We want a new relationship with India: Prachanda

HARD TALK: Prachanda says special relation should be there between India and Nepal.

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New Delhi: Chairman of the Nepalese Maoist party Prachanda has said that he wants better ties with India and feels that the Indo-Nepal treaty of 1950 should be reviewed. Speaking exclusively to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate he discussed about the policy of maintaining equal ties with India and China.

He said that there should be some sort of special relation between Kathmandu and Delhi.

“We want a new relationship with India, which means better relation, better understanding and better cooperation," he added.

The Maoist leader, believed to be Nepal's prime minister-in-waiting, said he wanted each and every provision of the treaty to be reviewed in the new changing context for better relationship between two countries.

"I don't think reviewing the treaty will sabotage the relation," he said.

However, New Delhi has expressed its readiness to have a re-look at the 58-year-old treaty after the Maoists voiced the demand following their triumph in the April Constituent Assembly poll.

Here is an excerpt from the exclusive interview.

Prachanda: New relation means better relations and better understanding with each other, better co-operation with each other.

Karan Thapar: And coming closer to New Delhi.

Prachanda: Exactly.

Karan Thapar: So you want to come closer?

Prachanda: Exactly, on the newer basis.

Prachanda: In political terms we will never side with one country against another, we will always try to maintain equidistance in political sense.

Karan Thapar: But in terms of culture, in terms of economics, in terms of the border between two countries, that special relationship that Kathmandu has with Delhi - that will remain?

Prachanda: It will remain, it is a historical fact and we should strengthen this relation.

Prachanda: It is beneficial for both sides to review that treaty and to upgrade it according to the new necessity. I think this (treaty) was held when there was Rana regime in this country and this tremendous change has already been accorded in this country and there is also a change in India - it should be updated according to the new necessity.

Prachanda: I think that I can't directly address them, but our behaviour, our policy, our practice itself is strongly giving the message that of our changed policy, and the benefit of this fusion (sic - actually means fission) of the bullet and ballot and all these things.

Catch the complete interview with Prachanda at 8:30 pm Sunday- on Devil's Advocate only on CNN-IBN