Category: World

Intense screening, quarantining measures and testing for COVID-19 have improved the rate of recoveries in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations.

A series of measures including contact tracing and curfews have resulted in a recovery rate of more than 50 % amongst the patients in most of these nations. Expatriates accounts for majority of COVID-19 cases in these countries. The recovery rate in Saudi Arabia is over 70 % even as the positive cases in the kingdom was inching towards one lakh.

Of the six GCC nations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has conducted more than 21.50 lakh tests in all the emirates, especially in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. However, a disturbing factor is the prevalent co-morbidities such as hypertension and diabetes among the population in the Gulf region.

Urban centres in the GCC nations have controlled the spread of the coronavirus to a large extent by imposing restrictions at public places. Now the authorities are allowing a gradual easing, including travel and opening air spaces. ​

​The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority of the UAE has launched an integrated health and safety advisory outlining all precautionary measures that must be pursued across all hotel establishments to ensure safety and well-being of guests.​

It has issued a manual addressing physical distancing measures, cleaning and sanitisation of guest rooms, health checks of hotel staff and guests, hygiene protocols, in addition to regulations on operations of restaurants, cafes, swimming pools, beaches, health clubs and other utilities of these establishments.​

​Meanwhile, Emirates and Etihad, both leading airline companies in the UAE, have already announced that they soon plan to operate services to 49 destinations across Asia, Europe and Australia this month. Already its aviation ministry has decided to resume transit flights via the Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah airports.​

However, after reviewing the epidemiological situation and the high occupancy levels of the intensive care units, Saudi Arabia has decided to retighten the health precautions in the city of Jeddah for a period of 15 days from June 6. All domestic travel through air and land will be allowed, and entry into and out of the city will not be restricted outside the curfew hours.​

​In Qatar, its Ministry of Public Health has said it had succeeded in flattening the curve and reducing the impact of the virus mainly through the preventive measures taken and the cooperation of all members of society. ​

With inputs from The Hindu

No prayers in the mosques for the next two week

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia reimposed curfew in Jeddah to contain the spread of coronavirus in the city.

The curfew will be imposed in the city between 3 p.m. and 6 a.m. from today for the next two weeks.

During this period all office will remain shut. Employees of both public and private sectors are not supposed to work from office.

No prayers in the mosques will take place for the next two week.

As no gathering of more than five people is allowed, restaurant and cafes will not allow customers to have food on their premises.
Although domestic flights and train journeys are not suspended, entry and exit should not be in curfew hours.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia decided to deport expats who fail to abide by the coronavirus protocols.

‘Individuals who fail to abide by preventive measures, including wearing medical or cloth face masks, failing to observe social distancing and refusing to have their temperatures taken, will be fined SR1,000. The fine will be doubled if the violation is repeated. Residents will be deported after paying the fines,’ Gulf News quoted the Okaz newspaper as saying.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recorded 93,157 COVID-19 cases, with 611 deaths.

China is secretly building a high-security compound near Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province which it will probably use for naval base.

According to Forbes, a leading Aerospace and Defense magagine, analysts have been watching for the first signs of a long-expected Chinese naval base at Gwadar.

“The base, to complement the one at Djibouti, would strengthen China’s foothold in the Indian Ocean. Recent satellite images appear to show that several new complexes have been built in the last few years. One of them, identified as a Chinese company involved in port development, has unusually high security,” said Forbes.

Located at the western end of Pakistan’s coast, Gwadar is expected to be a major port in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

This will allow Chinese goods to shortcut through Pakistan, instead of sailing all the way around South Asia. China was first reported to be planning a naval base there in January 2018.

While the plan has never been confirmed officially, it would be a natural path.

“The high-security compound has been identified as being used by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC Ltd). This is a majority state-owned company which is heavily involved in many Chinese civil engineering projects. While some degree of security is normal in the region, the level of security seen here is extensive,” the magazine read.

It added, “It has anti-vehicle berms, security fences and a high wall. Sentry posts and elevated guard towers cover the perimeter between the fence and the inner wall. This suggests armed guards with rifles”.

