India to help fight Nepal rebellion

The king (left) has received a warm welcome

India has pledged to help Nepal battle an ongoing Maoist insurgency that has claimed 4,000 lives in the past six years.

India, of course, will continue to support the government of Nepal for the steps taken by it to maintain peace and security in the country.

Indian President KR Narayanan

The assurances came during a visit to India by Nepal's King Gyanendra - his first foreign tour since he ascended the throne last year after the murder of his brother, Birendra.

The former king and nine other members of the royal family were shot dead by Crown Prince Dipendra, who then killed himself.

King Gyanendra is accompanied by his wife, Queen Komal, who suffered gunshot wounds in the shoot-out but has since recovered.

On Monday he met Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and senior members of his cabinet.

Rebel problem

Indian President KR Narayanan said that India would "continue to support the government of Nepal for the steps taken by it to maintain peace and security in the country".

The Indian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Nirupama Rao confirmed that India has offered "material apart from moral support including equipment and intelligence".

The six-year rebellion has cost Nepal dear

India has already provided Nepal two helicopter gunships to help it fight the rebels.

King Gyanendra is a constitutional monarch and, as such, his visit is mainly ceremonial in nature.

But the Maoist rebellion is his country's most pressing domestic problem.

Last year the Nepalese authorities declared a state of emergency and mobilised the army to put down the rebellion.

The move led to intense fighting between government forces and the rebels, with huge losses suffered by both sides.

India shares a 1,750-kilometre (1,090-mile) open border with Nepal and the Nepalese authorities say Maoist leaders frequently slip across.

They say many of the leaders take refuge in India and coordinate their activities from there, making it difficult for Nepal to crack down on their operations.

Terror concern

India, along with other countries such as the United States and Britain, has pledged military assistance to help Nepal put down the insurgency.

Both countries have pledged to ensure they would not allow each other's soil to be used against each other

Indian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Nirupama Rao

But Delhi has its own concerns.

It says Nepal is being used as a base by Islamic militants to plan strikes against India, especially attacks on Indian-administered Kashmir.

It wants action taken against militant groups and also against suspected agents of the Pakistani spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, whom it accuses of plotting the attacks.

"Both countries have pledged to ensure they would not allow each other's soil to be used against each other," Nirupama Rao said.

King Gyanendra who is also accompanied by a business delegation was hosted at lunch by the Confederation of Indian Industry on Tuesday.

Over lunch business leaders discussed plans for cross border trade in hydropower.

India is Nepal's largest trading partner accouting for 43% of its total trade last year.