YCL challenge

Whether or not the Maoist leadership accepts it, the Young Communist League (YCL) can make or break the party, CPN (Maoist). Soon after its inception by comrade Prachanda on February 1 this year, the Maoist leadership has been hell bent to impose YCL in every aspect of people's life. The leadership is not willing to hear anything against the highhandedness and illegal acts their youths are being involved in. Comrade Prachanda even roared from various podiums that the media was trying to pose YCL as terrorists. It is understandable that the Maoist leadership does not wish to irate the YCL because it is comprised of not only militiamen and supporters but also the guerrillas who have been deliberately kept out of the cantonments. The only thing they have failed to understand is, if so many of the young people remain unemployed, and without any source of income, they are destined to become corrupt and disillusioned by the ideology.

Prachanda and Baburam have conceded many a time in their interviews that their party had been overwhelmed by the new members at a point of time, when goons, gangsters, hooligans and mobsters all entered into the party. The criminals and opportunists did so to take benefit of the party's strength to terrorize and extort the general public. Now the same thing has happened to YCL and they are acting innocent. In the name of expanding the party network, the YCL leaders have welcomed local gangsters with open arms. So, knowingly or unknowingly, the YCL has attempted to provide security umbrellas to all sorts of criminals and local goons. The direct interference in people's lives, the illegitimate attempt to discipline the public, forceful takeover of others' property, encroachment in revenue collection mechanism et al have made the Maoists unpopular. At the same time, the seven-party leaders and foreign forces have been apprehensive that they (Maoists) are creating a parallel government and attempting a forceful takeover.

Not that the YCL members are involved only in wrongdoings. They have been involved in many positive aspects like cleaning localities, cleaning rivers, planting trees, managing traffic etc. And they are also into somewhat debatable works like widening of the roads, demolishing houses, mediating in social feuds etc. If the Maoist leadership really wishes to make YCL popular among the people, it has to segregate the criminal elements from the League. The criminal elements will leave the party if they are devoid of the opportunity to extort money. In order to do so, the YCL should be employed only in pure social works, which will heighten the image of the party among the public and the criminal elements will also slip off from the League. Moreover, the income and expenditure of the League should be transparent so as to win the heart and mind of the people.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 6, 2007

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

Former Maoists declare war on Indian gang

Kathmandu: A group of former Maoists have declared war on an Indian gang preying on businessmen in the border towns of Nepal, warning that they would attack gang members lodged in a key prison if it did not stop criminal activities.
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), a band of former Maoist guerrillas that was recently banned as a terrorist organisation by the US government, has decided to take on the gang of Indian warlord Chhotelal Sahani, that has been unleashing terror in Nepal's frontier town Birgunj and its neighbouring areas.
Though Sahani was captured by the Indian police and is now behind bars in Bihar's Motihari district, people calling themselves his henchmen have continued to extort businessmen, resorting to broad daylight attacks on those who refused to pay up.
Last week, a Birgunj businessman of Indian origin, Vijay Shankar Hada, was shot by miscreants. He is currently under treatment in Kathmandu's Maharajgunj Teaching Hospital.

A month ago, Hada is said to have received threatening phone calls from a man calling himself Sanju Baba, allegedly the right hand of Sahani.
Most of the extortion calls are made from mobile phones with Indian numbers.
Though the beleaguered businessmen have been urging both the Nepal and Indian governments to crack down on the marauding gangs, the security situation continues to be lax in the border towns.
A private radio station, Himalayan Broadcasting Corporation, Sunday said more than 20 businessmen had wound up their activities in Birgunj and shifted either to India or capital Kathmandu.

With the government failing to combat the menace, the JTMM, who are demanding an autonomous state for people of Indian origin in Nepal's southern terai plains, has now taken it upon itself to play Robin Hood.
Pahal Sinha, a JTMM leader in Birgunj, has issued a warning asking the Sahani gang to stop its activities in the town, the radio station said.
Else, it has warned that it will take revenge on the gang members awaiting trial or imprisoned in Birgunj jail, the report said.
The plummeting law and order situation in the plains last month caused Nepal's Election Commission to say it would not be possible to hold the elections for a constituent assembly on June 20, as promised by Nepal's eight-party government.
Though Nepal's 10-year Maoist insurgency formally ended last month with the Maoist guerrillas joining the government, criminal gangs, bands of former Maoists and other armed groups have kept the plains simmering.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service

YCL friends or foes of Nepali people??

KATHMANDU, May 7 - The Young Communist League (YCL), a newly created Maoist body, on Sunday seized "illegally imported" mobile phones and electronic goods worth more than Rs 30 million in Kathmandu.
The goods include: 1,415 mobile phone sets, 25 LCD monitors and 30 photocopy machines, 288 units of memory cards, 387 units of chargers and 265 units of earphones.
At least seven people, including three drivers, Navin Shrestha, Dilip Balami and Shekhar Bhattarai and others on board - Mahesh Karki, Mohan Karki, Shiva Raj Kandel and Navin
Shrestha - were also taken in. They have been handed over to Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka for further investigation.

