Dahal told this to media persons after his meeting with Krishna when journalists asked if he raised the question of government change with the Indian minister. "We told that this government is not [formed] as per the mandate of the people." [break]
When journalists asked whether discussing government change issue with a visiting minister of a foreign country was not against our sovereignty, Dahal said, "I didn´t talk about the government change." He didn´t clarify further nor did the journalists field any more questions on the topic.
The talks between Dahal and Krishna lasted for over an hour at Hotel Dwarika. Dahal was accompanied by Maoist leader and party´s foreign department chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
Dahal said he told Krishna that there were attempts from various circles to isolate the Maoist party in Nepal.
According to Dahal, Krishna also expressed concern that the ongoing Maoist political programs for "national independence" might harm the bilateral relations.
"It is the beginning of new relationship with India." -- Dahal.
But the Maoist chairman told the Indian minister that his party doesn´t want to strain the bilateral relations, and argued that a new relationship should be forged on the basis of political change in Nepal and as per the aspirations of the people.
"They expressed concern that it might hurt the bilateral relations. We told them that people here want to develop a new relationship with India on the basis of new change."
Dahal said he also took up a host of bilateral issues including border "encroachment", "unequal treaties", developing new economic relationship, peace process and constitution writing in the meeting.
Dahal said the Indian team assured him that India was ready to solve all the problems through political and diplomatic channels. "It is the beginning of new relationship with India," said Dahal.
First political level meeting
The meeting holds significance as this is the first meeting between the Maoist leadership and Indian political leaders since Dahal stepped down as prime minister last May.
Despite repeated attempts from Dahal to establish contacts and hold talks with the Indian political leadership, Delhi had ignored his requests and maintained contacts with Maoists only through diplomatic and intelligence channels. At the diplomatic level, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and South Block officials held talks with Dahal.
Since quitting the government, Dahal has twice met AB Mathur, deputy chief of Indian intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing(RAW) first in London and then in Singapore. In private meetings, Dahal has often complained that the Indian political leadership has deliberately ignored him, and the diplomats and intelligence officials have maintained tough posture.
It was more than clear in this visit that India did not want to further alienate the Maoists and at the same time it also was not in a mood to compromise with the Maoists.
Besides Dahal´s meeting with Krishna, Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had also invited Maoist leaders Babu Ram Bhattarai, Narayankaji Shrestha and Krishna Bahadur Mahara at a reception hosted at India House in Lainchaur on Saturday evening. Bhattarai and Shrestha attended the reception along with many senior leaders from other parties.
Talking to myrepublica.com after the reception Dr Bhattarai said, "Indian leaders are also concerned that the relationship with us [Maoists] has strained in the last few months and have said that this is not what they intended." Bhattarai said that he told the Indian leaders that Maoists also wanted to maintain a good relationship with India.
At one point, Krishna is learnt to have told Maoist leaders that India never publicly chastised the Maoists during the last several months nor did it have any intention to do so now. "I will not speak anything in the press conference tomorrow that will jeopardize our relationship with your party," a source present at the reception quoted Krishna as telling the Maoist leaders.
At one point at the reception, sources said, ambassador Sood asked the Maoist leaders what kind of relationship they wanted with India. "Relationship between Nepal and India can not be static just based on history but it should take into account the changing realities of time and evolved into a dynamic one," the source quoted Bhattarai as responding.
The Indian team also held an hour-long meeting with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter´s residence in Maharajgunj Saturday evening. However it is not known what transpired between them as the India team shied away from the media and no other Nepali leader was present during the meeting.
Krishna, who arrived in Nepal for a three-day official visit on Friday, met with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala, and discussed bilateral issues.
post@myrepublica.com
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