The high security compound is not alone. There are also two smaller sites built in the last year with rows of blue-roofed buildings. It has been suggested that these might be barracks for a Chinese Marine Corps garrison.

China was reported to be deploying marines there back in March 2017. But the sites lack the level of security that would be expected. Whatever their exact purpose, their location and timing suggests that they are connected to the port expansion.

Forbes said, “Until now the commercial port at Gwadar appears to have been under-used. But Gwadar’s luck as a port is already changing, and not because of the Chinese base. A deal was recently made to allow Afghanistan-bound trade to use the port. The first large merchant ship, the MV Manet, landed 17,600 tons of wheat there last week. But the economic benefit of the Chinese port and potential naval base could be much larger”.

Whether the Chinese naval base materialises remain to be seen. But these new sites, including the heavily defended compound, may indicate that the next phase of port construction is imminent.

And if the Chinese Navy does begin using the port it will strengthen their capabilities in the Indian Ocean. (ANI)

Tehran: In a televised address to the Muslim Ummah and Iranian Nation, Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Imam Syed Ali Khamenei paid homage to the founder of Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini on his 31st death anniversary and recounted his legacy.

The ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the passing away of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) – the great founder of the Islamic Revolution – which used to be held annually at his resting place with masses of people attending, was broadcasted live due to the Corona pandemic.

On the 31st anniversary of the demise of Hazrat Imam Khomeini, Imam Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, referred to the chaotic condition in the US following the murder of another black man by American police and stated, “A police officer putting his knee on a black man’s neck and pushing until he dies shows the nature of the American governments.”

In his televised speech on Wednesday, the Leader of the Revolution stated that what is being witnessed today in US cities and states is the disclosure of a reality that was always kept concealed. He emphasized, “Today’s situation is in fact like the slime at the bottom of the pond that has risen to the surface.”

 Decades after his departure, Imam Khomeini “is still alive among us, and should remain alive among us.”

Imam Khamenei pointed out that such crimes have frequently happened in the past, and the Americans have done the same things in many countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other such countries.

Referring to the slogan of “I cannot breathe,” which the American people have been chanting in recent days, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, “This is what the nations that have been the victims of US’s oppressive usurpation want to say from the bottom of their hearts. By God’s favor and grace, the US has been disgraced as a result of its own actions. Their management of the Coronavirus brought them to disgrace, and their weak handling of the situation caused them to have several times as many casualties as other countries. The American people feel embarrassed and ashamed of their government.”

The Leader recalled how Imam Khomeini also transformed the people’s attitude towards the so-called superpowers and their presumed invincibility to the point that the then US rulers acknowledged that the Imam had “humiliated” them.

“At that time, no one assumed that anything could be done contrary to what the US willed.

This is the nature of the U.S. governments, a policeman kneels on a black man’s neck until he dies

Imam Khomeini proved that superpowers are not invincible. We witnessed what happened to the Soviet Union. And today we are watching the US and see what is transpiring there,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding Imam Khomeini taught the masses how these big powers can be overcome.

Commenting on the massive public protests that have swept the United States in recent days, the Leader said the “cold-blooded” murder of an African American by a white police officer in Minneapolis exemplified the US’s overall “behavior and essence” that has manifested itself in Washington’s atrocities throughout the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.

The Leader underlined the Imam’s spirit of “seeking and encouraging change,” calling him a “true leader.”

From a young age, Imam Khomeini would advise in favor of “rising up in the path of God,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted, and reminisced how the late leader would invoke “spiritual revolution” among people through his speeches.

Imam Khomeini thus managed to eventually bring about “change across the whole Iranian nation,” and prompted the people to abandon the spirit of lethargy and capitulation in the face of oppression, the Leader stated.

Imam Khomeini also caused the nation to abandon its feelings of self-deprecation and consider itself entitled to self-esteem, and extended the nation’s attitude towards religion beyond a simply personal matter, Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.

