India again recruits Shyam Sharan to handle Nepal

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 4 Aug: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has again inducted Shyam Saran to handle Nepal after the peace process and constitution drafting has run into trouble and difficulty.
Sharan arrived in the capital Wednesday and announced he was in Nepal as ‘special envoy’ of Singh two days ahead of the fourth round of runoff elections for prime minister.
Saran was recruited by Singh even as the former foreign secretary,. Indian ambassador to Nepal and special advisor at the prime minister’s office, resigned after he was superseded by a subordinate or to top position as national security advisor.
Sharan a career diplomat from the Dalit community from Bihar and a special emissary on Nepal in the previous administration with communists oversaw the toppling of monarchy and declaration of a republic three years ago.
The effort has run into troubled waters.
Saran mobilized international support against monarchy and oversaw direct India-encouraged negotiations with Maoists and major ruling parties to topple monarchy and ‘prajatantra’ to replace it with ‘loktantra’..
India which accuses neighbours , especially Pakistan, of harbouring terrorists harboured protected and encouraged Nepal’s Maoists in the outskirts of the Indian capital even as it declared them terrorists.
UCPN (Maoist) leader Narayan Kazi Shrestha warned Wednesday New Delhi not to interfere in the election process for prime minister Friday.
nnnn