By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Security remains India’s overriding concern in Nepal with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Thursday asking for the safety of Indian diplomats and diplomatic premises in Nepal, Indian investments and Indians working in Indian projects.
Concerns about the safety of Indians in Nepal assumed graver proportions than apprehensions about the use of Nepali soil for anti-Indian activities, especially terror attacks in India. The tenor of Krishna’s talks with Nepal’s Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari and others indicated the safety concerns stemmed from the Maoist party.
The Maoists, Nepal’s largest party, stepped up anti-India activities since 2009, after the fall of their government. Now, with the former guerrillas back in power as the dominant partner in the two-party ruling alliance, India is seeking assurances from Nepal that its people and projects will be protected.
With Maoist protesters continuing to harass the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood, Krishna said he had expressed serious concern and asked Nepal to provide “adequate safety to Indian diplomats and diplomatic premises in Nepal”.
Krishna has also taken up the “harassment” of big Indian JVs.
“Nepal must develop an environment of trust and confidence to attract investment from India,” the minister said. “Indian investors, who provided capital and employment opportunities in Nepal, should be given all due protection.”
On Thursday morning, Krishna met members of the Nepal India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), who urged for immediate resolution of the JVs’ plights, especially in the hydropower sector.
Sanjiv Keshava, NICCI chief and managing director of Surya Nepal, ITC’s JV in Nepal, said Indian companies needed immediate security as well as a transparent labour policy.
On the eve of Krishna’s three-day visit, Indian infrastructure company GMR, which was awarded a 302MW hydropower project in Nepal, had its presentation disrupted in western Nepal with protesters, led by the Maoists and fringe left parties, destroying equipment.
Krishna has also strongly taken up the case of United Telecom Ltd (UTL), Nepal’s first private phone operator, which comprises three Indian majors and a Nepali partner.
Nepal’s telecom authorities had threatened to cancel UTL’s licence over royalty issues, ignoring the JV’s contention that it suffered a whopping loss due to the arbitrary shutdown of its lines during deposed king Gyanendra’s army-backed rule in 2005-6.
Terrorism also remained a security concern.
“Terrorism is a common threat to India and Nepal and our security concerns are interlinked because of a open border,” Krishna said. “We are also concerned about the smuggling of fake Indian currency notes to India through Nepal.”
India is asking Nepal for an early signing of the revised extradition treaty and mutual legal assistance treaty that have been pending for five years.
“These would enable better coordination and cooperation between the security agencies of the two countries,” Krishna said.
The Indian minister’s visit will be followed by meetings of the home secretaries and foreign secretaries of the two countries in New Delhi.
India is also seeking the finalisation of boundary maps covering 98 percent of the 1,880 km open border between the two countries, saying it would create a better frame of reference for boundary management.
(Sudeshna Sarkar can be contacted at [email protected])