A Gandhian, President Yadav´s visit coincided with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace, freedom and non-violence. Stating that there is no place for violence in politics, President Yadav said at a gathering in New Delhi that Gandhi´s method of peaceful resistance for justice and freedom "is more relevant in the present-day world, which has seen indiscriminate violence, bloodshed and retribution."
During the visit, President Yadav also discussed issues of bilateral concerns with various senior Indian politicians in New Delhi. It is significant that in his meetings with Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh, Chairperson of UPA Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, opposition leader LK Advani, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and others, he assured them of timely conclusion of peace process and writing of the new constitution. The Indian side also brought to his attention its security concerns. Interestingly, President Yadav´s visit coincided with the formation of a UML-led government at home which ended a seven-month long political impasse in Nepal. Undoubtedly, the new government should pay due attention to the security issues raised by the Indian government, but we believe that national sentiments should be taken into account, before taking any step toward formalizing security cooperation with our southern neighbor.
Along with the security cooperation, there are many sectors where the two countries can cooperate for mutual benefits. Energy sector is one such area. Despite having immense potential, Nepal is facing an acute shortage of power while bordering Indian states that can be a lucrative power market for Nepal are reeling under power deficit for years. So, we urge both the governments to put extra efforts to open a new chapter in energy cooperation that we think we will be a tribute to President Yadav´s successful visit to India.
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