Deccan Herald » Front Page » Detailed Story Karan rushed to Nepal as special envoy DH News Service New Delhi:
In efforts to end the deepening political crisis in Nepal, India on Tuesday decided to rush a special envoy to Kathmandu to open talks with a recalcitrant King Gyanendra and the agitating pro-democracy leaders.
In efforts to end the deepening political crisis in Nepal, India on Tuesday decided to rush a special envoy to Kathmandu to open talks with a recalcitrant King Gyanendra and the agitating pro-democracy leaders.
Former union minister and senior Congress leader Karan Singh will reach Kathmandu on Wednesday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy. It appeared that the special envoy’s stay in the Nepali capital is open-ended. “During his visit the special envoy is expected to receive an audience with His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Biram Shah Dev. He is also expected to meet political party leaders in Nepal,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said here on Tuesday while announcing the Prime Minister’s initiative on Nepal.
The move to send the senior Congress leader came in the backdrop of a review meeting the Prime Minister held on Sunday on the deteriorating political and economic situation in Nepal under the impact of an indefinite agitation launched by the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) and Nepali Maoists in the first week of April demanding the immediate restoration of multi-party democracy. On the same day, Indian Ambassador in Kathmandu Shiv Shankar Mukherjee met King Gyanendra and conveyed India’s concern over the situation. The king has so far displayed no flexibility. While he offered democratic elections a few days ago, he made no efforts to reach out to the SPA because the agitating parties rejected his offer. In efforts to end the deepening political crisis in Nepal, India on Tuesday decided to rush a special envoy to Kathmandu to open talks with a recalcitrant King Gyanendra and the agitating pro-democracy leaders.Former union minister and senior Congress leader Karan Singh will reach Kathmandu on Wednesday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy. It appeared that the special envoy’s stay in the Nepali capital is open-ended. “During his visit the special envoy is expected to receive an audience with His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Biram Shah Dev. He is also expected to meet political party leaders in Nepal,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said here on Tuesday while announcing the Prime Minister’s initiative on Nepal.The move to send the senior Congress leader came in the backdrop of a review meeting the Prime Minister held on Sunday on the deteriorating political and economic situation in Nepal under the impact of an indefinite agitation launched by the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) and Nepali Maoists in the first week of April demanding the immediate restoration of multi-party democracy. On the same day, Indian Ambassador in Kathmandu Shiv Shankar Mukherjee met King Gyanendra and conveyed India’s concern over the situation. The king has so far displayed no flexibility. While he offered democratic elections a few days ago, he made no efforts to reach out to the SPA because the agitating parties rejected his offer.
India has decided to send Karan Singh as the Prime Minister's special Envoy to Nepal. Singh is scheduled to hold talks with King Gyanendra as well as the leaders of the Nepalese pro-democracy movement, in an effort to end the deepening political crisis in that country. 

Nepal has witnessed growing protests against King Gyanendra's decision last year to dismiss the government and assume direct rule. Since then, a seven-party opposition alliance has led nationwide protest demanding that the King immediately hand over power to an all-party government, dismissing King Gyanendra's offer to hold election by April 2007. 

Nepal's long and porous border with India poses security concerns for the two countries

The King is also directing a difficult campaign against a Maoist guerilla movement in the countryside. 

Singh is a senior diplomat and is also related to King Gyanendra by marriage. India's foreign secretary Shyam Saran is also scheduled to accompany the special envoy. India has long expressed concern over the situation in Nepal, calling for a return to representative government. 

Speaking to a television news channel, Singh said "It is not our intention to interfere in the internal affairs of another country but the last thing that we would want is for Nepal to dissolve into chaos because India's vital security interests are involved. Our human interests are involved. There's an open border between Nepal and India and our commitment to parliamentary democracy is there."