India to act tough against Nepal king (Time running out for King Gyanendra)

India to act tough against Nepal king

NEW DELHI: As violence in Nepal escalates and the crackdown on anti-government protesters gets harsher, New Delhi is getting ready to back up strong words with tough steps to push for the restoration of multi-party democracy in the Himalayan kingdom.

"We will have to go beyond merely tough talk. If the situation doesn't improve, we will have to take some tough action," a high-level official source said.

"We have many levers to call Nepal's king to account. The only problem is that such measures might give some sections in Nepal fodder for anti-India propaganda," the source added.

It is not yet clear what these steps would be, but if the push comes to the shove, New Delhi could use some of the methods it tried in 1989 to protest the Chinese supply of arms to Nepal like restricting transit points and curtailing the supply of petroleum products.

But these methods could be used only as a last resort as they led to alienating the Nepalese people instead of hurting the monarchy in 1989, cautions Maj Gen (retired) Ashok Mehta.

The mood in the foreign office is, however, grim. "We are running out of patience. King Gyanendra is not leaving us many options now," warned the official, speaking on the condition he was not identified.

It is a course many in India are already advocating.

"India should come out openly in support of the constituent assembly elections. We should encourage the setting up of an interim government of the Maoists and the seven democratic parties," S.D. Muni, a Nepal expert at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here, said.

"The king is fighting a violent battle which he can't win. There is a growing feeling in India that this king can't be sustained," stressed Muni.

"India should convene an all-party meeting and issue a strong statement stating in clear terms that the only way out of the impasse is to restore parliament and hold elections to the constituent assembly," advised Mehta.

In a no-nonsense message on Wednesday, New Delhi asked the king to stop using "repressive methods" and make a "genuine effort to initiate a dialogue with the political parties at the earliest."

Scores have died in renewed fighting this month between government troops and Maoist guerrillas in Nepal, where the traditional opposition has joined hands with the rebels demanding the ouster of the king who seized absolute power in February 2005.

For Gyanendra the writing on the wall is clear. Whatever backing the Nepalese monarchy may have enjoyed in the past in India is fast dwindling.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and even the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which were known to oppose any drastic action against the king on the ground that the Nepalese king is the world's only Hindu monarch, are now having a rethink.

Writing in the latest edition of the RSS mouthpiece "The Organiser", Brajesh Mishra, the former Indian national security adviser, said: "You're digging the grave of the monarchy. You need to step back for the sake of your heirs and for the sake of your country."

In a sign that across-the-party consensus is emerging in the country on taking decisive action in Nepal, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury met Prime Minister Manhohan Singh Tuesday and urged him to use the government's "good offices to ensure the early restoration of democracy in Nepal".

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1488436.cms

'Time running out for King Gyanendra'

Reuters
Posted online: Friday, April 14, 2006 at 1229 hours IST
Kathmandu, April 14: Nepal's biggest Opposition leader rejected an offer by King Gyanendra on Friday to hold national elections and unity talks to defuse a campaign against his rule, setting the stage for more pro-democracy rallies.

Girija Prasad Koirala, a four-time Prime Minister and president of the Nepali Congress, the largest political party, said time was running out for the king and urged the international community to continue pressuring the monarch.

"He did not address the problem of the nation, he should have done that," Koirala, said hours after the monarch's message was broadcast to the Hindu nation on its new year day.

"There is no change (in his stance), all he has changed are only his words. We will start our agitation as usual and it will go on till the sovereignty of the people is not returned," said the 84-year-old leader.

Nepal was plunged into fresh turmoil after an alliance of seven main political parties launched a nationwide general strike on April 6 and held mass protest, which resulted in the killing of four people and injuries to hundreds by government troops.

The protests were the most intense since the King sacked the government and took power 14 months ago. Nepalis had hoped that the king would make the first move to end the strife through his traditional new year message.

But the King only reaffirmed his earlier pledge to hold national elections without setting a date, and called for talks to help restore democracy without elaborating.

Koirala rejected the invitation for talks.

"I will not go there like a dog, (with my) tail between my two legs. You should know that I've been fighting for democracy since 60 years and am fighting still," said Koirala, speaking in the balcony of his bungalow in an upmarket Kathmandu neighbourhood.

TIME RUNNING OUT

Koirala is the most senior leader in the seven-party alliance against the king and his voice largely prevails in making strategy.

But the chain-smoking former trade union leader has been ailing for some time and rarely comes out in public, which has led to the absence of a charismatic leader at the forefront of the mass campaign.

Koirala said the people wanted him to take care of his health so that he could continue to guide the movement from home.

"Time is running very fast and for me time is very short, because of my health and my age. People know that and they want that I should care for my health first," Koirala said.

Political parties in Nepal have been surprised by the overwhelming support for their latest protests against the King as ordinary people had largely deserted them only a year ago, blaming them for 15 years of misrule and corruption.

