New Delhi: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) came in for a special praise from Nepalese Ambassador Deep Kumar Upadhyay for their rescue operations in his country following the killer quake last month, who also sought assistance from India in rebuilding the quake-ravaged country.
Upadhyay, who was speaking at a function to felicitate NDRF men by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also sought to downplay the controversy revolving around Indian presence in his country and requested media to play a positive role.
"If someone has committed a mistake, we should forget it and move on. We should report only positive things. There should be no negativity. We should not undermine the close relations shared by the two countries," he said, without elaborating any further on it.
To a question that there has been a comparison drawn between India and China, as to the relief efforts by them for the qauke-hit country, the Nepalese envoy said "both the countries share good relations with us. Both of them are helping us. Let's not talk about comparisons."
The Nepalese envoy also sought cooperation from India in rebuilding his country, hit by a massive earthquake, its worst in over 80 years.
"We don't share only diplomatic relation. We share a cultural bond with each other. We would like to see India helping us in restoring the glory of Nepal."
Earlier, Singh complimented the NDRF for their exemplary rescue work in Nepal for nine days and said "time and again, the importance of NDRF is growing more and more."
"We have already sanctioned two additional battalions for NDRF and I expect that in future, the force will be growing more and more," Singh said.
The Nepalese President and Prime Minister complimented NDRF for their operations in that country and "really, it was a proud moment for me," Singh said.
The Home Minister said Nepal is a part of "Bharat parivar" and India stands committed to stand by it. "Nepal is a sovereign nation and we consider it part of Bharat parivar (family). We will be standing where ever the Nepalese want us to stand by it."
Asked whether there was any formal request from Nepal for reconstruction activities, Singh said "these formalities of request do not happen in a family. We will be there."
Giving brief of the NDRF operations for nine days in Nepal under 'Operation Maitri', Director General of the force O P Singh said that out of the 16 people found alive, 11 were rescued by his men.
"The force reached as soon as the Indian government asked it to render its services to provide succour to the victims in the neighbouring country," Singh said.
The government had pressed a total of 16 NDRF teams, with 45 members in each, to undertake humanitarian aid, relief and rescue operations.
The specially-trained force rescued 11 persons, retrieved 132 bodies and provided medical aid to 1,157 injured and sick victims.
