In what ostensibly appears like a private visit,former King Gyanendra and his wife Komal will tomorrow leave for a two-week long visit to India,their first after the monarchy was abolished from Nepal in June. They will attend a family wedding in Bhopal. Prime Minister Prachanda was informed about the visit today,an official source said. The Secretariat of the former King has kept the trip under wraps but Foreign Ministry sources told The Indian Express that the King has not been issued any passport which means the former royals will use their citizenship or simple travel documents to visit India. After the wedding,Gyanendra is expected to visit shrines,including the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. While he is likely to spend about a week visiting various national parks in Madhya Pradesh,whether he will spend time in Delhi meeting leaders from the Congress or the BJP is not known. The current bout of political uncertainty,the near collapse of the states authority,the growing rift between the Army and the Maoist leadership which has been advocating a one-party rule and the growing presence of China in Nepal are some things that India has taken cognisance of at the highest level. Gyanendra,who took charge in February 2005 and surrendered it to the combination of eight political parties in April 2006,is believed to be under strict vigilance of the government.
