NEW DELHI, MAR 4, 2012
Indian parliamentarians and leaders today raised the issue of security for Indian investment in Nepal in the first Nepal-India Parliamentary Forum meeting organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here in New Delhi.
UML leader Pradip Gyawali said the Indian participants were of the view that if Indian investors continued to face security problems in Nepal even after the signing of Business Promotion and Protection Agreement, then both countries could do projects jointly.
Indian participants cited the case of GMR Group, whose power project office in Dailekh district was vandalised in May last year. The group is developing 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro Project.
Indian participants said India being the bigger neighbour should play a role in overall development of the Himalayan nation, giving emphasis to trade and economic cooperation.
Indian participant KC Tyagi who is also General Secretary of Janata Dal (U) told this daily that there was no reservation among Indian leaders about revision of the 1950 treaty.
“On all major bilateral issues, we spoke in one voice but on the issue of federalism, we were divided as we spoke along our parties’ lines,” Gyawali said. He said he told the meeting that if Pancheswor project could be expedited, it would be more beneficial for Nepal and could even serve as a model for hydro power cooperation between the two countries.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, Indian State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said a peaceful and stable Nepal was also in the interest of India and therefore his country was ready to help in all possible manner. He said India could greatly help in Nepal’s trade and education sectors.
Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav said an accommodative attitude taking care of India’s security interest while fully respecting Nepal’s
sovereignty, was the only way to put Nepal-India relations on a sound footing. “Actually Nepal should not allow its territory to be used against any of its neighbours. It is essential to examine future prospects of Nepal-India relations from strategic economic perspective,” reads a written statement he delivered at the closed door meeting.
Both sides also shared their experience of federalism. Tyagi said the inherent flaws of Indian federalism, which allows the centre to dismiss elected state governments ought to be avoided in Nepal. “Nepal’s constitution should not repeat the mistake of our constitution. Some states have been locked in bitter water disputes since independence, Nepal should avoid such scenario,” Tyagi said adding, “it is imperative for a statute to take into account the interests of all stakeholders, particularly the minorities.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines, UCPN-M participant Krishna Bahadur Mahara said his party was committed to peace and democracy and trust deficit between his party and India had been narrowed down. “It is not only India but the entire International community that had doubts about our party in the past, but we have been able to remove them.”
Source: THT
Indian parliamentarians and leaders today raised the issue of security for Indian investment in Nepal in the first Nepal-India Parliamentary Forum meeting organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here in New Delhi.
UML leader Pradip Gyawali said the Indian participants were of the view that if Indian investors continued to face security problems in Nepal even after the signing of Business Promotion and Protection Agreement, then both countries could do projects jointly.
Indian participants cited the case of GMR Group, whose power project office in Dailekh district was vandalised in May last year. The group is developing 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro Project.
Indian participants said India being the bigger neighbour should play a role in overall development of the Himalayan nation, giving emphasis to trade and economic cooperation.
Indian participant KC Tyagi who is also General Secretary of Janata Dal (U) told this daily that there was no reservation among Indian leaders about revision of the 1950 treaty.
“On all major bilateral issues, we spoke in one voice but on the issue of federalism, we were divided as we spoke along our parties’ lines,” Gyawali said. He said he told the meeting that if Pancheswor project could be expedited, it would be more beneficial for Nepal and could even serve as a model for hydro power cooperation between the two countries.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, Indian State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said a peaceful and stable Nepal was also in the interest of India and therefore his country was ready to help in all possible manner. He said India could greatly help in Nepal’s trade and education sectors.
Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav said an accommodative attitude taking care of India’s security interest while fully respecting Nepal’s
sovereignty, was the only way to put Nepal-India relations on a sound footing. “Actually Nepal should not allow its territory to be used against any of its neighbours. It is essential to examine future prospects of Nepal-India relations from strategic economic perspective,” reads a written statement he delivered at the closed door meeting.
Both sides also shared their experience of federalism. Tyagi said the inherent flaws of Indian federalism, which allows the centre to dismiss elected state governments ought to be avoided in Nepal. “Nepal’s constitution should not repeat the mistake of our constitution. Some states have been locked in bitter water disputes since independence, Nepal should avoid such scenario,” Tyagi said adding, “it is imperative for a statute to take into account the interests of all stakeholders, particularly the minorities.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines, UCPN-M participant Krishna Bahadur Mahara said his party was committed to peace and democracy and trust deficit between his party and India had been narrowed down. “It is not only India but the entire International community that had doubts about our party in the past, but we have been able to remove them.”
Source: THT
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