India backs peace process: NC-D’s Rijal

Kathmandu, June 10 :

Nepali Congress (Democratic) central member Dr Minendra Rijal has said that the gains made by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s India visit show that India respects the path to peace in Nepal.

“We must know that each nation has legitimate interests and helps others only as long as her interests are respected,” said Nepali Congress (D) central member Dr Minendra Rijal while speaking at the Reporters Club.

Asked to enumerate reasons that led the southern neighbour to come up with a huge commitment, Dr Rijal pointed out the adverse fallout of the protracted insurgency in Nepal on certain Indian states. Dr Rijal added that Nepal might have reassured India that her interests would not be trampled upon. However, he denied that the peace process back home would follow the script handed out by someone in India.

Defending the slow pace of peace talks, he said, “This is how talks move. It takes a lot of talking before issues are settled.” He also defended the government tendency to concentrate on development issues “since talks take their own time”. He added that the House of Representatives would not be dissolved until the rebels gave an assurance that they would not resort to violence.