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India offers Rs. 1000 crore package
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India promises accelerate infrastructure projects
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Terrorists have objected to the deal and promised more violence
India offer visiting Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala a deal worth
Rs. 1000 crores (USD 217 million) that would include a one time grant, waiver
of dues for supplied military equipment, reworking of loans, and subsidized
fertilizer.
Koirala had appealed to India for the resumption of economic and military aid
suspended when King Gnanendra was running the country with an iron fist. With
the restoration of democracy, India feels that it needs to aid Nepal generously
so it will become economically and militarily stable.
Under the terms of the agreement, India will immediately release Rs. 100
crores (USD 21.7 million) as a one time grant. It will forgive dues for
military equipment shipped to Nepal under Gnanendra, ask Indian Oil Corporation
to rework loan payment schedules, deliver 25,000 tons of fertilizer, and
increase its annual Nepal aid budget from Rs. 65 crores to Rs. 150 crores.
India will also accelerate infrastructure projects such as roads, airports, and
rail linkages.
A very happy Koirala invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit Nepal
which he accepted immediately.
The other issue that the country dealt with is the vexing terrorism based on
Chinese strong man Mao Zedong’s violent theories of social engineering. The two
nations released a statement that clearly rebuked this philosophy and mode of
negotiation. The statement said “the success of democracy lay in creating an
atmosphere free of violence and coercion, and respect for the law.”
Nepalese terrorist leader Pachanda (which is the nom de guerre of Pushpa Kamal
Dahal) reacted swiftly to this statement accusing India of meddling with
Nepal’s internal affairs. Like all charlatans, he tried to infuse fear of a
“deep conspiracy” to destroy the pact between his organization and the Seven
Party Alliance (SPA). He accused the SPA of disingenuous conduct “When there
should be a political settlement first in Nepal, Koirala goes to India to bring
money, an assistance package, and hydro-power pacts.”
The biggest fear of the terrorists is that the economy may pick up and the
people may question the need for a violent overthrow of a system that works.
They are
wary of a popular Parliament lest it become too powerful. They do not want
the people to think that the
interim Government to be acceptable outside the nation so it can implode.
What they want is an interim Government that they can control that can be
beyond accountability, control, and influence of the people, political system,
or the entity of a King.
Prachanda said that he had warned Koirala that “it won’t be good if he made a
deal” and wondered “why they (political parties and India) are trying to bypass
us?” The answer is simple. Prachanda is a violent man wont to killing at will
and disrespectful of any law and order. Such behavior is unacceptable in a
democracy. Till he realizes that and shuns his violent campaign, he will be out
of all solutions.
At the same time, peace in Nepal cannot return unless the terrorists are
subjugated. India must accelerate its economic and military aid to Nepal.
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