Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI6766
2006-09-28 12:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
"PRAGMATIC" MAOISTS GETTING CLOSER TO KOIRALA?
how-toVZCZCXRO3110 OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHNE #6766/01 2711210 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 281210Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9099 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3879 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7269 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 7351 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0346 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 3425 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 7989 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1567 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0071 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3874 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 6584 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6627 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 5541 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 3029 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5817 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3659 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006766
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PBTS KDEM PK NE IN
SUBJECT: "PRAGMATIC" MAOISTS GETTING CLOSER TO KOIRALA?
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 006766
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PBTS KDEM PK NE IN
SUBJECT: "PRAGMATIC" MAOISTS GETTING CLOSER TO KOIRALA?
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Nepalese Maoists are getting closer to PM
Koirala, according to Sudhindra Bhadoria of the left-leaning
New Delhi-based South Asian Forum for People's Inititatives,
because they are pragmatists who are not "hard and fast" on
the issues of arms and the role of the monarchy in the future
of Nepal. Bhadoria said the Maoists are solid and unlikely
to split into different factions, and that they have the
ability to blend into the mainstream and be absorbed into a
future Nepalese political system. The GOI should not
intervene in Nepal, he said, and the Maoists and Naxalites
are not working together in his opinion. Bhadoria appears to
us to be a Maoist sympathizer who is happy to help the
Maoists soften their image in the eyes of the Indian
government. END SUMMARY.
--------------
Meeting Koirala in the Middle?
--------------
2. (C) Sudhindra Bhadoria, a pro-democracy think-tanker of
the South Asian Forum for People's Initiatives, recently met
with Maoists in Kathmandu. He told PolOff on Sep. 22 that
the Maoists are drawing closer to elderly PM Koirala, whom he
described as not being "a great leader like his brother," but
rather hoping to be a "history maker." While PM Koirala
thinks the monarch should be given a symbolic role in the
government, the Maoists want a federal system with no
monarchy. But "they are not hard and fast on these issues,"
he said, opining that the "pragmatic" Maoists know they can't
continue with the struggle to retain their weapons.
--------------
Maoists in the Mainstream
--------------
3. (C) Bhadoria said the Maoists are completely unified and
in no danger of splitting into factions. He said they must
be kept in the dialogue and discussion on the future of
Nepal, and that they need to be absorbed into the political
system. He noted that "Maoists interact with all kinds of
people to gather strength," referring in part to their
interaction in his organization for democracy. "They can
come into the mainstream," according to Bhadoria, who noted
that the Maoists had democratically elected their own leaders.
--------------
The GOI and the Naxalites
--------------
4. (C) Bhadoria said that anarchy cannot be ruled out in the
next 6-8 months, but felt that the GOI would not intervene
should the situation deteriorate. If they did, "that would
become a point of hate," he said, stating that the GOI
"should not look like 'Big Brother.'"
5. (C) Concerning a potential Maoist-Naxalite link, Bhadoria
was of the opinion that the two groups are not currently
working together, noting that the Naxalites don't want the
Maoists to become part of the government through democratic
means. The two groups have different strategies and tactics,
he said, noting that the ends, not just the means, matter for
the Nepalese Maoists, while the Naxalites are interested in
disrupting the political system rather than taking part in it.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
6. (C) Mr. Bhadoria's explanations sound like those of other
Maoist apologists we have met in Delhi, all of whom seem
intent on portraying the Maoists as moderates. However his
predictions that the GOI won't intervene even if the
NEW DELHI 00006766 002 OF 002
situation in Nepal deteriorates is an assessment shared even
by many sober observers of the India-Nepal relationship.
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2026
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR PBTS KDEM PK NE IN
SUBJECT: "PRAGMATIC" MAOISTS GETTING CLOSER TO KOIRALA?
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Nepalese Maoists are getting closer to PM
Koirala, according to Sudhindra Bhadoria of the left-leaning
New Delhi-based South Asian Forum for People's Inititatives,
because they are pragmatists who are not "hard and fast" on
the issues of arms and the role of the monarchy in the future
of Nepal. Bhadoria said the Maoists are solid and unlikely
to split into different factions, and that they have the
ability to blend into the mainstream and be absorbed into a
future Nepalese political system. The GOI should not
intervene in Nepal, he said, and the Maoists and Naxalites
are not working together in his opinion. Bhadoria appears to
us to be a Maoist sympathizer who is happy to help the
Maoists soften their image in the eyes of the Indian
government. END SUMMARY.
--------------
Meeting Koirala in the Middle?
--------------
2. (C) Sudhindra Bhadoria, a pro-democracy think-tanker of
the South Asian Forum for People's Initiatives, recently met
with Maoists in Kathmandu. He told PolOff on Sep. 22 that
the Maoists are drawing closer to elderly PM Koirala, whom he
described as not being "a great leader like his brother," but
rather hoping to be a "history maker." While PM Koirala
thinks the monarch should be given a symbolic role in the
government, the Maoists want a federal system with no
monarchy. But "they are not hard and fast on these issues,"
he said, opining that the "pragmatic" Maoists know they can't
continue with the struggle to retain their weapons.
--------------
Maoists in the Mainstream
--------------
3. (C) Bhadoria said the Maoists are completely unified and
in no danger of splitting into factions. He said they must
be kept in the dialogue and discussion on the future of
Nepal, and that they need to be absorbed into the political
system. He noted that "Maoists interact with all kinds of
people to gather strength," referring in part to their
interaction in his organization for democracy. "They can
come into the mainstream," according to Bhadoria, who noted
that the Maoists had democratically elected their own leaders.
--------------
The GOI and the Naxalites
--------------
4. (C) Bhadoria said that anarchy cannot be ruled out in the
next 6-8 months, but felt that the GOI would not intervene
should the situation deteriorate. If they did, "that would
become a point of hate," he said, stating that the GOI
"should not look like 'Big Brother.'"
5. (C) Concerning a potential Maoist-Naxalite link, Bhadoria
was of the opinion that the two groups are not currently
working together, noting that the Naxalites don't want the
Maoists to become part of the government through democratic
means. The two groups have different strategies and tactics,
he said, noting that the ends, not just the means, matter for
the Nepalese Maoists, while the Naxalites are interested in
disrupting the political system rather than taking part in it.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
6. (C) Mr. Bhadoria's explanations sound like those of other
Maoist apologists we have met in Delhi, all of whom seem
intent on portraying the Maoists as moderates. However his
predictions that the GOI won't intervene even if the
NEW DELHI 00006766 002 OF 002
situation in Nepal deteriorates is an assessment shared even
by many sober observers of the India-Nepal relationship.
MULFORD