Games They Play

As instability continues to mar Nepali politics, two big negibours vie to outsmart each other

http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/2007/englishweekly/spotlight/dec/dec07/national.php

By SUSHIL SHARMA

Yet another senior Chinese delegation. Yet another round of parley with key political actors of Nepal. Emphasis one more time on the long-standing hands-off policy.

That is how one would sum up the recent visit of the Wang Jiarui-led Chinese team. On the surface of it, of course.

But analysts believe that there is much more than meets the eye.

The senior official of the international department of the Chinese communist party does not hold a position in the government.

But holding a ministerial rank, he weilds considerable influence in the policy and decision making in Beijing.

He came less than three months after the visit of another influential leader, the vice chairman of the people’s political consultative conference, Wang Zhongue.

There had been a number of other senior level visits over the past year from across the Himalayas.

This has coincided with the raging flame of disturbances across Nepal’s southern plains which, according to a Chinese Nepal expert, “is unnatural and unusual”.

Analysts say, it is this “unnatural and unusual” development in the Nepal Terai that has begun to ring the alarm bells across the Himalayas to the Tibetan plateau and even far beyond to Beijing.

As the Terai situation and its resultant impact on the peace process and the proposed constituent assembly elections are being viewed with serious concern, “the Chinese appeared to be re-asserting their presence here,” said a political commentator in reference to the latest visit of a top level Chinese delegation.

It was clear that the boss of the Chinese communist party’s international department wanted to take the first hand assessment of the situation.

But in meetings with the Nepalese leaders, he did not talk much, preferring, instead, to listen.

As one Nepalese official present in one of such meetings said,” the Chinese leader said he is here to listen.”

A UML leader echoed: “Wang seemed more interested in listening than talking with us.”

While preferring to listen in meetings with key political actors, the Chinese dignitary was in full flow -- by Chinese standards, of course -- in interaction with the media.

The message he was trying to give was loud and clear: “we are very much here, keeping our eyes and ears open”.

Unlike many leaders and officials from other countries, he did not volunteer to offer advice on ways to resolve what is developing as a political stalemate of potentially explosive consequences for the whole region.

But Wang was unequivocal in reemphasising on reconciliation which has remained elusive so far – for reasons best known to the Nepalese political actors only.

A reconciliation on an entirely different front is however in the making.

That at least is the indication one can get from the impending visit of the chief of the Nepali army, Rukmangd Katuwal, to India.

The strained relations between the armies of the two countries over the royal coup in Nepal three years ago are clearly on the mend.

Katuwal is due to leave for India next Sunday, as the chief of the only institution that has remained stable and united despite recent upheavals that even shook the foundation of the two-centuries old monarchy.

He is said to have been initially invited to attend a programme of ceremonial nature at the Indian military academy in Deharadun.

Having refused it and insisted on treatment on par with his Indian counterpart, Katuwal had finally his say.

The first commoner chief of the Nepali army will now be on an official visit in Delhi, where he will attend the investiture ceremony with his Indian counterpart and personal friend Deepak Kapur.

“Given the deep influence the non-political Indian military establishment holds over the political and security policies and decisions in Delhi, the gesture to the chief of the equally non-political Nepali army at this crucial juncture of Nepali politics can not be without serious political overtones,” said an old India hand