WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- India said Tuesday it wanted China to play a key role in brining about the restoration of democracy in Nepal. This came about after reports emerged last week that Nepal, going around an arms embargo imposed by New Delhi and others, was buying weapons from China.
India, the world's second-most populous country with more than 1 billion people has traditionally viewed itself as the main powerbroker in Nepal, the tiny Himalayan kingdom of 27 million. The two countries have strong historic, cultural and religious ties. Most of India's population is Hindu and Nepal is the world's only Hindu kingdom.
Nepal, however, has the advantage or disadvantage -- depending on whom you ask -- of also bordering China, the world's largest country with 1.3 billion people.
Ever since King Gyanendra fired the elected government Feb. 1, declared a state of emergency and seized power, relations with New Delhi have been tense. India insisted democracy be restored and, along with Britain and the United States, suspended arms sales to Nepal that says it needs the weapons to tackle a growing and effective Maoist insurgency. Nepal, in a possible move to show it has other allies, turned to China for the weapons.
Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, following meetings with Gyanendra and Nepalese political parties, did not directly criticize the Chinese move, but noted all nations must have an interest in political reconciliation in Nepal.
"Just as India is interested" in stability in progress in Nepal, so is China, he said. "We should trust that India and China are not seen as competing with each other for any kind of interest in this country."
He added: "I think to the extent our objectives are the same (in Nepal) it is possible for us to work together."
Experts say the rivalry over the Himalayan kingdom may not amount to much because in the long run, because of past precedent, Nepal is likely to stick with India's influence over China's.
"China has offered to sell them mainly small arms, which is not really going to affect the military balance. Nepal has always used China as a balance against India and it has worked badly and therein lies a built-in regulator," said Itty Abraham, a research fellow at the East-West Center in Washington.
The main issue, analysts say, is not the rivalry between the world's two most populous nations over one of the world's smallest, but the future of democracy in Nepal.
Abraham suggested that despite strong words following the dismissal of the Nepalese government in February, India has toned down its rhetoric since a meeting last month between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Nepal's king on the sidelines of a regional summit in Bangladesh.
"While India took a stronger line in the past, now it seems like they've closer to the king's side. This is not a good sign," Etty told United Press International. "More political pressure to restore democracy would have helped the parties and could have resulted in more democracy and freedom. This way all you're likely to get is some form of guided democracy from above."
In Katmandu, however, Saran said his country would back all efforts to restore democracy to Nepal.
"India stands ready to support all efforts aimed at bringing about peaceful resolution of problems confronting Nepal," he said after the nearly two-hour meeting with the king.
Separately, he met with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and Nepal Communist Party-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal. He said the "restoration of peace, stability and economic recovery of Nepal is not only in the interest of Nepal but also in India's interest."
Etty, of the East-West Center, called Saran's remarks "a much softer line than six months ago.
"India seems to have accepted the message from the king that, 'let's not rush things. We'll do it on our own timetable,'" he said.
Saran also said the king reiterated he was committed to multiparty democracy but ruled out a resumption of arms sales to the Himalayan kingdom.
Gyanendra apparent tilt toward China, which has tried for years to build strong relations with Nepal at pull it from New Delhi's sphere of influence, is likely to have rattled New Delhi, which sees itself as Beijing's major competitor for influence in Asia.
"As far as the issue of arms is concerned, I think the international community has taken a certain position in order to foster the process of reconciliation amongst political forces here," Saran said. "We hope that not only China but other countries would join that particular effort."
He added that India and China did "not need to compete in increasing their influence over Nepal."
India is concerned a lack of democracy in Nepal will only bring more support to the Maoists, who by some estimates control as much as half the country. India faces its own Maoist problem with rebels in some seven states, some of which border Nepal, fighting a violent rebellion against Indian troops and private landlords' armies. The movement has much popular support in some of India's poorest parts.
Still, New Delhi has worked hard to ensure the opposition against the king comes together. Recently, it facilitated meetings in New Delhi between the mainstream political parties and the Maoists in which the two sides agreed on an alliance again the monarchy. Among the most important aspects of this meeting was that the Maoists "formally committed themselves to joining a multiparty system and the mainstream parties have signed up to a process of constitutional change," according to the International Crisis Group, which added the meeting had New Delhi's tacit backing.
