vsudhir, sorry for the whole whiny post, but the negativity on this forum can be appalling sometimes (not your posts).

Here is all that I recall from all the news from earlier versions of this thread:

Before the revolution:

Gyanendra had drawn close to China and this was around the time the Chinese openly supported the king's hounding of the maoists. Koirala and the maoists were at logger heads and the Nepali congress was spitting at India as usual and supported the king's move towards china. Around the same time they insulted the PM and the Indian govt. diplomatically multiple times, and they never stopped.

Around the revolution: the GoI got wind of the fact that the maoists were in control of Nepal for all practical purposes. The GoI had already started to make overtures to the various parties, the madheshis and the rest of the Nepalis.

After the revolution, Sitaram yechury was one of the respected figures by the maoists and Prachanda went to New Delhi multiple times and kept in touch with the GoI. All of this was later on validated by the Ex-Chief of RAW Mr. Hormel Tharakkan who appreciated the promptness with which the GoI responded to ensure democracy in Nepal. Anyway, I will let other people state their POV and stay silent. No intention of intimidating or stopping anyone from speaking their minds. (Insert IMHOs where appropriate). Regards.

JMTs

[Sanjay M]

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displa ... s_box_main

[Sanjay M]

Ousted Nepal prince leaves nation

Jul 2, 2008 12:40 AM

Nepal's former Crown Prince, Paras Shah, goes on a trip abroad amid speculation that he is set to emigrate.

[Paul]

Good riddance....one down, one to go(Koirala).

[Anabhaya]

The Prince is apparently keeping a low profile in Singapore.

Meanwhile: Nepal to ask UN to extend peace mission: minister

The tug of war on the induction of Maoists continues.

[putnanja]

Maoists blame India for political deadlock in Nepal

KATHMANDU: As Maoists' efforts to form a government proved futile so far despite emerging the largest party in the April 10 Constituent Assembly polls, they are now accusing India of stoking the Madhesis-led deadlock in Nepal in an attempt to "swallow" its fertile Terai region.

The former rebels charged Premier G P Koirala-led Nepali Congress and Madhesi parties seeking autonomy for southern Terai belt bordering India of obstructing the Maoists' elevation to the power under the guidance of New Delhi.

Despite Koirala's resignation from his post 11 days ago, he has still not vacated the Prime Minister's Office at Singhdurbar for Prachanda, the Premier-in-waiting, the 'Janadisha', a Maoists-run weekly, said today.

"Koirala's men are floating the proposal to Prachanda to make him (Koirala) president under the guidance of southern neighbour," the weekly reported.

It claimed that India could be behind the move by Madhesi parties to declare Madhes as a single autonomous region in a bid "to swallow our store house of food grain," a reference to Terai.

Madhesi parties have blocked the proceedings of the 601-strong Constituent Assembly for more than two weeks over the issue of declaring the Terai belt an autonomous region and proportionate inclusion of Madhesis in the Nepal army.

They also did not allow a meeting to take place to amend the Constitution to allow a simple majority to form or dissolve the government, shouting slogans in favour of their demands which they said must be incorporated in the Constitution through the fifth amendment.

[putnanja]

Wrong thread.

[sanjaychoudhry]

Indian Intelligence Network in Nepal

http://telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=3704

[sanjaychoudhry]

Maoist perversion

The Nepal Maoists, who have made the transition from being armed thugs fighting to subvert the state into legitimate and elected participants in the that country's Constituent Assembly without disowning their past or giving up their intimidatory tactics, have now vowed to grant 'special rights' to the Muslim community.

This is of a piece with the Maoists's efforts to cleanse Nepal of its Hindu character and obliterate its cultural and civilisational identity. Chairman Prachanda of the CPN(Maoist) last week told a gathering of the so-called Muslim Mukti Morcha that Muslims in Nepal would be given 'special rights' as compensation for being 'suppressed'.

He has promised to form a 'Muslim Commission' for the welfare of the minority community and develop historically important pilgrimage sites of the community as tourist destinations. On the face of it, these are innocuous promises but there is a sinister, dark edge to them. They suggest cleavages that are not real and a denial of rights that never happened. Though Nepal's monarchy, now reduced to the pages of that country's history, was seen as the protector of Hinduism and Nepal was the last Hindu Kingdom till it was redesignated a 'secular' state under pressure from the Maoists, in practice the palace was secular. Discrimination on the basis of religion was never practiced and Muslims have all along enjoyed equal rights, that have included access to pilgrimage sites.

The Muslims in Nepal comprise less than 10 per cent of the population, though these are approximate estimates. Traditionally, they are well assimilated with the rest of the population and have not needed special safeguards. The Muslims in Nepal have always considered themselves to be Nepali first and they have lived in harmony with Hindus and Buddhists. If such rights were to be given, it would constitute a break from the past and create needless friction. It is amazing that having pressed for a secular state, the Maoists now want to indulge in communal politics of the variety that we get to see in India. Are we then to believe that the concept of secularism has now come to mean sectarian politics and minority appeasement?

Have India's cynical politicians set a standard for others to follow? That apart, there is reason to worry about Prachanda's journey into Muslim politics. It is entirely possible that the new political elite in Kathmandu have struck a Faustian deal with the ISI, hoping to use this Pakistani agency to further its anti-India agenda. Let us not forget that had it not been for Muslims the ISI could not have used Nepal's Terai as a launching pad for jihad against India.

From Pioneer

[Avinash R]

Maoist-UML meet inconclusive

Tue, Jul 15 07:35 PM

Kathmandu, July 15 (ANI): A disagreement is likely to have arisen between the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), the two closest communist allies of the country.

The CPN-M, CPN-UML, the single largest and the third largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA), which has singled out the Nepali Congress (NC) now seem to be divided over the presidential post.

A meeting between the two held in Kathmandu on Tuesday ended inconclusively following a conflict over the presidential candidate.

The UML has recommended its outgoing General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal for the post of the next president while its counterpart has opposed the proposal.

No official reports on the Maoist's choice for the president have been made public so far.

According to Kantipur, the Maoists urged the UML leaders not to stick to 'an individual-wise' issue, but to forge a consensus in forming the new government and to elect the country's first president, during the meeting.

Emerging from the meeting, Maoist chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal told reporters that the general public will know who is going to be the first president by Wednesday once today's CA meet finalises the election process of the president.

UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari informed that the meet mainly dwelt on the structure of power sharing. A consensus will be forged after holding consultation with other parties, he added.

A UML source on Monday said the Maoists will agree on the name of former UML chief Nepal for the next president once the Nepal Congress formally decides to stay in opposition.

Maoist chairman Dahal, leader Mohan Baidya, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Dev Gurung, UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal, leaders Adhikari, Bishnu Poudel and Bhim Rawal were present at the meeting held at the UML parliamentary party office in Singhadurbar.

The Maoist is also scheduled to meet the leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Madhes-based parties today.

The CPN-M being the largest political party in the CA has intensified consultations with other political parties to form the next government with the CA passing the Fifth Amendment bill on the Interim Constitution on Sunday.

[Sanjay M]

NEPAL: Way Cleared for a Maoist Government

[Paul]

As each day goes by, Nepal's problems and issues look more and more identical to India's problems....once India figures out a solution to it's problems, so will Nepal.

Abolition of the monarchy is a firm step to advance Indian interests in the Himalayan kingdom.