More military hardware in pipeline: Gen. Padmanabhan

Kathmandu Post Report
KATHMANDU, May 16

India’s Chief of the Army Staff General Sunderajan Padmanabhan today said India would provide Nepal more military hardware including an armed helicopter.

He also backed official plans that the strength of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) should be upgraded "if the requirement is there."

"There is quite a lot in the pipeline," he told journalists at a reception organised here Thursday by the Indian Embassy to honour members of the Indian army expedition team that successfully climbed Mount Annapurna a few days ago.

"It should be coming soon," the Indian general said. Asked to be more specific, he said, "Weapons such as small arms, armaments of various types like mortars, ammunition for smaller arms and mortars, some other vehicles, couple of helicopters, including an armed one are part of the package." He, however, did not say when will they arrive here.

India has already provided Nepal with two Cheetah helicopters, 20 military vehicles and arms and ammunitions to fight Maoist insurgency.

"We can provide training assistance whenever required and anything the RNA requires," he continued, "India will stand true with Nepal in every possible way. If there is a requirement of military assistance, we will be very glad to share what we have with Nepal."

Asked whether Nepal should upgrade the strength of the RNA as reportedly suggested by a visiting military delegation recently, he said, "I think there are already some plans to increase the strength. Some sanctions have already been given. I think, if the requirement is there, the army should improve its strength."

Respondivng to a question on the regulation of Nepal-India border to check Maoists’ movement, he said, "These are not matters on which I am prepared to discuss at all. Your government and my government must discuss the issue."

"As far as I am concerned," he added, "the border has been traditionally an open border. And this open border is being misused by a lot of people." He also said that this misuse should be checked, with intelligence apparatus, one to one connections between the police on either side, some regulations on traffic along main routes so that clandestine movement of explosives can be stopped.

On the nexus between Nepali Maoist and India’s People’s War Group, he said, "There might be something to it, but nothing has been established."

General Padmanabhan, his wife Roopa Padmanabhan and other senior Indian army officials left here today after a four-day official visit to Nepal.

During his stay here, General Padmanabhan held several rounds of official and unofficial talks with his Nepalese counterpart General Prajwalla Shumsher JB Rana. He also visited RNA bases in Nepalgunj and Pokhara to acquire information of the Royal Nepal Army’s operation against the Maoist rebels.

"I was very delighted to see him," the General said of his meeting with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. "We really didn’t discuss anything substantive."

On his Nepalgunj and Pokhara inspection visits, General Padmanabhan said: "I think we (the army) are doing a great job over here. They have done a right assessment of what we are up against." He also praised the RNA’s tactics terming it as "sensibly formulated".

"As a person involved in counter insurgency operations in my own country, I did make some suggestions," he said. "It (the insurgency) is not completely managed, and you will find that the things will look better in future."

Earlier, answering to a question raised by an Indian journalist, he said that India was ready to give replies to the elements fuelling cross-border terrorism along the Line of Control in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. "I am ready to give any replies that you want, but the point is the occasion must come. These are the decisions, which the army chief does not take alone."

"The more words we spend on this question; the less likely are we to do anything," he said. "I think the time for words is over, it’s time for action."