Baluwatar claims deal reached with India to end blockade
२०७२ मंसिर १७ गते १४:२२ मा प्रकाशित
Kathmandu, Online Khabar, December 3. Government officials have claimed that the prevailing misunderstanding between Nepal and India regarding Madhesh has ended with an understanding reached in Delhi.
The claim comes at a time when Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister is on a private visit to India. While in Delhi, Deputy Prime Minister Thapa met India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj twice. He tried to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, but had to make do with a meeting with his national security adviser Ajit Doval.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had telephonic conversation with Swaraj. This conversation has removed prevailing misunderstanding between Nepal and India, a source at the PM’s Official Residence in Balutwar claimed.
‘Three-step agreement’
The Oli-led ruling coalition has said there will be a three-step agreement towards the resolution of three issues that Madhesh Movement has raised. This is of interest to India as well. It has pledged to ensure proportional inclusiveness and delineate electoral constituencies on the basis of population.
Thapa’s interview in Delhi
Regarding the issue of province delineation, the plan is to sort out the issue in three months by forming a political committee. While Baluwatar is claiming that an agreement has already taken place with Delhi (the Indian establishment), Deputy Prime Minister is giving similar feelers in Delhi. In an interview with The Hindu, he said: “A three-step political agreement to resolve the crippling economic blockade has been reached between the government of Nepal and the protesting Madhesi parties.”
“The consensus which is in a preliminary stage needs a lot of care, support and understanding from all the stakeholders,” Thapa told the newspaper in an exclusive interview.
He pointed out that the agreement was prompted by the alarming rise of extremist sentiments in all political sections during the three-month-long blockade and related hardships. “We had to stop the extremist forces from using Nepal’s political platform and that is why this agreement was reached in the interest of the future of Nepal,” he said.
The minister said under the framework agreement, the issue of territorial demarcation of the Madhesis and their cultural and political rights would be adequately addressed. While the demarcation might take three months to be implemented, other decisions would be implemented immediately. He conceded that “past errors” by certain groups might have contributed to the present crisis in Nepal.
A key aspect of the solution package will be the constitutional amendments. Thapa pointed out that the Nepal government has proposals for amendments ready and will clear the ambiguities around the process.
Thapa said emphatically that “proportional and inclusive representation” — a key issue for the Madhesi people — will be ensured to the Madhesis.
Nepal-India ties, Thapa pointed out, would return to normalcy as the blockade is resolved along with political differences at home.
While in Kathmandu, a source said the agreement has been reached not with UDMF, but with India. Officials said transit and supply related obstructions will be removed in a phase-wise manner.
India has been imposing an undeclared blockade citing the Madhesh Movement, after the popularly-elected Constituent Assembly promulgated a constitution.
India has been denying that it has imposed a blockade despite criticism in the international fora, stating that the movement was to blame. While some diplomats suspect that Nepal and India may have reached some understanding.
On Thursday, three major parties made decisions in Baluwatar as per the spirit of the said ‘understanding’ reached in Delhi.
At a meeting, the three parties decided to delineate electoral constituencies on the basis of proportionate inclusiveness and population.
The three parties have proposed forming a political committee to sort out the issue of province delineation within three months. A source said: There has been an understanding with India, not UDMF. Much will depend on how the UDMF moves ahead.
Amid claims of a deal with India, the UDMF is intensifying its protest. Parties are still poles apart on province delineation, though they have come closer on other issues.
What will UDMF do?
The UDMF has been demanding two provinces in the plains and saying it will not halt its movement without change in provincial boundaries. UDMF leaders fear they will not be able to return to Madhesh (in view of protests) unless they reach what they call a win-win deal with Kathmandu.
But the UDMF will indeed be under pressure if reports regarding a deal with India are indeed true. If India ends the blockade, supply of essentials like oil will ease to a great extent. This means continuation of the movement and impossibility of a deal with the front in the near future.
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