Indian army chief to be awarded honorary general of Nepal Army

The government has decided to confer Indian army Chief Deepak Kapoor with the title of honorary general of Nepal Army. A cabinet meeting held on Wednesday evening took a decision to this effect.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav will award the Indian Army chief with the title during the latter's visit to Nepal later this month.

The Nepal and Indian armies regard each other’s chiefs as the honorary generals of their own armies mainly due to their centuries-long close
ties.

This comes as a reciprocal decision as Indian President Prativa Patil recently conferred Nepal Army Chief Chattra Man Singh Gurung during his visit to India last month with the title of honorary general of Indian army.

The visit of Indian army chief to Nepal comes in the wake of the main opposition party—UCPN (Maoist) -- strongly criticizing his reported remarks over integration of the Maoist combatants in the national army.

General Kapoor had reportedly said bulk integration of the Maoist combatants should not be made in the national army, which is professional and apolitical in nature.

Addressing the party’s rally in Kathmandu recently, the Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal publicly criticized General Kapoor saying he had no authority to speak against the provision made in Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) between the government the Maoists back in 2006.

Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had later refuted the remarks of Indian army chief on the issue saying they were ‘distorted’ and did not reflect the official position of India.

- Asian Tribune -