Monday, May 16, 2005
Monday, May 16, 2005 |
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Staff Reporter
PALAKKAD: The National Security Adviser, M. K. Narayanan, has said that India resumed military supplies to Nepal only after getting a "categorical assurance from King Gyanendra that democracy will be restored to Nepal.'' In an exclusive interview to The Hindu , Mr. Narayanan, who was here on a private visit on Sunday, denied differences between the Foreign and Defence Ministries on the issue because the decision to resume military supplies was taken after the Union Government was convinced that democracy would be brought back in Nepal. Once the Government took such a decision, there was no question of its Ministries opposing or supporting the move. Asked if the decision to supply arms to a country where democracy had been crushed would damage the reputation of India as a champion of democracy in the world, Mr. Narayanan said India was not acting as a big brother in the region and it was only going by the ground realities and the assurance given by the King of Nepal. If Nepal went back on its promise, India could revise its stand on restoration of arms supply and other issues, he said. On the talks on restoring peace to Nagaland and other North-Eastern States, Mr. Narayanan said some breakthrough was made on solving the Naga issue and the problems in the other States. But during the talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), the Government had made it clear that there was no question of the Centre agreeing to the formation of a bigger Nagaland unless all the neighbouring States were willing to give part of the areas now under them for the purpose. He said that during the talks, the Centre had directed the NSCN to approach other States. There was no question of the Centre giving any direction to these States, he said. He, however, said the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre promised to set up a States Reorganisation Commission. The commission could look into specific regions and States on the reorganisation demand. But New Delhi had made it clear that there was no question of accepting the demand of the NSCN for the integration of Naga-inhabited areas and the demand for sovereignty, Mr. Narayanan said. (The NSCN chairman, Isak Swu, told the Naga Consultative Conference, which preceded the formal talks in New Delhi last week, that "unless the Nagas' aspiration for unification of all Naga-inhabited areas is fully realised, no negotiated settlement with the Government of India is possible.'') On the recent visit of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to Moscow to participate in the 60th anniversary of the victory of allied forces over Nazi Germany, Mr. Narayanan said the visit had further advanced Indo-Russian cooperation in the field of defence and energy. He said the spirit of the historic Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed between the two countries in 1971 were carried forward despite the fall of the U.S.S.R.
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