The revolutionary leader kept up his efforts at inducing change even after the Islamic Revolution, the Leader said.

The revolutionary attitude is still alive today, said the Leader, citing the country’s scientific and defensive achievements and noting that Iran has attained the “deterrent status” thanks to its defense power.

The Leader then underlined the importance of continued pursuance of change as a means of betterment, and proceeded to name some instances of desired change in various arenas.

As one desired prospect in the field of economy, the Leader cited potential severance of dependence on oil revenues.

Across the social sphere, the Leader sternly warned against allowing the population’s median age to rise.

With inputs from Wilayat Times

Reuters

San Francisco: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees on Tuesday that he stood by his decision not to challenge inflammatory posts by U.S. President Donald Trump, refusing to give ground a day after staff members staged a rare public protest.

A group of Facebook employees – nearly all of them working at home due to the coronavirus pandemic – walked off the job on Monday. They complained the company should have acted against Trump’s posts containing the phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Zuckerberg told employees on a video chat that Facebook had conducted a thorough review and was right to leave the posts unchallenged, a company spokeswoman said.

She said Zuckerberg also acknowledged the decision had upset many employees and said the company was looking into “non-binary” options beyond either leaving up such posts or taking them down.

One Facebook employee, who tweeted criticism on Monday, posted again on Twitter during the all-hands meeting to express disappointment.

“It’s crystal clear today that leadership refuses to stand with us,” Facebook employee Brandon Dail wrote on Twitter. Dail’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a user interface engineer at Facebook in Seattle.

On Friday, Twitter Inc affixed a warning label to a Trump tweet about widespread protests over the death of a black man in Minnesota that included the phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Twitter said the post violated its rules against glorifying violence but was left up as a public interest exception, with reduced options for interactions and distribution.

Facebook declined to act on the same message, and Zuckerberg sought to distance his company from the fight between the president and Twitter. He maintained that while he found Trump’s remarks “deeply offensive,” they did not violate company policy against incitements to violence.

Twitter last week also put a fact-checking label on two Trump tweets containing misleading claims about mail-in ballots. Facebook, which exempts politicians’ posts from its program with third-party fact-checkers, took no action on that post.

Timothy Aveni, a junior software engineer on Facebook’s team dedicated to fighting misinformation, announced his resignation in protest over that decision.

“Mark always told us that he would draw the line at speech that calls for violence. He showed us on Friday that this was a lie. Facebook will keep moving the goalposts every time Trump escalates, finding excuse after excuse not to act,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Civil rights leaders who attended an hour-long video call on Monday night with Zuckerberg and other top Facebook executives called the CEO’s defense of the hands-off approach to Trump’s “incomprehensible.”

“He did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump’s call for violence against protesters,” said a joint statement from leaders of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Color of Change.

Some critics posted calls on Twitter for Facebook’s independent oversight board to weigh in. But the board will not review any cases until early fall, and users initially will only be able to appeal to the board about removed content, not content that Facebook has decided to leave untouched. The board, which can overrule Zuckerberg, will only review a small slice of content decisions.

Zuckerberg spoke with Trump on Friday, as first reported by news website Axios.

Pulwama: Two militants were killed in a gunfight with forces at Saimoh in Tral belt of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday morning.

A police official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that two militants were killed in the gunfight which broke out this morning .

The operation began after a joint team of Awantipora Police, Army’s 42 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation after getting specific information about presence of militants in the area.

Meanwhile, authorities have snapped internet in the area—(KNO)

Reuters

Washington, United States: Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse peaceful demonstrators near the White House on Monday as US President Donald Trump vowed a massive show of force to end violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody.

Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst said law enforcement including officers on horseback moved on protesters in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House.

At nearly the same moment, Trump spoke in the Rose Garden and vowed to end unrest in major cities across the nation “now,” saying that he would deploy the military if state governors refused to call out the National Guard. “Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled,” Trump said. “If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.” [L1N2DE2KQ]

As the police action against protesters gave him safe passage, Trump walked from the White House to nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church along with officials including U.S. Attorney General William Barr, where they posed for photos as the president held up a Bible.

