India, Nepal security talks after 4 yrs

Ending a four year break in dialogue, India and Nepal resumed bilateral talks on security issues in Kathmandu today. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Sep 23, 2011, 01:29:09 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Ending a four year break in dialogue, India and Nepal resumed bilateral talks on security issues in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The-two-day joint secretary level talks between both neighbours, since the last one in New Delhi in 2007, will deliberate on border management, trans-border crime, human trafficking and smuggling of fake Indian currency through the open border.

The Indian delegation is being led by KK Mittal, joint secretary (Border Management) while the Nepali side is headed by Sudhir Shah, joint secretary (Home Ministry).

Besides security issues and information sharing, the two sides are also expected to discuss about construction of the Nepal Police Academy at Panauti with Indian assistance of 5 billion Nepali rupees.

"Encroachment of each other’s territories, repair and management of border pillars and meetings of border district coordination committees were also discussed," said a Home Ministry source.

The last Indo-Nepal home-secretary level talks were held in Kathmandu in November 2009 where both countries had agreed not to allow their territories to be used for cross-border terrorism.

The present talks are expected to lay the groundwork for the home secretary level talks between the two nations expected to be held in the Indian capital next month.

Sources say the home-secretary level talks are likely to take place before Nepal’s new Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s expected to visit to India next month, on invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Though India and Nepal had agreed to hold joint-secretary level security talks every six months to focus on security along the 1800-km long border between them, they have not been held for the past four years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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