NEW DELHI ADAPTING TO CRITICISM AS NEPAL SITUATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002790 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV KDEM IN NP SUBJECT: NEW DELHI ADAPTING TO CRITICISM AS NEPAL SITUATION EVOLVES REF: A. NEW DELHI 2747 ¶B. NEW DELHI 2699 Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for Reasons 1.4(B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The GOI issued a strong statement of support for the "Nepalese people" on April 25, after widespread criticism over its Nepal policies including former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh on April 24 who assailed India's Nepal policy as "masterly inactivity" that "let down the people of Nepal." Media outlets and opionion writers continued to criticize GOI's dispatch of special envoy Karan Singh to Nepal and the GOI's rush to endorse King Gyanendra's April 21 proclamation. However, a highly influential academic with close ties to the Nepalese Maoists while criticizing the "failure" of India's Nepal policy, conceded that the King's latest annoucement on April 24 to restore Parliament was a postive step and actually a blow against the Maoists. End Summary. Natwar's Shot At the Government -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Natwar Singh, former foreign minister in the current Congress-led UPA government, emerged to criticize the April 19-20 mission of Special Envoy Karan Singh and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran to Kathmandu. Indian media noted this SIPDIS is Natwar Singh's first public criticism of the current UPA government since he was forced out after allegations of involvement in the Iraq oil for food scandal. Singh stated, "We have let the people of Nepal down, lost the goodwill of the seven political parties, earned the annoyance of Maoists and received no kudos from King Gyanendra." Singh criticized the GOI's handling of the Nepal crisis arguing that Karan Singh's mission was too late and that India should have taken a "leading role" from the outset in its regional affairs. Singh also attempted to burnish his leftist credentials, recommending to the GOI to heed the advice of CPI(M) Sitaram Yechury, who has been freelancing as an Indian emissary to the SPA and calling for greater outreach tobring the Maoists into politics. Swinging to the Side of the People -------------- ¶3. (U) Stung by the continued criticism of its April 21 official statement (ref.A),the GOI had Defense Minister Pranab Murkherjee issue a statement on April 25 supporting the "people of Nepal" following a Cabinet Committee meeting. The statement called the outcome in Kathmandu "a victory for the people of Nepal" and pledged India's "unstinted support to the people of Nepal in whatever manner they wish." An Academic's Critique -------------- ¶4. (C) Professor S.D. Muni, an academic at the Observer Research Foundation and advisor to the Nepalese, told PolCouns and Poloffs on April 25 that the King's April 24 annoucement was a welcome sign and he was hopeful that the political parties would work together in Parliament to prepare credible, free, and peaceful elections to a constituent assembly. Such a step would take at least a year, he suggested. Muni was very critical of the GOI's and international community's quick response welcoming the King's April 21 proclamation. ¶5. (C) Muni emphasized that the India and the West lost an important opportunity by quickly supporting the King's move without regard to the conditions on the ground in Kathmandu. He also suggested that having CPI(M) leader Yechury as an official envoy would help bring the Maoists into the political process. Muni admitted that the April 24 annoucement to resume parliamentary governance would hurt the NEW DELHI 00002790 002 OF 002 Maoist cause suggesting that the Maoist were benefiting from the civil unrest and hoping to see King Gyanendra deposed. He explained the need for credible internal supervision of the expected constituent assembly elections but thought the GOI would allow this "only if the U.S. forced them to." ¶6. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: (http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) BLAKE