Anti-police brutality marches and rallies, which have turned violent after dark each night over the last week, erupted over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died in Minneapolis police custody after being pinned beneath a white officer’s knee for nearly nine minutes.

A second autopsy ordered by Floyd’s family and released on Monday found that his death was a homicide by “mechanical asphyxiation,” meaning some physical force interfered with his oxygen supply. The report says three officers contributed to Floyd’s death.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner on Monday released details of its autopsy findings that also said Floyd’s death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation. The county report added that Floyd suffered cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by police and that he had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.

The new findings emerged after Trump spoke to the governors earlier in the day.

“You have to dominate,” he told them in a private call obtained by Reuters. “If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time – they’re going to run over you, you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks.”

Trump said the federal government was going to clamp down “very strong” on the violence. National Guard troops were deployed near the White House early Monday evening.

Dozens of cities across the United States remain under curfews at levels not seen since riots that broke out following the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The National Guard deployed in 23 states and Washington, D.C.

One person was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, overnight where police and National Guard troops returned fire while trying to disperse a crowd. Police in Chicago fielded some 10,000 calls for looting, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

The unrest, which erupted as the country was easing sweeping lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus, began with peaceful protests over Floyd’s death.

Derek Chauvin, a since-fired 44-year-old officer, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

On Monday, dozens of people paid their respects to Floyd outside Cup Foods, the scene of his death. Visitors left flowers and signs honoring Floyd. A little girl wrote, “I’ll fight with you,” in aqua blue chalk in the road.

“This is therapeutic. My heart was real heavy this morning so I came down extra early and when I got here, the heaviness lifted,” said Diana Jones, 40, the mother of four children. “This right here let’s me know that things are going to be OK.”

Terrence Floyd, the victim’s brother, told the gathering he wanted people to get educated, vote and not destroy their own communities. “Let’s do this another way,” he said.

Floyd’s death was the latest to prompt an outcry over racism in law enforcement. It reignited outrage across a politically and racially divided country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with African Americans accounting for a disproportionately high number of cases.

The US Justice Department has directed the Bureau of Prisons to send riot-control teams to Miami and Washington, D.C., to help manage the protests, a department official told reporters.

Department investigators are interviewing people arrested during protests who might face federal charges for such offenses as crossing state lines to incite violence, the official said.

Many cities affected by the unrest are allowing some businesses to reopen after more than two months of stay-at-home orders to stem a pandemic that has killed more than 104,000 people and left 40 million others jobless.

Trump has condemned the killing of Floyd and promised justice but has described protesters as “thugs.”

Critics accuse the Republican president, who is seeking re-election in November, of stoking conflict and racial tension when he should be uniting the nation and addressing underlying issues.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden met with black community leaders in a church and said he would create a police oversight board within his first 100 days in the White House if elected.

PTI

Washington: The US remained a tinderbox of anger and emotion as violent protests erupted for a sixth day across the country over the custodial killing of African-American George Floyd, resulting in the death of at least five people, the arrest of thousands and placing of curfew in nearly 40 cities, while forcing President Donald Trump to take shelter in a White House bunker.

Considered to be the worst ever civil unrest in the US in decades, the violent protests have engulfed at least 140 cities across America in the days following the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old man who was pinned to the ground in Minneapolis on Monday by a white police officer who kneeled on his neck as he gasped for breath.

Some of the protests have turned violent, prompting the activation of the National Guard in at least 20 states.

“At least five people were killed in violence that flared as demonstrations in parts of the country devolved into mayhem,” The Washington Post reported.

Police have arrested at least 2,564 people in two dozen US cities over the weekend. Nearly a fifth of those arrests were in Los Angeles, it said.

The unrest initially began in Minneapolis in Minnesota but has now spread across the country, with reports of violence coming in from across major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Houston, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

“The United States remained a tinderbox of emotion, anger and continued violence on Sunday, the sixth day of nationwide unrest since the death of yet another black man at the hands of the police,” The New York Times reported.

