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Journalism of Courage
With the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) halting proceedings in Parliament over reports about India lifting its 41-month-old arms embargo to Nepal,Prime Minister Madhav Nepal was forced to declare on Sunday that there was no move to get arms for the Army from anywhere immediately.
Nepal was called by the State Affairs Committee of the Constituent Assembly to clarify whether the government was going to procure arms from India. Its all rumours,and no such deal is in the offing. The government will not do anything that will go against the peace process, the Prime Minister said.
The Maoists had said that any arms procurement for the Army would be against the peace process. C P Gajurel,convener of the CPN-Ms foreign cell,said: We will not accept any arms procurement under any pretext as it is in violation of the peace process.
Nepals words failed to convince the Maoist members who forced the House to adjourn for the day. The Maoists were agitated over reports that India had agreed to lift the February 2005 embargo and would supply arms to the Nepal Army. Defence Minister A K Antony,the reports suggested,had promised to lift the embargo when Nepals Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari met him in Delhi.
Nepal is believed to have assured Maoists chief Prachanda that no arms is going to be procured. If at all it comes,it will be only after major political parties reach a consensus in Nepal, he said.
