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Kathmandu Friday September 21, 2001 Ashwin 05, 2058.
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Stop pampering
Designed to throw cold water over government
efforts to restore peace, the words of warning and accusation from a Maoist leader could
not have come at a more inopportune time. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, chief negotiator for the
Maoist rebels, has threatened to resume their "war" if the government continues
its own unilateral "war" against the rebels. At a time when terrorist activity
abounds, Mahara’s statement could by no means be brushed aside as whimsical or off
the cuff. More than anything else, his statement the other day underscores the two-track
approach adopted by the Maoists. Though they announced the ceasefire a couple of months
back, they are unleashing a reign of terror across the country. Reports of public
extortions, rape, kidnappings, manhandling of elected officials and other unlawful
activities are coming in thick and fast. This clearly reflects the dubious motive of the
Maoists. Is their participation in talks only a time buying tactic to regroup and
consolidate? Otherwise, why are they taking advantage of the government’s soft
approach? The march of events makes clear that the government wants to resolve the crisis
once and for all, and has even released several Maoist cadres from police custody. So much
so, it has drawn flak from various quarters for going overboard to appease the rebels. The
government even allowed three Maoist negotiators to visit their cadres in various jails in
Kathmandu Valley. But it seems the rebels are interpreting such treatment as a sign of
weakness on the part of the government.
Despite two rounds of "positive"
talks, the government has not been able to extract anything concrete. The talks are about
more talks, and nothing more. The only significant thing is that the ceasefire has
not snapped thus far. That is the biggest achievement. But there is growing doubt over the
longevity of this ceasefire. Maoist supremos Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai have
increased the frequency of their visits in Nepal from bases in India. As things stand now,
the rebels are only capitalizing on the ceasefire to go on the rampage. One feels the
government is being too accommodating. In the name of their Jana Karbahi, the rebels are
creating a fear psychosis. They have forcibly shut down academic institutions. Gun-totting
rebels have forced those who dared to ignore their call to close down. Consequently, all
the academic institutions have closed down, more out of fear than anything else. The
public is fed up with the Maoist duplicity, their patience is wearing thin, and they feel
that enough is enough. In some areas, the locals have even started to retaliate against
the Maoists. If such vigilante action spreads things could head towards anarchy, and
ultimately towards civil war. It is surprising that the government is exercising stoic
patience even at the cost of law and order. Reasonable patience is appreciated. But the
government cannot allow outfits continuously flouting law and order a free reign, just for
the sake of creating a congenial environment for negotiations. It is time it got tough and
stop pampering the Maoists.
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