Koirala said political parties had realised this and were trying to change their ways.

"It was a nascent democracy, we have done some mistakes. I have also done some mistakes. But democracy is a system to address the mistakes also," Koirala said.

A die-hard anti-Communist, he also said that he was working to bring Maoist rebels, fighting to topple the monarchy since 1996, into the democratic fold.

The rebels and the seven parties formed a loose alliance in November against the king and the latest protests are backed by the rebels for the first time.

Koirala said his party would not compromise on its commitment to democracy despite the understanding with the Maoists, who want to establish one-party Communist rule.

"My basic stand is that the end of autocratic rule, peace, full-fledged democracy, that means a ceremonial king and an independent, sovereign and prosperous Nepal. Within that principle, I have talked to the Maoists. I will not deviate from that," he added.

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=66081

The King's actions have been such that today even the Maoists enjoy greater support as compared to the King and its high time India needs to put an end to this nuisance. As the article says "Gyanendra's time is up". When India will come cracking its whip there will be no UN, no US nanny coming to the rescue of your King. The silent majority in Nepal thats neither on the side of the King nor on the side of thw Maoists will have their say. It is they who will form their representative National government through a democratic process.

And all your kind of elitist English speaking stooges of the dictator-King hollering for a blood bath will be on the run when common Nepalese people will reject your reign of terror.

And for the so-called "conservatives" like Tailgunner whose interests lies in seeing the larger "global war against Communism" being fought over the dead bodies of ordinary Nepalese, that the ordinary Nepalese can become mere pawns who will do his dirty work, for cheap, of fighting and dying for what is a "America's war against Communism", will see their wet dreams being spoilt by India. Thankfully deranged hawks like him arnt part of the current US administration. And little wonder common sense still prevails in the US administration and so the US is supporting India's stand on Nepal.

If King doesn't clean up his act any time soon, regardless of your hollering, India will come to clear the decks.

"Gyanendra's time is up".

Same thing the useful idiot's said last year, and the year before. They'll keep saying it next year too, and the next...

When India will come cracking its whip there will be no UN, no US nanny coming to the rescue of your King.

Oh please massa! Please don't crap yo whip on us po folks. Yeah we all know the commie UN is on India's side. The UN was founded by Soviet spies for the purposes of destroying national sovereignty and independence. India may use these evil tactics learned from the Soviet benefactors to destroy their neighbors, but it will be only poetic justice when the exact same leftist lies are told about India by the exact same commies and democRATS. Such is karma.

And all your kind of elitist English speaking stooges of the dictator-King hollering for a blood bath will be on the run when common Nepalese people will reject your reign of terror.

Oh really, will the "common folks" shoot everyone who wears eyeglasses or has soft hands like the Khmer Rouge did? That will make you commie-lovers happy when the Yankee loving pigs get slaughtered and the illiterate who remain in Nepal will have no means to resist their new communist masters.

Listen...
If India needs to take out the Maoist "Gyanendra style", we would have by now crushed the Maoists like bugs albiet with bloodshed a few hundred times the scale what Gyanendra and his RNA can even dream of. The Maoists dont have even half as good equipments as Pakistani mujahedeens and without the support from local grassroot politicians (both Nepali and Indian) the Maoists are close to nothing.

The fact that we "dont", suggest that its not our "style". Too bad you dont like it. We first give our adversary a chance to mend their ways. We have carried out dialog with many terrorists groups in the past and we do so even now. We are currently having dialogs with groups like the NSCN(IN)/Muiwah and the HC. Under the BJP we had even gone a step ahead to declare unilateral cease fire against the Pakistani terrorists to initiate a dialog process. We even engaged them in a process to get them integrated into the mainstream. We even allowed the Islamic militants a chance to surrender with offer of jobs, rehabilitation and better future. We even allowed anti-India Kashmiri terrorists groups to run for elections in Kashmir. We have done all we could believeing that violence should be the last option and we did so because we are a democratic country and we are not the same as the terrorists, or at least...... so that nobody can say we didnt try to do the right thing.

But dont even for a second assume that to be "passive support for terrorists". When time came we dealt with the terrorists in the most merciless manner imaginable. Remeber operation Blue Star? Remember punitive military action North East? Remember Sri Lanka? Maldives? Remember Bangladesh 1971? Remember Kargil 1999? Remember Kashmir oprations? Doda, Sopore, Rajuri, Poonch, Uddhampur and Hill Kaka operatons?

Gyanendra needs to learn how to deal with terrorists and how to deal with ordinary civilians. If not, we will be there to teach.

And another thing, dont blame all of India for the acts of a few local politicians, dont forget the politicians on the Nepali side arn't so clean either. Nepalis should remember that before they instinctively blame India for everything, true to their anti-India nature and their massive collective anti-India chip on their shoulders.

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