Terai Unrest And Separatist Activities Need To Curb Foreign Interference [ 2007-11-16 ]


Vijaya Chalise

A news report has it that an outraged Indian government has lodged a strong objection with the UN agencies in Nepal after discovering that four UN officials held clandestine meetings on Indian soil with armed groups from Nepal and lied about their visas. It is said that officials from two UN agencies went to Mujaffarpur in Bihar in September and held secret talks with Jaya Krishna Goit and Jwala Singh who lead armed groups in the Terai. News reports in the Nepali media say that the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has confirmed the Times of India news report.



Even UN special envoy to Nepal Ian Martin, who also heads the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), has accepted that the UN humanitarian officials had undertaken the visit to ensure that emergency food relief and other assistance could be delivered in the wake of the floods in the Terai. Thus, this small piece of news (Times of India, Nov.9) raises many serious questions regarding the unrest and separatist activities perpetrated by some groups in the bordering areas of southern Nepal.



Diplomatic norms

This confirms that the so-called leaders of the groups responsible for separatist activities such as killings, extortion, kidnappings and explosions are taking shelter and conducting such activities from neighbouring India. Similarly, the news report has disclosed that some UN officials are ignoring diplomatic norms by meeting secretly with those involved in separatist activities without any information to the Nepalese authorities.



The defined activities of UNMIN and other UN agencies obviously are to assist in the monitoring and managing of the arms of the Maoists and the Nepal Army, monitor the cease-fire and human rights situation, and observe and monitor the Constituent Assembly elections as per the five-point agreement reached between the Nepalese government and the Maoists. Therefore, the meeting with some members of the armed factions of the Terai on Indian territory does have negative implications, and UNMIN needs to give priority to its mandate rather than involve itself in other issues.



Such activities indirectly leave room for suspicion, as alleged by Maoist Chairman Prachanda, that ?two big foreign powers and a neighbouring country" are conspiring to play against Nepalese interests and integrity. He claimed that the ongoing violence in the Terai proves that the conspiracies are real. Obviously, foreigners are encouraged by the present political stalemate and increasing distrust in the seven-party alliance, which could have serious consequences for the country.



Some reactionary forces are working to break the seven-party unity and seeking help from the Hindu extremist forces from outside the country. Therefore, it is high time seven-party unity was fostered to decide the fate of the monarchy as directed by the special session of the Interim Parliament. The increasing differences among the parties that fought unitedly against feudalism will only give an opportunity to foreign players to interfere directly in Nepal's internal affairs insisting that Nepal is a failed state. In the event of such a scenario, the leaders and political parties would be held responsible. Therefore, all should rise above party interest if they want to successfully implement the peace-building and democratisation process.



Hopefully, the leaders are aware of the consequences. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has rightly observed that the increasing violence, killings and criminal activities in the Terai region can be curbed instantly if India and Nepal show mutual interest. He has shown his commitment not to make any compromises with any person, party or nation in preserving the sovereignty and independence of Nepal.



Koirala, speaking at a programme 'Common Issues" organised at Koirala Niwas in Biratnagar by BBC World Service, said that he was aware of the violence in the Terai and talks were being held with the Indian government for a resolution of the problem. The prime minister agreed that Indian criminal groups had been entering Nepal and carrying out criminal and terrorist activities as a result of the open border. To a query from the public, he said that foreign assistance was necessary, but that should not affect Nepal's existence. Obviously, this applies to the world agencies, too. Such interference has been coming not only from the diplomatic and political circles but also from institutions like the World Bank and other developmental organisations.



The World Bank and many other international agencies that serve the interest of the developed world have a history of providing loans and assistance to Nepal for development projects, but these come frequently with conditions that limit the Nepalese government's ability to set its own policies. The recent example, we saw, was the Melamchi Project. International agencies and donor countries dictate policies like privatisation, full cost recovery for public sectors like health, education, water supply and power, and have the government levy user fees for essential services. Obviously, such policies have forced the government to take policies that are distinctly against the poorest people living below the poverty line.



Anthony Giddens, a sociologist and former Director of the London School of Economics and a member of the House of Lords, delivering the DT Lakdawala lecture, organised by the Indian Institute of Social Science in New Delhi recently, rightly observed that globalisation was reducing the sovereignty of nation states.



Obviously, at a time when foreigners have expedited their unwanted preaching and insulting statements towards our national sovereignty, the government and seven-party leaders and intelligentsia should strongly protest against such activities. Foreign interference is, however, natural during major national crises when there is a political vacuum. Therefore, in this period of transition, the need for unity among all the political parties is obvious to safeguard nationalism. This is needed to maintain stability by blocking the games played by foreign powers to enhance their hegemonic self-image.



Foreign interests

Indeed, they want a hold on South Asian strategic politics, including geo-politics, as well as the economy. The former applies more aptly to its interests in Nepal. They are still trying to bring about reconciliation between the traditional rightist forces, including the moderately rightist parties, and the monarchy. To foil their plan, the parties and the leaders should reach an agreement on issues thrown up by the recent parliamentary vote favouring a republican state and all-out proportional system for the Constituent Assembly polls if they honestly want to give Nepal a new direction. (Chalise is Editor-in-Chief of the Gorkhapatra.)