Foreign secretary S Jaishankar who landed in Kathmandu on Friday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy expressed hope Nepal’s constitution doesn’t lead to further violence.
“India has been strongly supportive of constitution making in Nepal. We would like its completion to be an occasion for joy and satisfaction, not agitation and violence,” he told media persons at Tribhuban International Airport on Saturday before wrapping up his visit.
Jaishankar met President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and leaders from most political parties and expressed India’s concern at the ongoing violence in Nepal’s southern plains which has claimed over 40 lives in the past month.
During his interactions he conveyed Modi’s message to Nepal’s leaders and suggested bringing the agitating parties on board through talks so that the constitution is accepted by most sides.
“We hope Nepal’s political leaders will display the necessary flexibility and maturity at this crucial time to ensure a durable and resilient constitution that has broad-based acceptance,” he said.
The violence in Terai plains if not contained could spillover to the bordering states on the Indian side and have major ramifications ahead of the assembly polls in the Bihar, Jaishankar told Nepali leaders.
Nepal’s constituent assembly has already endorsed the new constitution through overwhelming majority and the document will come into operation on Sunday after it is unveiled by the President.
{{/usCountry}}Nepal’s constituent assembly has already endorsed the new constitution through overwhelming majority and the document will come into operation on Sunday after it is unveiled by the President.
{{/usCountry}}But political parties from Terai, who represent Madhesis, Tharus and other marginalized communities, have rejected the statute mainly in protest against demarcation of federal states and have threatened to burn its copies.
Worried that the new constitution will lead to their under-representation in the political process, parties from the region had quit the constituent assembly and are planning further protests.
Jaishankar met chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) KP Sharma Oli, who is expected to be the next prime minister and also Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to apprise them about New Delhi’s concerns.
He also held discussions with leaders from Madhesi parties and urged them to shun violence and sit for talks.