Prachanda looks to India for help

In a significant turnaround, Nepal's Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has sought help from India to bring about lasting peace to the Himalayan nation. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Sep 27, 2011, 24:35:42 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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In a significant turnaround, Nepal's Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has sought help from India to bring about lasting peace to the Himalayan nation.

“India played a positive role in signing of the historic 12-point agreement. We want it to play a similar role one more time to help conclude the peace process,” he said on Sunday.

The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Chairman was addressing a function held by Nepal-India Human Development and Friendship Association where India's new Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad was also present.

A vocal critic of Nepal's southern neighbour and its policies, Prachanda's latest move is seen as his most genuine attempt yet at rebuilding his party's broken ties with India.

Indian officials here welcomed his change in stance but were quick to add that the Maoist chairman had made such gestures in the past as well only to retract to his old anti-India posture soon after.

Recalling the peace deal signed between Maoist and the seven-party alliance in New Delhi on November 22, 2005, Prachanda stated that development wouldn't have been possible without India's help.

Prachanda's statement came hours after his party colleague and Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai met Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New York on sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

During the meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited Bhattarai to visit India and assured all help to Nepal to conclude the peace process and rebuild the country after years of strife and political instability.

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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