A section of intelligentsia in Kathmandu is following up the issue related to hand over of security of Nepal's international airport (TIA) to India assiduously.
There is no doubt that TIA needs considerable improvement; both in terms of hardware (physical facility including runway, taxi bay etc.) and management to handle ever increasing number of flights. But in the name of improvement of management, handing over security of TIA to India will impair Nepal’s sovereignty. It, however, is true that a big section of business community (including Universal Service Agency which signed agreement with International Leasing and Financial Services of India) is of the opinion that improvement of TIA should be given to IL&FS, lock, stock and barrel (including security). Those who oppose the “improvement” are branded anti-development.
A parallel exists with hydropower. We have people in Nepal, who claim to be patriots, (1) advocate implementation of Bhutan model (entailing India looking after foreign affairs and defense by India), (2) see no problem in Indian security forces being deployed at hydropower project sites, (3) opine that Nepal Army should be looked after by India and (4) even say openly that Nepal’s sovereignty shouldn’t come in the way of hydropower development (implying that Nepal should be prepared to surrender its sovereignty for the development of hydropower).
In this backdrop a program is being organized today to discuss handing over of security of TIA to India.
Time: 13:30
Date: July 12, 2012 (today)
Venue: FNCCI, Teku.
Friends, including from the media, are most welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment