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Quest for Peace
In its first public meeting in capital, Maoists leaders stress for restoration of peace in the country
By KESHAB POUDEL
Keeping in mind Maoists' behavior and unruly activities of their armed cadres, common people, in general, and capital-based foreign envoys had felt uneasy over the outcome of Maoists’ biggest public meeting of Kathmandu (June 2). However, by organizing one of the biggest public rallies peacefully with the attendance of more than 200,000 people, the Maoists have shown that they want real peace this time.
Although the Maoists have brought the people from all parts of the country, in some cases at the gun point, Maoists armed cadres, who volunteered to organize the meeting, showed that they are also effective without arms.
Interestingly, while they used all the major cross roads in ring road to bring their cadres and supporters into the Ratnapark area, they seem to have calculatedly avoided any confrontation with the Palace and the government as they did not organize their rally through Narayangopal Square in Maharajgunj. The road stretching from this square to Ratna Park is where important places like Royal Palace and Nirmal Niwas - Crown Prince Residence lie. Even in the late afternoon when King Gyanendra went to attend his first public function since April 24 proclamation through the road, the Maoists’ hardcore participants did not make any disruption.
For many, the behavior demonstrated by ruthless armed cadres of Maoists, who are
still reportedly involved in extortion and terrorization of a large number of population, was exceptional and unbelievable. Psychologically, large numbers of people in the city are still not prepared to accept their peaceful nature.
From first speaker the senior communist leader Nara Bahadur Karmacharya to last speaker president of All Nepal National Free Student Union (Revolutionary) Lekhanath Neupane, and all other senior Maoist leaders - who addressed the mass rally - spoke the language of peace.
The national consensus for peace was irresistibly echoed by the hardest of hardcore cadres of the Maoists. "We assure all of you that our party will not return to jungle again. We are very much committed to the restoration of peace and prosperity of the country," said Krishna Bahdur Mahara, convener of Maoists negotiation team. "The seven parties alliance must respect 12-point agreement signed with us by dissolving the House of Representatives, holding national political conference and forming an all party interim government to hold the election for Constituent Assembly."
The major emphasis of the first and last speaker was the peace, harmony and stability in the country. None of them had a sense of achievement from their violent actions or programs in the country.
"We were compelled to take up arms against the state to fulfill our demands. The time has come now for us to join the mainstream politics through peaceful manner. Don't make hue and cry about our liberation army. If Prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala orders, our army is ready to obey him," said Prabhakar, the deputy commander of Maoist militia. He added, "We came to the negotiating table with genuine hope to restore peace in the country."
When senior Maoist leaders were repeating their intentions to restore peace, the Maoist armed cadres, who attended the mass meeting without arms, too, were keenly listening to their leaders’ statements.
"We have shown that our party is committed to peaceful transformation but it is time for the seven political parties to fulfill their obligation made through 12 points agreement. They must dissolve the House of Representatives and call a national political conference," said Dinanath Sharma, another member of Maoist negotiation team.
Any keen observer who has minutely gone through all these eventful years may draw similar conclusion that they had no character of blood thirsty terrorists. Only future historians may be able to analyze how and for whom one Nepali was so brutal to another one.
"It was not our own personal wish to wage people's war but the situation compelled us to raise the arms against state. Now our demand of Constituent Assembly is accepted as a common agenda. There might not be any need to go back to jungle again," said Dev Gurung, third member of Maoist negotiation team. "We don't want to become a hurdle to bring peace in the country."
Nobody has gained in this period except an ideology of violence that allures Nepalese socio cultural background. A poor country had an unimaginably horrifying luxury of revolution in which not only the leaders but also their grass root cadres and common people were the sufferers.
"My son has assured me that the peace is in the horizon. I believe the peace and normalcy will return in the country. Maoists have already shown that they are ready to join peaceful political process but parliamentary parties, too, need to follow similar path," said Mukti Nath Dahal, father of Maoist leader Prachanda, who was also invited to address the meeting.
In the last 11 years of Maoist conflict, more than 15,000 people lost their lives, many more injured and about half a million people have been displaced. Though Nepal has seen many violent nature of power struggles in its long history of independence, this was one of the worst ones.
A great historian of Nepal late Baburam Acharya had published a book titled "Let This Not Be Repeated Again" showing palace intrigues and killing of many brave and important people in the power games in the past when Nepal lost many of its important personalities in the course of violent politics. There could not be any better expression for this moment when Maoists are showing readiness to abandon their violent movement.
Whether it be a politician or common citizen, all of them celebrate the decision of the Maoists to return peace in the country. An enlightened common man in the street wishes to wipe out a dividing line between armed and unarmed citizens of Nepal for its peace, stability and development.
"This mass meeting deletes the dividing line between Maoists and other parties. Expressing their commitments to the restoration of peace and development in the country, Maoists have shown their seriousness. What they need to do now is to ask their cadres not to harass common people with extortion and threat," said Dr. Tulsi Bhattarai, a former member secretary of Royal Nepal Academy .
There were sufficient materials apparent to the street and meeting that most of Maoists cadres were reluctant to return to war and none of them had any serious ideological commitment to overthrow of regime.
"Since we have actively supported Seven Party Alliance agitation in April to make it a success, we are also part of the new situation. We must be given proper say in the government," said Maoist leader Sharma.
In the vast gathering of 200,000 people, a large number of them had turned up out of curiosity to know what future they have and how Maoists would respond. Their concern was also about the future of their country.
While observing all these things and when one looks back to the political leadership of this country again, a horrifying picture emerges - nobody in the leadership appears to be capable of taking stock of all these things, interpreting the gravity of the situation and taking a bold statesmen-like decisions.
Almost all leaders of SPA seem to be unaware about the future outcome. Issuing the parliamentary declarations on almost every issue, they are making themselves irrelevant in the new context. "Our agreement with seven parties was that the House of Representatives will be revived just for a week to announce the elections for Constituent Assembly but the way the parliament members are working shows that they want longer life for it. It is not acceptable to us," said Pampha Bhushal, a central member of Maoists.
Of the major political institutions in the country, the oldest and highly revered institutions
have now been sidelines as everybody seem to be wishing that God save this country. As
long as ground reality of Nepal remains unchanged, mere wishes cannot bring peace. Despite willingness of all political forces including the Maoists, the country has a long way to go before changing the present situation.
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