Indian newspapers have repeatedly and forcefully stated that your party always supports India?
The Soviet flag was the flag of all communist parties in the world. The Soviet Union felt that communist parties across the world were its supporters, but this was not true. The NSP flag too is similar to the flag of India. That is probably why they must be saying that.

Not only the flag, your actions and thoughts too seem to point in that direction.
Yes. Even today we see no fault with India. We will never oppose India. Right from 1951, without Indian support we would not have been able to overthrow the Rana regime, and the monarchy could not have been saved. In fact our membership at the UN would not have been easy if India had not supported us.

From what you say, you sound like a stooge of India?
The Valley-based papers have never wanted the advancement of tarai-based people. That is why they always write against us. There may be small faults with India too, but we will be the losers if we oppose India.

Why?
Indo-Nepal friendship is not determined by or based on individuals. It is natural; circumstances have brought us together and forced us to move ahead together.

What has your party to say regarding what happened during the Hrithik Roshan incident?
Our party wrote to the prime minister. We asked the government to make public all facts concerning this incident: how did it happen, who was responsible and why did it happen? If a person is killed the government gives Rs 100,000 to the family. But it is not merely a question of compensation. The government must be able to present facts and identify the guilty. The accused must be brought forward and presented before the victims.

Who do you think are the culprits?
We have heard that the youth wings of the five Left parties, the Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party have done it.

Is it true that to counter the attack on the people in the Valley that took place from 26-28 December you called for a tarai bandh?
People always oppress the weakest class. The Madhesis are the weakest, and we called the bandh to show our support for them.

The UML student wing was involved in the movement first, and then it organised a rally for peace and unity. No one thought of this rally earlier. Therefore, some believe that it was upon orders from a neighbouring country. Is this true?
First of all this cannot be called a movement. Movements are held for revenge. This was mischief. You mention orders from a neighbouring country. I know nothing about this. The truth is, to save their lives the Madhesis ran for cover. Then to gather their votes, the NC and the UML held a rally for peace and unity. If this rally were not held, Madhav Nepal's party would have broken up. These events took place in the UML and NC areas too. Everyone was scared, and to guard their vote banks they held this rally. Wait till the elections. The NC and UML will pay a great price for this. If they wanted to hold this rally, they should have done so when the riots were taking place.

How come only you know that India was angry over this incident?
See, you are my friend. If I make a mistake, you will be angry with me and I will be hurt. Nepal and India have been friends for a long time, and still we made a big issue over something that wasn't even true.

Is it true that India went all out to defeat Bam Dev?
I am not the Indian ambassador. Bam Dev lost, and I am sad because of it. Now, what is surprising is the fact that not even a single vote in his constituency was invalid.

Without lying, can you tell us with which political leaders of India are you in touch?
There is no party in Nepal that is not in contact with Indian political parties. Every party has contacts, and our party does too. Their leaders remember me, and Chinese and North Korean leaders attended my party convention too.

Financially how does your party function and how do you pay your workers?
At the present moment we are imparting Gandhian training in our party. Gandhiji taught that party workers must not be treated as servants. Therefore our party workers are not paid at all. We run the party on donations.

You are a zamindar. Why do you have to raise donations?
Not me, my father was a zamindar. Once Madhav Nepal and Bam Dev told me, "We hear you have 1,000 bighas of land." I told Madhav Nepal: "I am 4-5 years senior to you in politics. I never had a job like you anywhere. I spent my life in jail or in politics. I never had the time to protect my property."

How much land do you own?
My father had 140 bighas of land. We are four brothers and each got 30 bighas, and my father kept 20 bighas for himself. Today I do not have 30 bighas. I have spent 4-5 bighas on politics.

Do you see any changes taking place in the country at the present moment?
No, no. Democracy and the multiparty system are not going to fade from this country. There may be several problems at present, but democracy will remain. If there is no democracy, where will the party of the Madhesis go? Where will the party of the oppressed go? Democracy cannot be destroyed