Transcript of Interview with His Majesty Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, the King of Nepal conducted by Dileep Padgaonkar, Chief Managing Editor of the Times of India, for Doordarshan.

Doordarshan 20 June 2002

Q. Your Majesty, we are deeply honoured that you have been able to receive us and thank you for granting your first interview to a foreign TV channel to Doordarshan. We are speaking on the eve of your visit to India. And naturally, my first question will be to ask you how do you assess the present state of relationship between India & Nepal?
HM: Dileep, first and foremost, let me thank His Excellency, the President of India for his very generous invitation and for this opportunity to visit your beautiful country. I think, our relations are very sound, are very broad and the people to people contacts are so wide that I do not fee that there can be any problem, which can' t be solved amicably. I believe that our relationships will be further strengthened. In fact, from generation to generation of this people to people contact I look forward to visiting India.

Q. Your Majesty, you had an old association with India as you have studied in Darjeeling and I understand you have lot of friends and acquaintances in the country. But the question arises, is the choice of India as the first country that you are choosing to visit after you ascended to the throne. Does one see any significance in that?
HM: Yes it is true. I enjoyed very happy days at school in Darjeeling. Had fun, at the same time I did make many friends from many countries. The fact that I am visiting India is, I think a reality, a significant reality more than anything else. And I personally feel that this is not something, which I want or don' t want to, it is the question of what the Nepalese people expect of me to do more than anything else. The significance there is I think as I mentioned earlier, there is day-to-day contact of our peoples on the borders. That is a reality. Also we have an open border, so much closeness that this has to be viewed from the point of view of realism more than anything less. This is the way I view it.

Q. Your Majesty, there are as you can well imagine a certain number of concerns about India here in Nepal, and in India about Nepal. I would like to come to the latter. We have heard the Prime Minister reiterate, you yourself Majesty have reiterated that Nepal is not ever going to allow her soil to be used against a third country. In New Delhi, however, there some apprehensions about the activities of certain agencies inimical to India and I am certain that the matter will be raised at least in your discussions with media people and so on. What do you think can be done to assuage doubts in this regard?
HM: First and foremost, we should be very clear what our Prime Minister has also said is that Nepal would not allow her soil to be used against any other country. And I see no room for doubt in that also. That is a firm policy of Nepal and I l would like to assure you and through you all viewers that if there is any doubt, I certainly hope that the media can take a part and mitigate these doubts, if there are any. I think we have been very clear on this. We don' t intend to let our soil be used against any country and we expect reciprocity in this regard from all our friends.

Q. Your Majesty, another area where I' m sure that a lot of people will be looking forward to during your visit is areas of economic development and social development where our two countries can work together. I am familiar with Your Majesty's own deep interest for example in the environment and in speeding up economic reforms and social reforms, and so on. In this context, do you see scope for further cooperation between our two countries?
HM: There is so much interaction economically and commercially between our two countries. And there is so much more room as potentials as well. The obvious of course which we are all aware of is in the field of hydropower and harnessing water resources. But I think the time has come now for these to be opened up as if to say that the Government should play the catalytical role. These should now be joint private ventures-projects. Another very important field and area where there is room for cooperation and development is in the field of tourism. We must be able to tap these potentials. We must not forget that the regrets of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow are twin thieves that rob us of the moment. We have to get out of this syndrome. We must move ahead.

Q. Your Majesty the moment is however grim and as we all know and this is where I think such is the interdependence of our countries, particularly in this region that developments in one neighbouring country affect those in the other. In this connection I would like to ask you a couple of questions. Time and again your Majesty you have asserted and this without a trace of ambiguity that you intend to function within the ambit of a multi-party constitution. Yet some sections of the people in Nepal insinuate otherwise. Why is that?
HM: I can't speak for others. I don't think I should make comments on them. As far as I'm concerned I'm very clear on my constitutional role. At the same time let me assure you I intend to fulfil that role in the interest of Nepal and the Nepalese people. You must not forget also, the present constitution was given, communicated by my late brother King Birendra on the wishes of the Nepalese people. As I said earlier, I cannot speak for others. And I don't think I should comment on that.

