Prachanda visits India

Prachanda visits India and vows to build New Nepal


Pushpa Kumar Dahal, the first elected Prime Minister of the People ’s Republic of Nepal, paid his official visit to India. The most significant player and the biggest neighbour of Nepal. So, the visit marks the beginning of India’s engagement with a new Nepal. India and Nepal agreed to review a more than half a century old treaty governing bilateral ties that Kathmudu says is tilted in faviour of New Delhi.The decision to have a re-look the 1950 Trade and Transit Treaty was taken during the visit. Pushpa Kumar Dahal’s talked with his Indian counterpart Manomohan Singh regarding the issue..Nepal’s foreign minister Upendra Yadav released the fact.“Times have changed and we have up to upgrade the 1950 pact, “ –said Indian foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon giving hints that both the countries have agreed in principle to revise, upgrade and rethink on the treaty. Menon told the media that ‘ Nepal has been keen for many years that we look at the 1950 treaty and update if, we are ready to do it.” He said foreign secretaries of these two counties would take up this issue. Ahead of Prachanda’s visit he termed the 1950 treaty as ‘unequal’. Now after his visit it is going to see a new phase for the betterment of both India and Nepal. The two countries also decided to set up a committee to review water-sharing management including flood and relief, This assumes significane in view of flooding in large parts of western Nepal and adjoining Indian state of Bihar after a breach in the embankment in the common river Kosi. India promised to give four million dollars as flood relief assistance.

The Nepalese have every reason to see new dream and new hope. The age-old bloody struggle claimed 13000 people. At the cost of their blood proclaims the existence of New Nepal. Their already impoverished economy saw a serious setback due to underground parties’ violence. Still New Nepal is not free from political ‘cleavages’ and ‘fault lines’ like the ‘ Madhesh’ versus the ‘Paharies’, the Janjatis versus dominant casts and the ‘prosperous’ versus ‘paupers’. There are also disgruntled feudal and discarded political interest groups that would like to sabotage the new and emerging Nepal. Dahal will have to deal with these issue through subtle policies and in some case he will have to be stern. These issues are not related to his home only. It involves Indian issues. Understanding it, he has paid his visit to India and talked freely to his counterpart and foreign mission officials of India. Secretaries of water Resources of India and Nepal would meet in Kathmandu this month. Prachanda invited Dr. Singh for a visit to Nepal which has been accepted and dates for that would he worked out through diplomatic channels very soon.

Hundreds and thousands of Nepalese gave their active support to Dahal to come to mainstream politics leaving the guerrilla and violent ways. Definitely it’s a model for the ‘militant’ groups active in this sub-continent that the militancy or violence at the cost of innocent people’s blood no sustainable peace can be achieved. Definitely they are guided by some principles. Even then, it has been proved false. Nepal is the burning example. Pushap Kumar led the insurgent groups. Now he represents Nepali people and New Nepal saying ‘goodbye’ to insurgency. Nepali congress and the Communist Party of Nepal also joined the agenda of new Nepal basically as a tactical play for political survival against an obstinate and arrogant monarch.


It is also true to construct the ‘New Nepal’ it will take time. Till then all the polical players and countrymen will have to wait patiently. Their impatience may invite further chaos in Nepal.

Prajapati, a Nepalese worker, was leaving to start a job in cleaning factory in Qatar. He represents hundreds and thousands of Nepalese who despite a new Maoist –led government promising radical change, see no future in the impoverished Himalayan nation. He said, “I voted the Maoists and I believe that they genuinely want to change the country. But the changes they talk about will take ages and I cannot afford to wait for them.” Like Prajpati 200000 Nepalese left for Middle East last year. These overseas workers send at least one billion dollars sent back annually by 2.2 million dollar.. Nepal like one of dozens of developing counties depend on remittances. The Maoists vowed in their election manifesto that ’ circumstances’ which force Nepalese youth to travel to foreign countries shall be ended.” But after gaining power, they realized vote-wing rhetoric and economic reality are two different things. Now they say “ We realize that we cannot stop youth from going aboard for employment because we do not have job opportunity for them in the country, “ Krishan Bahadur Mahara , A Maoists spokesman said. . Last year 400000 Nepalese left the country for Middle East and Malaysia. To construct the New Nepal, Dahal need to visit the Middle East as well.


Participation of women in constructing New Nepal attaches utmost importance. It is also another onerous task for the Maoist government to make room and opportunity for women to get them actively and truly involved in national building tasks. “April 2006 was the turning point in the history of Nepal that restored parliament and sovereign power of the people after ten yeas of intense political and social struggle,” Dr. Bina, an adviser to the National Planning Commission and Social Development Division of Nepal said. She also said that .in the conflict directly or indirectly Nepalese women were engaged and it was opportunity for bringing real changes in the country.


Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: Brac Education Programme, PACE
Phone: 9355253 (home), 01715-401267 (cell)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com