Political Dilemma

Deshantar (3 October) in its report severely indicted the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal's changing statements on the issue of unilateral ceasefire during the Dashain and Tihar festival period. Quoting the frequent changes in his statements, the report said "these contradictions are typical of UML General Secretary. He never remains consistent for even a single day." Further it says, "for many people this is a survival tactic. But it left his own party men wondering why Nepal is flip-flopping like that." The inability of the Government to convince the people about the future prospects of peace, the law and order situation and the price control, made Nepal sometimes offensive at times and  defensive at others. In its opinion, "'with contradictory statements on the unilateral ceasefire, he is trying to please both the government and the people."

Indian Push Against Maoists

In Himal Khabarpatrika (2-16 October), Arjun Gyawali writes that India did not take the Maoists' problem very seriously, when an American political analyst warned about the growing influence of the insurgents' movement in the region five years back. Citing India's changed policies on the insurgents, the Maoists Central Committee decided to move their underground base from India to Nepal during their last meeting, which indicates that they have lost all hope of using India as a refuge. Arun opines that "this might be the main reason why the rebel leaders are pushing for peace talks with the government and India has a major role to put them under pressure." Since Prime Minster Sher Bahadur Deuba's official visit to India, the Maoists have been lambasting the Indian government and it is believed that they are preparing a new military model to counter the Indian action. As a new strategy to gain international support and secure refugee status for their arrested senior leaders like Kiran, CP Gajurel, Matrika Yadab, Suresh Ale Magar and other central level leaders detained in India, the Maoists have been gradually spreading their political ideals in several European countries. Referring to the Maoist-established links in America, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, UK, Italy and other countries in Europe, Arjun says, "Maoists would use their links to pressurize India to release their leaders."

Maoists Demo

Maoist cadres conducted a demonstration, wearing combat fatigues and brought out their most prized weapons - GPMGs, SLR and Mortars - for a Media photo shoot at Babichaur near Surket. The Himal Khabarpatrika (17 October - 15 November), said Maoist cadres posed for photographs at a clearing, tightening their jaws and pretending to aim the weapons at the surrounding jungle. Watching his men from the sidelines, the rebel's central committee member and the Seti-Mahakali regional bureau in-charge, Lekh Raj Bhatta, or Comrade Rakesh explained, "We are now moving from a domestic class struggle to a national liberation war," and added "Our priority is to remove Indian troops from Kalapani, by force if necessary." Quoting another central committee member and a western division commissar, Comrade Pratik, it said: "We shall use diplomatic and political pressure to get the Indians out of Kalapani, but if that doesn't work we will use military force." The report maintained it was hard to say whether all this tough talk was a pressure tactic to obtain the release of more than a dozen of their senior comrades arrested in India in the past year, or whether it was for real. Also it opines, by turning attention towards an outside enemy, Maoists may be trying to shore up waning domestic support for their movement. At the same time the Maoist analysis seems to be that there is no immediate threat from US. Quoting rebel leaders, it says that they are mobilizing Indian Maoists and other allies in India to pressurize New Delhi.

Democracy at Peril?

In Kantipur (27 October), political analyst Lok Raj Baral says that there is no strength in the argument that the country will witness far-reaching democratic reforms once parliament is restored. He writes, "to solve the present crisis, what we need is a peaceful movement, which means that the political forces need to work together and make their objectives clear." The role of working unity among political parties becomes even more crucial when it concerns the insurgency because the king wants to protect his traditional powers while the rebels are fighting to end it.  He further opines "As long as the monarchy believes that traditional rights are the basis of its power, democracy in Nepal will always remain ambiguous...without a logical end to this traditional power struggle between the King and parliamentary parties, the Maoist problem will not end." Apart from the Maoist insurgency, issues in democratic politics like the King's status, the state structure of the Maoists, and the meeting point between the rebels and parliamentary political parties are yet to be resolved. In his opinion, the "meeting point of all the forces in the country is the reconstruction of the state. It is toward this end that all quarters must work together."