Jwala, Kathmandu district chief of YCL, told The Kathmandu Post that the goods were brought into the country via Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and were captured at Shahid Gate. "We later handed over the goods to the Revenue Investigation Department (RID)," he said.
Laxman Kumar Pokharel, deputy director general of RID also confirmed that the YCL cadres had handed over the handsets, LCD monitors, photocopy machines, memory cards, chargers and earphones to RID stating that the group had captured three vehicles full of mobile phone sets and other electronic goods at Shahid Gate. "We are currently investigating the matter," he said.
Sources informed that the goods were brought into the country in the name New Hariyali Traders, Siddhi Binayak Traders and New Cyber International. "These companies had produced invoices for only two handsets, a charger and an adapt0r worth Rs 31,708, while releasing the goods," the source informed.

YCL threat displaces locals

Nine people including political leaders, activists and business entrepreneurs from Kusumba bazaar at Sanoshree VDC in Bardiya district have been displaced from the area due to threats by cadres of Maoist youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL).
Former Member of Parliament Khag Raj Sharma and former chairman of Sanoshree VDC Tanka Oli are among those displaced. They are staying in the district headquarters, Gulariya. YCL cadres threatened them in revenge for the local business community and others had protested against Maoist-called frequent banda (general strikes), according to local businessman Dhana Nath Yogi.
Oli said he came to the district headquarters for security "after YCL cadres threatened to kill us". "The Maoists blamed us for campaigning against their agitation," Oli said.

However, Maoist area in-charge "Akash", refuted the charges. "This is a propaganda meant to disparage this organization (YCL)," he claimed.
Meanwhile, cadres of Thrauwan National Liberation Front (TNLF) burnt an effigy of Chief District Officer (CDO) Shiva Prasad Nepal. Chunnu Devi, Treasurer of the Front, said they would stage sit-in protests at the offices of land revenue, district administration and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), if the authority did not immediately release all YCL members detained by police on Saturday.
Also, Jhak Bahadur Malla, regional YCL chief, said they would launch nationwide agitation from Monday onward, if the government did not release them immediately without condition.
However, CDO Nepal informed that the administration was planning to sue them for arson charges.
Curfew lifted

The local administration lifted curfew order in Sanoshree VDC of the district effective from 5 am on Sunday. Following clashes between Armed Police Force personnel and YCL cadres, the local administration had been imposing curfew in the area for security reasons since Monday.
Parties concerned
In Kathmandu, issuing separate statements on Sunday, various political parties have denounced the violent activities including arson, vandalism, beating and other excesses carried out by YCL members at Sanoshree in the name of freed kamaiyas (bonded laborers) and landless squatters. "Continuation of such activities by the wings of the ruling party (CPN-Maoist) is itself unreasonable behavior," said a statement issued by the Nepali Congress (NC).
Likewise, issuing a separate statement, NC-Democratic denounced Maoists for issuing threats against nine local political activists including five members of NC-D. Also, National Human Rights Foundation (HURFON) denounced vandalism by the YCL.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 6, 2007

Hope And Optimism

Ian Martin, head of the UN Mission in Nepal, has expressed his optimism over the peace process in the country. Speaking with reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York Saturday, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal who has been involved in supporting the peace building process in the country, shared his unrelenting hope and maintained that the people of Nepal had taken their future in their hands, with strong determination not to allow Nepal slip into conflict. Referring to the deferral of the polls to the constituent assembly, he affirmed that the timetable for the election had been delayed because regulations governing the process had not been readied. The postponement of the constituent assembly polls, according to Ian Martin, would allow more time for the political stakeholders in the country to prepare a better and constructive environment for the polls. As has been consistently articulated by the chief of the UN mission, Nepal's peace process is fairly on track because following the success of the people's movement in April last year, the country has navigated along the way for building peace and democracy in the country.

The comprehensive peace accord has been signed, and essentially very meaningful has been the formation of the interim parliament and the government in which the Maoists have appropriated a lion's share. The Interim Parliament has seen completely new faces of a progressive political genre with women, Dalits and janjatis occupying a relatively fair share of seats in the total composition of the national legislature. The Maoists should be credited for conceding more seats to the subordinated sections of the society, which should be emulated by others especially when allowing more room for the marginalised in legislating the destiny of the nation. The Election Commission has worked enthusiastically to ensure that the polls to the constituent assembly are held in a fair and free manner. This indicates that Nepal's peace building process, as said by Ian Martin, has moved ahead in a smooth and constructive manner. Though political differences surface time and again, these are managed and handled in a deft manner. Thanks to the Nepalese political leadership, the country has been able to demonstrate a very appreciable model of peace building. The political leadership should work in this spirit to hold the polls to the constituent assembly and accomplish the unfinished task of peace building and democratisation.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 7, 2007