India stepped up pressure on Nepal’s King Gyanendra yesterday to restore democracy, sending a special envoy and its top diplomat to hold talks with the monarch to try to defuse a fortnight of crippling protests. A woman hit on the face by a tear gas shell during a protest died on Tuesday, taking the death toll in the campaign to six. Hundreds have been wounded in police action against protesters and hundreds of others arrested.

The anti-monarchy campaign by a seven-party alliance has brought the kingdom to a standstill with nationwide street protests and a general strike, which has stopped the movement of food and fuel. Giant neighbour India has expressed worry because of the long, porous border it shares with Nepal.

“I bring prayers and hope that Nepal will get out of the present difficult situation and return to peace and prosperity,” the Indian envoy, Karan Singh, told reporters at Kathmandu’s airport.

Earlier, Singh told an Indian TV channel: “It is not our intention to interfere in the internal affairs of another country but the last thing that we would want is for Nepal to dissolve into chaos because India’s vital security interests are involved.

“Our human interests are involved. There’s an open border between Nepal and India and our commitment to parliamentary democracy is there.”

Singh is the scion of the royal family of Kashmir and is related to King Gyanendra by marriage. He was to meet political representatives later yesterday and call on the king today.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, the country’s top diplomat, is also in Kathmandu and might accompany Singh when he calls on the king, local officials said.

Diplomats have said events are moving toward a climax.

One flashpoint could come today at mass rallies called by the political parties, which have vowed to bring out hundreds of thousands of people on the streets.

Sporadic protests took place in the capital and other towns yesterday but activists appeared to be reserving their strength for today.

About 250 school and university teachers were arrested when they staged a rally in the western town of Pokhara, where authorities have clamped a curfew to block anti-monarchy demonstrations.

Fifty teachers were arrested in a protest in Katmandu. The United States and India have called repeatedly for the restoration of democracy. King Gyanendra sacked the government and assumed full power in February 2005, vowing to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people have died.