Kanpur (India), October 7:

A seminar of leaders of the seven-party alliance and Indian politicians ended here today after concluding that concern shown by any organisation, power or individual in Nepal’s democratic movement cannot be termed intervention.

The leaders stressed the need for all stakeholders to unite against the anti-autocratic movement in Nepal. The seminar organised by Forum of Nepali People for International Solidarity in this Indian city held discussions on two topics — “Agitation against autocratic monarchy and inter-relationship between republican agitation” and “Anti-autocratic movement in Nepal and question of international solidarity.”

Indian leaders kept mum on the first and said it was Nepal’s internal matter. A working paper by the general secretary of NCP Unity Centre, Mohan Bikram Singh, was presented by the spokesman of the same party, Chitra Bahadur KC. According to the paper, the seven political parties have till now refrained from announcing a democratic republic in the country. “Masal” needs to be included in the agitation and international support needs to be garnered for the republican set-up. Editor of Budhbar weekly, Surya Thapa and former editor of Haank, Shashi Bhandari, made their remarks on the working paper.

KP Sharma Oli of NCP (UML), Khem Raj Bhatta Mayalu of NC (Democratic), Chandra Dev Joshi of the Unified Marxist Front also aired their views. The programme was chaired by former parliamentarian Dila Ram Acharya.

Discussions began on the second topic immediately after the first. Most of the Indian leaders said showing solidarity with a democratic and republic movement in any country cannot be termed as intervention. Leader of Janata Dal Secular, Surendra Mohan, said lending support in Nepali politics is not intervention. General secretary of the CPML KN Ram Chandran, Arvind Raj Sworoop of the Indian Community Party, Sridhar Sharma of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), KP Oli of the CPN (UML), Khem Raj Bhatta Mayalu of the NCP (Democratic), Dr Laxmi Sehgal of the Indian Communist Party (Marxist) and Chitra Bahadur KC also supported the need for international support in ending autocracy in Nepal.