| Username |
Post |
| mabi |
Posted
on 31-Dec-00 11:33 AM
NEWS TODAY BUREAU
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 29, 2000, 2100 HRS IST: In an astounding display of political ineptitude at a time when Nepal
is seething with anti-India sentiment, senior BJP ideologue and member of the party’s national executive K.R. Malkani
asserted that Jawaharlal Nehru should have accepted the accession of Nepal to India in the 1950s when it was “offered to us
by King Tribhuvan.”
In an exclusive interview to The News Today at its office here on Friday evening, Malkani said there were many reasons for
the current anti-India tirade in Nepal – “Some of the mistakes are on our side, some are mischief by other parties.”
Elaborating, Malkani said, “I think we made a very serious, very foolish mistake when Tribhuvan offered to accede to India
and Nehru said — ‘No, duniya kya kahegi, what will the world say?’ We should have accepted the accession of Nepal to
India when it was offered to us by King Tribhuvan.”
On further questioning, he said the offer was made in the mid-50s, “1954 or 55,” adding, “It is known, it is public knowledge.”
He repeated that Nehru refused the offer only because he feared adverse world opinion. “Usko duniya ka chinta zyaada tha (
he was more concerned about the world), the BJP leader said with a touch of sarcasm.
‘Pakistani presence very strong in Nepal’
Asked if it would have been had Nepal had become a part of India like Sikkim in 1976, Malkani said: “Of course, of course.”
He immediately added that “Pakistan has any number of agents in Nepal, they spend a lot of money out there,” implying that
this was made possible because Nepal had remained an independent nation.
Holding forth on the Nepal-Pakistan connection, Malkani said, “When we had no diplomatic relations with Pakistan after the
1971 war, Bhutto especially sent a very influential powerful man to Nepal. He himself told me that Nepal is now very
important for us as an entry point because from Nepal anybody can enter India – goods can come in, agents can come in,
anybody can come in.”
He further said, “So the – I need not call it Muslim —the Pakistani presence is very strong in Nepal. And probably Nepal
thinks that they will be in a better position to deal with India if they have Pakistan’s support. (They feel that) they can always
bargain with us – this always happens to buffer states.”
‘Nepal should be careful’
Asserting that Nepal’s pro-Pakistan tilt was “very shortsighted”, he said there were millions of Nepalis in India who were full
citizens of the country and lakhs of Indians, mostly Biharis, doing business in Nepal. “But when Pakistan tries to use Nepal, I
think Nepal should be a little more careful than it has been.”
On the Hrithik Roshan controversy that triggered off the turmoil in Nepal, Malkani echoed the filmstar’s statements and said
that he had “a shrewd suspicion that it is business rivalry — rival mafias financing different companies are behind this.”
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 31-Dec-00 08:57 PM
A question about this episode:
Did King Tribhuvan have any constitutional right to compromise
national sovereignity?
I am not sure what Padma Shamser's constitution(2004) wrote
about our national sovereignity?
Shaha Kings are not very puissant kings, and under Rana regime,
it is said they had been quite womanizer.Surendra and Prithvi
actually never showed any responsible behavior. The purpose
of Trailokya, the crown prince, was to revert power to Shaha
dynasty.Democracy, and popular mandate was never a matter of
discussion then.
A lot of people know it quite well that we were quasi-colony
at the time Tribhuvan was king. The ambassador of India would
take part in meeting of council of ministers at the time, and
Indians had check posts in northern border of Nepal.
It is natural for Tribhuvan to have temptation of becoming
king of whole India, though I am not sure if he ever proposed
anyting like that.For the sake of personal benefit, a lot of
political leaders had given up Nepalese territory/power to India,
and Tribhuvan is also a cog of the wheel.
All along the history, it is we Nepalese,and some tenacious
leaders like Janga Bdr Rana, whose persistence on our independence
have saved us from the design of our southern neighbor(s).
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| sparsha |
Posted
on 02-Jan-01 08:50 AM
I am quite disgusted with that BJP leader's statement. I do not, however, know for fact whether what he is saying is true. I wonder what proof he has to back up his statement.
Now I also wonder how we react to such statement? we reacted so sharply on Hritik's alleged statement against us (we probably have no proof if he said what he is accused of saying...importantly enough he tried to make it clear that he did not say anything on Nepal or Nepalis) but when we have a clear statement from a ruling party leader of India about our soverignty
how are we going to react? So far, I read a statement by Nepali Marwari Community condemning the statement by BJP leader. And what about us, the remaining Nepalis (except those Marwari community which already issued it's statement.)?
sparsha
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 02-Jan-01 02:51 PM
Hi Sparsha:
I think it is a pert example of how leftist ultra nationalist
groups are squandering their energy.They carted off all their
workers to KTM street for a fictitious statement from a boy whose
political significance is nothing, then they missed a shot by
a real bigshot.
The real culprit in Ritik case is the government .There
was a moment when I myself totally believed the statement,since
the government also banned his movies.Who could have thought the
ministry is so rash as is the mob?
And I have one more thought:
Our students are more road prone than classroom prone these
days, I don't know why? In any protest, the major constituent is
often that of students'.
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| rajendra |
Posted
on 02-Jan-01 03:16 PM
Actually I read somewhere that the Nepali government has already lodged a protest against the BJP leader's statement through diplomatic channels. The BJP leader has also apologized for the statement (although he stands by its authenticity). Furthermore, the BJP Government of India has distanced itself from that position and has said that it is the opinion of an individual person and not the Indian government.
I hope that yet another round of mass demonstrations, protests, police killings and bandhs have been averted.
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| Namita Kiran-Thuene |
Posted
on 05-Jan-01 11:30 AM
Could someone post what the Indian actor actually said? What I have heard is the he hates Nepal. If it is true then what really is the big deal? Isn't he entitled to speak his mind? Why we Nepalis are so ultra sensitive? Is this (sensitivity)a sign of some kind of inadquacy, low self esteem?
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