In Birmingham, protesters started to tear down a Confederate monument that the city had previously covered with a tarp amid a lawsuit between the state attorney general and the city.

In Boston, a police SUV was set ablaze near the State House, sending up a column of black smoke after a large group of protesters had mostly dispersed.

In Philadelphia, police officers in riot gear and an armoured vehicle used pepper spray to try to repel rioters and looters.

In New York, demonstrators marched across the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges, snarling traffic. The Manhattan Bridge was briefly shut down to car traffic. Chaos erupted in Union Square, with flames leaping up two stories from trash cans and piles of street debris, the Times said.

“It is the first time so many local leaders have simultaneously issued such orders in the face of civic unrest since 1968, after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,” the report said.

The police fired tear gas near the White House on Sunday night to dissuade protesters who had smashed the windows of prominent buildings, overturned cars and set fires, with smoke seen rising from near the Washington Monument, it said.

For the past few days, thousands of protestors have gathered outside the White House raising slogans against President Trump.

According to CNN, President Trump was briefly taken to the underground bunker for some time during the protest outside the White House, while First Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron were also taken to the bunker.

President Trump made no public appearances on Sunday, but in a series of tweets he blamed the media for fomenting hatred and anarchy in the country.

“The Lamestream Media is doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy. As long as everybody understands what they are doing, that they are FAKE NEWS and truly bad people with a sick agenda, we can easily work through them to GREATNESS!” he said.

Earlier in the day, he announced that his administration will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization. ANTIFA is regarded as a militant, left-wing, anti-fascist political activist movement in the US. It comprises autonomous activist groups that aim to achieve their political objectives through the use of direct action rather than through policy reform.

US Attorney General William Barr said that the violence instigated and carried out by the organisation and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly.

The Trump administration alleges that it appears the violence is planned, organised, and driven by anarchistic and far left extremists, using ANTIFA-like tactics, many of whom travel from out of state to promote the violence.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic party, visited a protest site in Delaware on Sunday.

“We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us. We are a nation enraged, but we cannot allow our rage to consume us. We are a nation exhausted, but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us,” Biden wrote on social media postings on Sunday.

“The only way to bear this pain is to turn all that anguish to purpose. And as President, I will help lead this conversation and more importantly, I will listen, just as I did today visiting the site of last night’s protests in Wilmington,” he said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, in a late night statement said that several dozen covering the protests have been harassment, as well as arrested by law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Trump spent nearly an hour in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies like terrorist attacks, according to a Republican close to the White House who was not authorized to publicly discuss private matters and spoke on condition of anonymity.

AP

Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades.

Mr. Trump spent nearly an hour in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies like terrorist attacks, according to a Republican close to the White House who was not authorized to publicly discuss private matters and spoke on condition of anonymity. The account was confirmed by an administration official who also on condition of anonymity.

The abrupt decision by the agents underscored the rattled mood inside the White House, where the chants from protesters in Lafayette Park could be heard all weekend and Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers struggled to contain the crowds.

Friday’s protests were triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after he was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer. The demonstrations in Washington turned violent and appeared to catch officers by surprise. They sparked one of the highest alerts on the White House complex since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 .

“The White House does not comment on security protocols and decisions,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere. The Secret Service said it does not discuss the means and methods of its protective operations. The president’s move to the bunker was first reported by The New York Times.

The president and his family have been shaken by the size and venom of the crowds, according to the Republican. It was not immediately clear if first lady Melania Trump and the couple’s 14-year-old son, Barron, joined the president in the bunker. Secret Service protocol would have called for all those under the agency’s protection to be in the underground shelter.

Mr. Trump has told advisers he worries about his safety, while both privately and publicly praising the work of the Secret Service.

Mr. Trump traveled to Florida on Saturday to view the first manned space launch from the U.S. in nearly a decade. He returned to a White House under virtual siege, with protesters – some violent – gathered just a few hundred yards away through much of the night.

Demonstrators returned Sunday afternoon, facing off against police at Lafayette Park into the evening.

