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The prospects of lasting peace are being endangered. The rift between the SPA government and the CPN (Maoists) seems to be widening. Even though Amik Sherchan, the second deputy prime minister, has openly threatened to quit the government if it continues to deviate from the agreed policies, he is hardly producing any ripples in the SPA diehards. Other constituents of the SPA are smugly ensconced in power and not in a mood to give up all the comforts, luxuries and other unexpected benefits accruing without any efforts. It is clearly visible to the discerning eyes that the government is in no hurry to accommodate the CPN (Maoists) in the administration. Lack of experience in negotiating techniques and state crafts has already pushed the CPN (Maoists) to the receiving end. The outbursts of the UML leaders don’t mean anything. They and the NC are just two sides of the same coin. Consequently, the Maoists have to restart assessing the real worth of their pronouncements and how far they can put their implicit faith in them. They, no more, can stay complacent. Otherwise, they will have to face a stiffer uphill path in the coming days. It is being reported widely in knowledgeable circles that the Indians, having used them to achieve their objectives, have begun to get real wary of them now. It is also rumored that the Americans want them totally annihilated. In such a situation, if the SPA works in tandem with the Indo-Americans, what must the CPN (Maoists) expect? Even the off the cuff remarks of Prime minister Girija Koirala are not only reflections of “His Master’s Voice” but also meant to test the patience of the Maoists. As such, if they still expect to occupy the front stage in Nepal ’s politics and not be relegated to background, they have to match the SPA strategy step for step. They must never lose sight of the universal truth that negotiations can only end up favorable if carried out with an upper hand - from the point of strength. Consequently, the Maoists should not relax but hold on to their points of strength tightly. And they must very cautiously judge and weigh the emerging trends, which don’t seem to be in their favor. But, they can still heavily cash on the discredited integrity and certified quislingism of many of the SPA politicians. The other important sources they can exploit to the hilt are the hopes and ambitions of the poor common man in pinning faith in them. And this is a strength which must be treasured. Therefore, at the present juncture, they don’t have to go back to the jungle. They only got to use their gray cells more intelligently and more effectively. One thing we have been repeatedly emphasizing and we do trust the Maoists also know well, is the hegemonic role India plays in our political and economic life. And, despite the unavoidable urgency, no politician or statesman of Nepal has ever sincerely worked to free Nepal from that iron stranglehold. It is, indeed, a great pity that Mighty India has always preferred to cast her heavy weight on her smaller neighbors rather than endeavoring to win their hearts. Their pressure diplomacy, as such, has never permitted the atmosphere of mistrusts and misgivings in the region to clear up so that a really healthy relationship could emerge. This has made it quite imperative, on the part of Nepal in particular, to enunciate a new form of strong foreign policy based on the principle of sovereign equality and the demands of changed national developments and political exigencies with the CPN (Maoists) at the center-stage. After the success of the peoples’ revolution, an era has ended and a new one begun. As such, the players in the ensuing dramas too must be new men with new vision, unimpeachable integrity and unquestionable patriotism.
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