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| Nepal Maoist PM begins India tour | Nepal Maoist PM begins India tour |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Former Maoist rebel leader and new Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda has begun his first official visit to India since his April election victory. | Former Maoist rebel leader and new Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda has begun his first official visit to India since his April election victory. |
| Prachanda is due to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the opening day of his four-day visit. | |
| He has said he will not sign any concrete agreements but he leads a large delegation on a trip which is packed with political meetings. | He has said he will not sign any concrete agreements but he leads a large delegation on a trip which is packed with political meetings. |
| Nepal has a prickly relationship with its larger southern neighbour, India. | Nepal has a prickly relationship with its larger southern neighbour, India. |
| Prachanda is also due to visit the southern Indian city of Bangalore, the country's info-tech hub. | Prachanda is also due to visit the southern Indian city of Bangalore, the country's info-tech hub. |
| Nepal's Maoists have used tough anti-Indian rhetoric, calling for treaties they see as unequal to be abolished. | Nepal's Maoists have used tough anti-Indian rhetoric, calling for treaties they see as unequal to be abolished. |
| India denies it was taken aback by the Maoists' election win. | India denies it was taken aback by the Maoists' election win. |
| But its diplomats were reportedly unhappy when Prachanda's first foreign trip was to China, for the closing ceremony of the Olympics. | But its diplomats were reportedly unhappy when Prachanda's first foreign trip was to China, for the closing ceremony of the Olympics. |
| Nepalese commentators point out that their country is independent and say it is not open to bullying. | Nepalese commentators point out that their country is independent and say it is not open to bullying. |
| Uneasy relationship | Uneasy relationship |
| The two countries have a special but often uneasy relationship. | The two countries have a special but often uneasy relationship. |
| At times, Nepal's leaders have even accused India of having designs on the smaller country's territory. | At times, Nepal's leaders have even accused India of having designs on the smaller country's territory. |
| India's official language, Hindi, is widely used in southern Nepal - but when the new vice-president here took his oath of office in Hindi, there were days of riots in response. | India's official language, Hindi, is widely used in southern Nepal - but when the new vice-president here took his oath of office in Hindi, there were days of riots in response. |
| The two countries are tightly bound by culture, religion and history and keep their long border open. Simple geography makes co-operation crucial. | The two countries are tightly bound by culture, religion and history and keep their long border open. Simple geography makes co-operation crucial. |
| The floods in India's Bihar state were caused when a river in Nepal burst its banks. | The floods in India's Bihar state were caused when a river in Nepal burst its banks. |
| Treaties oblige the two countries to work together on maintaining the man-made structures which channel such waterways. | Treaties oblige the two countries to work together on maintaining the man-made structures which channel such waterways. |
| India is also Nepal's sole supplier of fuel. | India is also Nepal's sole supplier of fuel. |
| Prachanda's Maoist party is wary of India. Its ideological soul mates, known as Naxalites, are waging insurgency across a swathe of India. | Prachanda's Maoist party is wary of India. Its ideological soul mates, known as Naxalites, are waging insurgency across a swathe of India. |
| On the other hand, Maoist leaders spent a lot of time in India while still underground. | On the other hand, Maoist leaders spent a lot of time in India while still underground. |