India sends anti-china scholar to Nepal

Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today had to spare his half-an-hour time with the visiting self proclaimed Nepal expert Dr. S.D.Muni from India. Mr. Muni is a professor at the JNU (Jawahar Lal Nehru University), New Delhi.

Koirala is learnt to have briefed Mr. Muni on Nepal’s latest political developments as if the latter were the authoritative emissary of India’s living deity-Goddess Sonia Gandhi.

To recall, just a day before Nepal’s PM received the Indian Ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee at his residence.

Mr. Muni is considered to be the mentor of Nepalese leaders, more so those of the Maoists.

He is a close Chum of Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai- the Maoists deputy in command.

Mr. Muni is considered to have patched up the Maoists’ inner wrangling when Prachanda- the Maoists supreme commander had alleged Dr. Bhattarai as being a pro-India man in the Maoist camp and had even expelled Dr. Bhattarai from the party for quite some time.

Dr. Bhattarai instead alleged Prachanda as being a pro-palace man.

With Muni’s active maneuvering, Prachanda not only reinstated Bhattarai to his initial position but later hailed India for their support on peaceful settlement in Nepal.

The Maoists wrangling took place just few months before the SPA and the Maoists made a Delhi sponsored Agreement (November 22, 2005) to wage a struggle against the fifteen months old King’s regime.

Mr. Muni is supposed to be an undeclared advisor of the South Block establishment and is concurrently presumed to be close to the RAW (Indian Intelligence)- who has been told to keep “eyes” especially on Nepal.

High placed sources have told the telegraphnepal.com that Muni has been especially sent by the South Block mandarins here to monitor the Chinese influence.

Dr. Muni has come close on the heels of Chinese Ambassador’s declaration that his country would very much wish to have formal ties with the Maoists as China has with Nepal’s other major political forces. This Chinese bombshell appears to have jolted South-Block to the extent that it had to send a sharp critic of China. India perhaps thinks that the Maoists might go out of its grip only to be taken care of by China.

For the record, Prachanda’s son Prakash Dahal is currently said to be in China. Father Dahal is talked to shortly visit China.

June 29, 2007

Telegraph nepal

Tags: muni, JNU, maoists, Baburam bhattarai, china