Q. In that case let me ask you your Majesty about something, which is bothering everybody across the region in this country which is the issue of Maoist terrorism, which is a national issue. The political class here seems to be divided and perhaps sharply. Some still hold out the hope that these Maoists can still be brought back into the political mainstream through dialogue. Others insist that such dialogue cannot now be held given the kind of depredations that have taken place. Can a national threat of this kind be met without an overall national approach?
HM: To answer your question, point blank I would say no. For a national problem there has to be a national solution there's no question about it. Now who should come up with this solution, how it is to be implemented has to be the concern of every one in the country. The issue of the terrorists here is not just a single issue. It is multi-dimensional. Having said that therefore the solution must also be and must have of multi-pronged approach. There is no question of that. In this, I am very grateful to India for understanding our problems and for understanding our point of view for the support she has given us which is a very appreciative measure. I think the entire Nepalese population are very grateful to India for these. The issue is, yes, mired in poverty, has splashes of political misconduct, bad governance, all these factors are there. That's why everyone must put their heads together to come to some solution. On the question of bringing them to the mainstream of political life. Number one, I don't see where there is anything stopping them from coming even today. Number two, for a dialogue to take place, there has to be both sincerity and seriousness from all parties. Realism must also take hold. If these factors are highlighted, and highlighted in such a way that the nation's interest is uppermost I don't see why there cannot be any dialogue and why we can't come to some solution of the problem.

Q. Your Majesty for the first time one gets the impression that the army and the forces generally are well and truly on the offensive. Now in this context what should the outside world especially India do to ensure that these offensives meet their objective?
HM: Given the situation, circumstance under which the armed forces were deployed I personally feel that they have done a very good job. Given the conditions that they are having to function in, the terrain and the geography, I only have the highest praise for the royal Nepalese army. I commend what they are doing. I think all the security forces in Nepal are very serious and have come to realise the gravity of this problem. When it comes to the question what can others do for us, I would like to think it very simply. I would wish that our friends help Nepal to help ourselves. That would be the wisest. We are very grateful to India for all her support she has already given us. And I believe that India has understood this rationale that I've just spoken about and I believe she wants to see a stable, peaceful Nepal. And I think the Nepalese people also agree with me.

Q. Your Majesty, a peaceful and stable Nepal is eminently in India's interest as well. But once again I go back to what you have told me earlier, which is that in my discussions here I sense a great deal of unease in a lot of people, partly because of the terrorist menace, partly because of the logjam in the political situation and increasingly I see people turning to one institution that inspires a lot of hope in the people and that is monarchy. My question to you is after the terrible tragedy her over a year ago has the faith in monarchy been fully restored?
HM: A year ago, the tragedy was very traumatic for the Nepalese people. Yet the unity they showed for the institution of monarchy was something unique. What they also showed was their deep affection and respect. It is these things which in fact are the pillars of the institution of monarchy here. On the part of the monarchy, it continuously strives to uphold the wishes and aspirations of the people. The past year's going on just does not give me any room to feel there is something less for the institution of monarchy. This is something for the people to judge and we must leave it to the people. This is the way I view this.

Q. What I gather from this conversation of ours is really that the top priority is terrorism. And as you certainly know, India herself is combating terrorism and this is where I would like to end. How would you appreciate India's own efforts because there the menace of terrorism has acquired terrible proportions?
HM: As I mentioned earlier, it's very sad that we are all having some form or other of this menace. I cannot speak for India but I can certainly appreciate her efforts. At the same time I expect all our friends to understand our concerns here concerning this issue and our efforts, and support us in this. This, we have to unitedly confront. Here is an issue if we let go out of our hand we will have consequences that are also terrible. I think no one wants to see instability. No one wants to see the very roots of democracy being shaken. No one wants to see innocent people being massacred. These are the things that this scourge will bring about. And they, the terrorists are, I believe, gaining power from the powerless. That maybe their strategy. That is why we see in Nepal today, they are now aiming their activities towards infrastructure, schools, and children. This is, I believe desperation. So here is the time and place where we must energise ourselves to do something positive against this menace. This is the right time.

Thank you very very much your Majesty for receiving us and we look forward to welcoming you to India.