Mr. Trump continued his effort to project strength, using a series of inflammatory tweets and delivering partisan attacks during a time of national crisis.

As cities burned night after night and images of violence dominated television coverage, Mr. Trump’s advisers discussed the prospect of an Oval Office address in an attempt to ease tensions. The notion was quickly scrapped for lack of policy proposals and the president’s own seeming disinterest in delivering a message of unity.

Mr. Trump did not appear in public on Sunday. Instead, a White House official who was not authorized to discuss the plans ahead of time said Mr. Trump was expected in the coming days to draw distinctions between the legitimate anger of peaceful protesters and the unacceptable actions of violent agitators.

On Sunday, Mr. Trump retweeted a message from a conservative commentator encouraging authorities to respond with greater force.

“This isn’t going to stop until the good guys are willing to use overwhelming force against the bad guys,” Buck Sexton wrote in a message amplified by the president.

In recent days security at the White House has been reinforced by the National Guard and additional personnel from the Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police.

On Sunday, the Justice Department deployed members of the U.S. Marshals Service and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration to supplement National Guard troops outside the White House, according to a senior Justice Department official. The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Crowds gather outside House; Indian envoy not allowed in

The government of Nepal on Sunday tabled the crucial Constitution Amendment bill to formalise the country’s new map which claims parts of India as its territory. The bill was tabled by Nepal’s Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe even as Nepal’s Madhesi parties refused to welcome the bill as of now.

The bill was tabled by Nepal’s Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe amid high drama on the streets with reports that senior diplomats wanted to reach the parliament to witness the historic session.

Strategic sliver 

The Constitution Second Amendment bill will change the Schedule 3 of the Nepalese Constitution and replace the existing map with the map that was unveiled on May 20. The new map depicts the sliver of strategically important land covering Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani as part of Nepal. The area is currently part of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand but Nepal has disputed the Indian position based on historical documents and bilateral understanding. 

Ms. Tumbahangphe said the Coat of Arms of Nepal will be altered after the amendment is passed as it will depict the new map. The tabling of the amendment bill came a day after the chief opposition, the Nepali Congress, extended support to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s government which ensured that the bill will get the required two-thirds majority in the parliament. The entire process is expected to take around a week.

Unanimous support

Former foreign secretary of Nepal Madhu Raman Acharya said the amendment is bound to sail through given the unanimity among major political parties. “It’s just a matter of time as all sides are united on this that Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh belong to Nepal and the map needs to show the correct territory of of our country,” said Mr. Acharya speaking to The Hindu on the phone. 

However, despite Mr. Acharya’s claim of support from “all sides”, the parliament showed the deep division within Nepal’s polity as the parties from the plains or the Madhes region, appeared less than enthusiastic about the new map, which has emerged as an emotive issue among a majority of the people of Nepal.

Upendra Yadav, leader of the Samajbadi Party maintained that his party, which has been at the forefront of struggle for rights of the Madhesis, has not taken a clear stand on the map.

“We have not decided to support or oppose the amendment bill till now. The main issue is that the bill has the single agenda of ratifying the map but we want it to reflect other concerns of the country too,” said Mr Yadav. The Samajbadi Party and the larger Rastriya Janata Party are the chief representatives of the people from the Terai plains known as the Madhesis. 

The position of the Madhesis will not make a difference in the final acceptance of the new map but it definitely indicates at the lingering internal differences in Nepal. Madhesis maintain that they have been historically marginalised in the Himalayan country and had launched the 2015 agitation to bring in changes through amendments to the constitution which was adopted in September that year.

Indian diplomatic commentators have maintained that the Constitution Second Amendment is a setback to bilateral ties as it will formalise a new territorial dispute with India. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has urged India to withdraw troops from Kalapani and Lipulekh and restore status quo in the region. India has maintained that it remains open to dialogue though a recent attempt to connect the two prime ministers of India and Nepal failed last week.

Latest reports indicate that a similar telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is expected in a day or two.

With inputs from The Hindu