Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's Delhi visit was ill timed. The government revealed its weaknesses at a time when the law and order situation in Nepal was at its worst. The 1 September incident was still fresh in people's minds and the country was still in shock. The prime minister should have focused on these affairs. Instead, he chose to rush to New Delhi. The joint communiqu? issued at the end of the visit also proves that the trip was unproductive. Whatever agreements were signed could have been done at the secretary or ambassador level. So why the rush to go to Delhi? The government knows that it faces the wrath of the people, who saw it remain a mute spectator as the capital burned on 1 September. The New Delhi visit was a ploy to divert the people's attention.

Immediately after the visit, Prime Minister Deuba said excitedly that the government would use force if the Maoists do not come forth for talks. He needs to explain what has given him the confidence to say this. Security is quite a sensitive issue, and if India has assured him something in this regard, then he owes the country an explanation. Unfortunately, there has been no document issued on any agreements or discussions. If this was a working visit and if discussions took place, they should have involved officials from the Home and Defence Ministries. The nation should have a record of the issues discussed. The prime minister was in New Delhi as a representative of Nepal, not as an individual. But there is no recording system in our Foreign Ministry.

When I was in the government, I never held any secret talks or made such visits. I always allowed officials to accompany me. I always made sure that there were records of all the conversations between the two foreign ministers. Even when there were no officials, I made it a point to write down all the issues discussed and maintain records. Even when I had foreign visitors, I recorded all the talks. But the system I introduced has been discontinued.