NEW DELHI: Aware that its decision to resume arms supplies to the monarchist regime in Nepal is likely to kick off a political furore, the Manmohan Singh Government has moved into damage containment mode with senior officials saying that the promised weapons flow was in exchange for specific assurances from King Gyanendra about the restoration of democracy.

As reported in The Hindu on Sunday, the Nepalese side has been assured that the first consignment of weapons would be handed over "very soon."

In speaking to the media about India's decision to end its two-month old arms embargo, say officials, King Gyanendra violated the understanding reached in his bilateral meeting with Dr. Singh in Jakarta on Saturday that neither side would go public about what had transpired. "Obviously the King was thrilled and has made the most of it," an official said, "but he conveniently left out any mention of what he himself has agreed to do."

Roadmap worked out

Besides promising to consider Dr. Singh's suggestion that there be a clear "roadmap" for the resumption of political processes, the King undertook to lift the state of emergency in those districts and areas where the Maoists are militarily weak.

Officials say the King — who actively sought the meeting with Dr. Singh — kept stressing that the Royal Nepal Army did not have enough weapons to defeat or even fight back the Maoists. If India wanted the Left-wing insurgents defeated, it would have to end its suspension of military supplies to the RNA, he said. It is a different matter that most observers in Nepal say there is simply no possibility of the Maoists gaining ground, let alone coming to power, and King Gyanendra himself has been saying publicly that his army has the rebels on the run.

Decisive factor

Asked whether the possibility of Chinese military assistance to Nepal was a factor in the Indian decision, senior officials offered differing perspectives. If some officials said the decision of the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, to skip Nepal during his recent South Asia visit suggested that Beijing did not wish to court the King, others saw significance in the fact that King Gyanendra had been scheduled directly to fly to China from Jakarta for a meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan province.

However, since there has been no suggestion from any quarter that Beijing will soon start providing arms to the Nepalese monarch, it is evident that concerns about the Maoists have been the decisive factor in bringing about the shift in New Delhi's official policy towards the royal putsch.

The irony is that until now, the Indian Government believed that the King will never be in a position to bring about a military solution to the insurgency, regardless of whether he gets arms or not.

Whether the quid pro quo on the return to democracy that Indian officials say has been worked out will enthuse the Nepalese political parties now remains to be seen.

With India front-loading its commitment to supply weapons, officials say a close watch will be kept on the King's actions to ensure he delivers on his assurances.

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