Fake notes, terrorism: India’s concerns

As if Physical forms of terrorism are not enough, Fake currency has been catching up and turning in to more than a menace. Ekantipur

By Akhilesh Upadhyay

NEW DELHI, Aug 21 - Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has said one of the major concerns India has with Nepal is the flow of fake Indian currency to India through Nepal. The other two concerns are Nepal’s being used for terrorist activities directed at India and the use of madrasas for anti-India activities. According to estimates, four out of every thousand Indian Rs. 1,000 denomination notes are fake and Nepal is a major conduit for them. 
Nepal also said the most difficult aspect of the peace process will be the integration of Maoist combatants who remain cantoned in the UN-monitored camps. He however avoided offering any details on integration, choosing once again to stress that he would stick to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
On early Thursday, the visiting prime minister met a select group of journalists, academics and other stakeholders over breakfast, where he took questions, his only such session in the visit.
He tried to assure the Indian audience that Nepal would not “play any card.” The remark was obviously aimed at dispelling fears expressed in some Indian quarters that his predecessor Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had cozied up to Beijing during his tenure. “There is no need to have any misunderstanding that Nepal will play any card. Nepal understands the security concerns of India.”
Playing down possible political fallout at home of the inconclusive talks between the two sides on Wednesday, Nepal said the purpose of the India visit should not be seen only in the light of whether he was able to bag any project. The prime minister and his aides have maintained that the five-day visit is a goodwill one, aimed at deepening Nepal-India ties at the highest levels. The prime minister leaves for Mumbai on Friday morning and returns to Kathmandu on
Saturday.
 Responding to a question on the possible revival of monarchy in Nepal, the prime minister categorically dismissed the scenario. “No one should even dream for a day that monarchy will make a comeback. Nepali people have made up their mind. If the former king wants to be a responsible, democratic citizen, he is welcome.”   As a civilian, Gyanendra is free to compete and win elections, “like the king of Bulgaria,” added the prime minister.