Prachanda to visit Mao-land for 'more inspiration'

While the contentious issue of power sharing continues to vex Nepali politics, leading many to fear a new round of political turmoil in the country, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has expressed his eagerness to soon visit China where he wished to visit the village of "the great helmsman", Chairman Mao, and "get some more inspiration".

In an interview to a correspondent of China Daily at his residence in Buddhanagar Thursday, the Maoist chairman said he hoped to visit China soon.

"When our communication minister was there (in China) he was instructed to prepare for my visit. I hope I will soon be in Beijing," Dahal told the daily, referring to Maoist senior leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara's visit to Beijing earlier this month.

"I want to go to Chairman Mao's village and home to get some more inspiration by seeing and feeling."

Furthermore, he said Nepal will maintain "equidistance" between China and India, while expressing cautious optimism on relations with the US, which still has the Maoist group on its "group of concern" list.

"Equidistance means not siding with one country against another. My exact meaning of equidistance is to have good relations with both the neighbors," the daily quoted him as saying.

He also said the new government which is likely to be headed by his party will take "strong measures" against any anti-China activities in Nepal.

"We will not tolerate anti-China activities on our soil and we will take strong administrative measures to control these activities," Dahal said. nepalnews.com ag June 13 08