Kathmandu, June 26: The annual lecture series organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in memory of veteran diplomat Yadunath Khanal has become controversial this year after former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai was invited as the keynote speaker.
The controversy stems from the fact that Khanal is widely regarded as a diplomat closely associated with the foreign policy vision advanced by King Mahendra, while Dr. Bhattarai has been one of King Mahendra’s most outspoken critics. Inviting him to speak at an event commemorating Khanal has therefore sparked debate over the lecture series.
On Asar 14 (June 28), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is scheduled to host a lecture by Dr. Bhattarai under the Yadunath Khanal Lecture Serieson the theme,“Nepal’s Foreign Policy: Navigating Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Trends.”
In previous years, the lecture series has featured distinguished speakers such as Professor of International Relations Dr. Surya P. Subedi, former Foreign Secretary Dr. Madhu Raman Acharya, diplomat Jayaraj Acharya, and Indian strategic analyst C. Raja Mohan. This year, however, the ministry has, rather unexpectedly, chosen politician Dr. Bhattarai as the speaker.
Former diplomats, academicians, and others have protested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ selection of Bhattarai, who is known to be close to RAW and is described as a protégé of Indian professor S. D. Muni, whom his critics regard as an anti-Nepal scholar.
Bhattarai is known as one of the leaders of the Maoist insurgency in Nepal. He has also been accused of submitting a letter of commitment to India’s South Block stating that he and his colleague Pushpa Kamal Dahal would serve Indian interests, an allegation that has been made public by Muni.
More recently, Bhattarai has reportedly been cultivating close ties with the RSP leadership in an apparent bid to become the next President of Nepal.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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