But there is a certain degree of ambiguity among the Nepal´s political elites and bureaucrats regarding how sincerely does Indian establishment help Nepal on these crucial issues.
"Sometimes it feels like Indian authorities are cooperating but most of the time we have a feeling that they want to keep tabs on the peace process and on the armed outfits in the Tarai so that they not only have a say on the process but also control over the end result," said a senior politician, who has experience of engagements with India on several occasions in the past.
There is hardly any agreement among the Nepali elite on India´s role vis-a-vis Nepal and there are at least two dominant schools of thought on this. The first school believes that it´s in India´s best interest that Nepal remains a stable and functioning democracy and India will do all it takes to ensure the stability and also supports in its endeavor for prosperity.
The second school of thought dismisses any such benign intentions. "India understands the realpolitik very well and pursues it dispassionately. Based on my experience at home administration for over two decades I have come to a conclusion that India always tries to keep Nepali political forces divided to serve its own interest."
If you look at Nepal-India relations over the past six decades since India overthrew the British colonial yoke and Nepal also got rid of 104-year long Rana oligarchy, there are ample examples to make case for either of these schools of thought.
However, as the current government faces increasing challenges in maintaining law and order in the Tarai and to curb activities of militant and criminal groups operating across the border, there are growing doubts about India´s sincerity.
What has made the leaders and bureaucrats more suspicious lately is the intelligence report that Indian officials have held several meetings with armed groups operating in the Tarai and encouraged them to form a collective front to fight for the Madhesi cause.
According to a highly-placed source, one of such meetings was held on July 1-2 at Dank Bangala in Frazer Road, Patna, where senior officials from Indian intelligence branches goaded the chiefs of three major armed outfits working in the Tarai --- Akhil Tarai Mukti Morcha (ATMM), Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha-Jwala (JTMM-J) and Samyukta Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (SJTMM). The meeting was attended by, among others, Jai Krishna Goit of ATMM, Nagendra Paswan alias Jwala Singh of JTMM-J and Prahlad Giri alias Pawan of SJTMM.
Similarly, intelligence report says Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-level intelligence official, O P Sharma, and another senior officer, with a surname Mathur, also attended the meeting held at the initiative of Anil Sinha, who is the president of Seema Jagaran Manch. Mathur is known to have served at the Indian Consul General´s Office in Birgunj until a few years ago.
The intelligence report also said ATMM Chief Jai Krishna Goit at the meeting vented anger for not extending them enough support and complained that his activities were curbed during CA elections in Nepal. "You caused split in my party when I spoke against Constituent Assembly elections in Nepal and confined my activities far from Nepal-India border," the report further quotes Goit as saying.
The report says the Indian officials present at the meeting urged all the armed groups to join hands and form a collective front. "It´s only then you can make a difference and we can also provide you a meaningful support," the report quotes an Indian official as saying.
However, Prime Minister Nepal is unlikely to share this piece of information with his Indian counterpart during his upcoming visit to India. "See, these intelligence reports are not always reliable and it may not be appropriate to share those in such high level when we are embarking on a goodwill visit," said a top aide to the prime minister.
If, on the one hand, the government has such a piece of intelligence, on the other hand, it also has more recent cases where Indian security agencies have nabbed and handed over some individuals linked to armed groups operating in the Tarai. Local authorities in Bihar recently handed over Ram Narayan alias Manager Mahato, the chairman of Madhes Rastriya Jantantrik Party (Revolutionary) to police in Siraha. Mahato was allegedly shot dead by Nepal police after the handover.
Such inconsistent -- and sometimes contradictory -- cases of Indian actions continue to leave Nepali establishment confused about India´s actual intentions and its cooperation in curbing militant activities in the Tarai.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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