Maoists all set for action replay

Dina Nath Mishra

It would have surprised me if Maoists of Nepal had not behaved as they behaved in the first week of May 2007. A small group of Nepalese policemen was surrounded by hundreds of Maoist gorillas at night in Suiya village in mid-western market district of Bankey and the ill armed policemen were taken captive. They smashed doors and windows and torched furniture. They were lead by a local Maoist leader Nand Kishore Pandey. It revived memories of days before peace pact of November 2006. This attack left Nepal in tatters and raised doubts over the success of India and UN aided peace process.

It may be recalled that the peace treaty was signed by seven political parties and the Maoists in November 2006. Maoist violence has continued in Nepal for about a decade. Only on April 1, 2007 Maoists joined the Government in Nepal and within a month on May 1, 2007 Maoist president Prachand thundered that they would burst in the Cabinet, in the Parliament, on the streets and also into the cantonment. They demanded that Nepal be declared Republic immediately else they would start urban-centre agitation and bring about the rule of the labours to demolish the monarchy. The May 1 rally and attack by the Maoist gorillas happened on the same day. They did it to make the threat look real, but Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's establishment did not take it seriously.

The Koirala Government's response to the Maoists demands look reasonable. It said that it is only the Constituent Assembly, can declare Nepal a Republic, his Government is not empowered to do so. Let elections be held and let the elected Constituent Assembly declare as they decide and deem fit but the Marxists have adopted the policy of brow beat and dictate. They have their own agenda. Those who have even little knowledge of Marxist history can hardly believe in Maoists intentions of entering into the peace treaty. Marxists of any variety CPI, CPM, Naxalites, Maoists in India or anywhere in the world believe in violence. In West Bengal, they killed large number of Congress leaders. In Kerala they killed hundreds of Sangh Parivar workers and the killings still continue. The Nandigram massacre too continues. They adopt joint front strategy and then start marginalisation of their allies by any means including violence. Umpteen numbers of examples may be cited from the history. In fact anywhere in the world, this strategy has been worked out. Now the same is being practiced in Nepal.

The UN in Nepal has been established at the request of the Government and the Maoists for the peace process and disarming Maoist gorillas. The first phase of disarming them is over. Still, Maoists possess high quality armaments, as these have not been fully deposited in the cantonment under UN observer. The Maoists complain of ill maintained cantonments and put pre-conditions to hoodwink Nepal and the UN. They want early elections as they believe that with the help of gorillas they would out number the political parties. The UN in its report has said that a little delay in holding elections would not be a disaster. Meanwhile, problems of deprived people may be addressed, that is the problems of Madhesis. In terms of population Madhesis account for about 50 per cent. Their contribution to the revenues of Nepal is much more than proportionate. Most of them are not Nepali citizens. Their representation in Army, police and Government establishments is negligible. They are the most neglected in Nepal.

Recently Madhesis revolted against their poor conditions. Most of the political leadership, which is responsible for their plight, is now lending their ears. Their independent leaders have risen to the occasion and they look more united. Meanwhile, the UN has said in its report that their grievances and demands may be addressed before elections. This reason alone may take a lot of time but unless it is done, including settling the question of citizenship, no worthwhile representation of these people is going to be there. As far as the monarch is concerned, he has been stripped of his powers. In no way is he a threat to the present establishment. Declaring Nepal a Republic at this stage appears to be the Maoists alibi for an agitation. Unless the Maoists are fully disarmed and the elections are free and fair, the UN is bound to fail in its objectives. But Maoists are not in a mood to listen to the reason.
The US annual report on nations has declared the Napali Maoists as a terrorist organization. Their terrorist activities are still fresh in the minds of the people. General public has gone cynical. The Maoists are a terrorist group and they can't lead democratically. The UN has a Herculean task. The threatened Maoist agitation may further deteriorate the already complicated political scenario.

Source: The Dail Pioneer, May 6, 2007