India drafted 12-point agreement with Maoists; plan to kill Girija in royal palace massacre’ Chakra Prasad Shitaula

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 1 April: The beans are finally being spilled.
Chakra Prasad Bastola, nephew [son-in-law of Girija’s sister] revealed Thursday on the 13th day of his uncle Girija Prasad Koirala’s death, India was the architect of the 12-point agreement between Maoists and eight parliamentary parties signed in New Delhi.
Bastola is also a former Royal Nepalese Ambassador to India and foreign minister and a trusted aide of Girija with whom he later parted company.
‘I am witness to the handover of the draft of the 12-point agreement prepared by India on a piece of paper in pencil.
“Now RAW [Indian external intelligence agency] conducts India’s Nepal policy. I’ve told them frankly ‘Have trust in me if you consider me a trustworthy friend. Forgive me if you take me as a servant,’ ” Bastola said in a remembrance article in Nagarik.
Bastola confirmed earlier reports he along with Girija held discussions with Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai at Noida in New Delhi’s outskirts along with Gokarna Paudel, Girija’s political aide for 11 years.
Paudel said earlier the meeting took place two weeks after the two-month house arrest of Koirala was lifted two King Gyanendra’s direct rule 1 February 2005.
Bastola said he parted company with Girija after signing of an eight-point agreement with Maoists at Baluwatar as a follow-up to the 12-point agreement.
“A distance between us started after meetings in Baluwatar following the signing of the 12-point agreement. The distancing wasn’t with me alone. There was a Congress group. We felt Maoists had dragged Girigababu.
‘Girijababu overnight was forced to sign the eight-point agreement in Baluwatar. Then the ‘rift’ with Girijababu started.
Girijababu later said: I was “ forced’”
“We started taking a stand saying a mistake had been made, Bastola wrote.
Bastola didn’t reveal who ‘forced ‘ Koirala.
The former foreign minister revealed Girija then started cultivating Krishna Prasad Shitaula, who was home minister who adopted a soft policy towards Maoists leading to their victory in the April 2008 constituent assembly elections.
Bastola said the Maoist egg wasn’t Indian but what hatched was Indian.
‘I always used to defend Maoists who were based in India. But now, I’ve changed my view. I don’t know to whom the egg named Maoist belonged. But what’s been hatched in certainly Indian,” Bastola said in a stinging comment against Maoists and India.
‘The problem now is the child t doesn’t obey the parents.”
Girija fell to pressures of the king, India, USA, China and those who met him ‘in the mornings’, Bastola revealed.
“His peace process has been affected by vested national interest and international interest,” the former foreign minister concluded.
He revealed India rejected his appointment when Koirala appointed him ambassador soon after elections in 1990 but later accepted the appointed when Prime Minister Koirala told India he masterminded a 1973 hijacking of a Royal Nepal Airlines in which Bastola was also involved.
There was a plot to kill Girija during the Narayanhiti Ropal Palace massacre 1 February 2001, Bastola claimed in stunning revelation but King Birendra intervened.
Crown Prince Dipendra shot dead his entire family.
“I’ve reached the conclusion there was a conspiracy to kill Girjababu also in the royal palace massacre. I was foreign minister then. A proposal had come to invite in that reception.
“The king had said let’s not call him in a ‘family matter’ but later on.”
nnnn


India government stops Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Nepal visit

Kathmandu, 1 April: The Indian government Thursday intervened and stopped plans of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to attend the remembrance functions for Girija Prasad Koirala in Kathmandu Thursday, theonline edition of Hindusthan Times reported.
Chief ministers require central government permission to go abroad, the online edition said,
He was invited by Giraja’s daughter Sujata.
This is the second time Indian central government intervened to prevent Kumar from visiting Nepal.
He was stopped earlier from visiting Nepal to inspect the damage caused by the flooded Kosi that causes annual havoc in Bihar as well during the monsoon.

Madhav Kumar Nepal for brief constitution

Kathmandu, 1 April: Beleaguered Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said Thursday he favoured a ‘brief constitution’ with only 57 days left to proclaim a basic law to institutionalize a republic.
Others have forwarded similar suggestion including constituent assembly Chairman Subash Nemwang who calls it a ‘Belgian solution”
The promulgation will pave the way to sort differences between major parties to announce a complete constitution.
The two-year mandate of the assembly ends 28 May.
A constitutional and political crisis is looming.
Knowledgeable political sources said three major parties have already to an
outlet to manage the looming crisis as they keep people in the dark.
There’s been opposition from various quarters to suggestions for a brief constitution which has been publicly supported by the prime minister for the first time.
Nnnn



Two children killed in Bhojpur fire

Kathmandu, 1 April: Two children were killed Thursday in a fire at a village in Bhojpur.
A boy and a girl child aged one and two years were killed with the onset of summer.
nnnn

Appa Sherpa dedicates Everest climb to Hillary

Kathmandu, 1 April: Appa Sherpa attempting to break a personal record by stepping atop Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak for the 20th time this spring said Thursday he’s dedicating the climb to Sir Edmund Hillary.
Hillary first climbed the 8848meters high peak with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.
Appa said he’ll scatter the ashes of Hillary atop the Everest summit sometime in May.
His expedition will also lift seven tons of garbage off the mountain slopes to clean the peak.
Tourism Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari handed him a national flag to host at the summit.
nnnn