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| Kathmandu, Thursday April 25, 2002 Baishakh 12, 2059. |
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Credibility
first
Political personalities
or movements may initially be observed by what they say. But they will ultimately be
judged by what they do. The Maoist rebels might have raised some hope and optimism among
the ordinary Nepalese when they projected themselves as the crusader for social, economic
and political changes. Although Maoist preached violence hardly got any acclaim ever from
the general public, it was growing unpopularity of the present day politicians and over
dose of corruption in our administrative system what people were allergic to. But of late,
the Maoists have lost even the negative ‘sympathy’ of the people as they are
fast transforming into criminal outfit or anarchic crowds. Nothing could illustrate it
more clearly than the hijacking of four red-cross ambulances on the first day of the 5-day
strike which does not exempt even the health and emergency services. Although the
ambulances were rescued later by the security forces, the international as well as
national image of the Maoists got the worst drubbing.
The Amnesty
International reacted sharply appealing that no civilian lives should be affected. The
International Committee of Red Cross which is here in a mission to provide medical help to
those wounded in conflict must be dumfounded over the real face of the rebels without a
human face. Hijacking of ambulances is not an isolated case of carelessness by the
Maoists. There are far worse misdeeds reported earlier. They have attacked an ambulance
carrying a patient in Nepalgunj, while an 11-year old boy needing urgent medical care had
to be airlifted by the security forces in Dolakha as the Maoists blocked the movement of
an ambulance. But the murder of 8-year old Kajal and four others on the eve of Nepal bandh
called by the Maoists last month as they set in flame the bus they were travelling in came
as a shocking instance of how fast the Maoist organisation was fast transforming into a
criminal setup. Hijacking of ambulances on the Prithvi Highway on Tuesday only shows that
the Maoists are little interested in retaining their political character.
Amnesty International’s
concern over the Kajal incident, and Maoists’ defiance of the Human Rights
organisation by hijacking ambulances would, no doubt, help the world community to condemn
the Maoists as ‘terrorist’ outfit, a process which has already begun. With the
Maoists firm ‘no’ to an all party appeal to call off the recent round of bandh
and stop destruction of infrastructures, they simply rebuffed the parties still wanting a
peaceful solution to the problem. In a way, they also gave the government the opportunity
to declare them ‘terrorists’ and stick a price tag on their heads. Certainly,
the government’s latest move gives a serious blow to peace efforts, but the onus to
convince the people and international community lies with the Maoists. Simply saying that
‘we are for talks’ will not be enough. The Maoists need to be seen genuinely
committed to the peace process by words as well as deeds. Stopping individual killings and
destruction of national property as well as infrastructures are essential conditions for
that. And of course, an apology to the world community - especially the Amnesty
International and the International Community of Red Cross - will go a long way to restore
their credibility. |
