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| Kathmandu Wednesday March 13, 2002 Falgun 29, 2058. |
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Maoist blockade
The outlawed Maoist rebels have blockaded the
supply of food-grain to Jajarkot and its surrounding districts since the government
extended a state of emergency a month ago. The Maoists have been waging the so-called
People’s War since 1996 against the elected government. It is unfortunate that the
Maoist insurgency has claimed more than 3,000 lives, including women and children. Yet,
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has imposed the state of emergency after the
Maoists withdrew themselves from the talks, has not been able to restore peace. Instead,
over 700 people have lost their lives in a four month long battle against the Maoists. Now
the Maoists have come up with a different method which has created "terror"
among the people living in the Maoist-affected areas. The new method imposes total
economic blockade on the Maoist-hit districts, cutting off the total supply of food-grain.
Such an economic blockade has not only triggered an acute shortage of food-grain, but also
crippled the economic activity in that area. Besides, the people living in these districts
survive with the succour sent in from the capital city since they do not produce food
sufficient to last the whole year.
To counter the state of emergency, the Maoist
rebels have prevented the transportation of food-grain and other essential commodities to
Khalanga, the district headquarters of Jajarkot, since February 26. Over 900 quintals of
flour meant for primary schools and local farmers have been lying in Salyan for a month.
Jajarkot, Dolpa and Rukum are inaccessible by motor-able road and hence, local people have
had to carry food-grain and other essential commodities from Salyan with the help of yaks.
Recently, the Maoists confiscated iodized salt carried by 12 yaks on the way to Khalanga.
A few local traders have been bitterly beaten up while carrying food-grain at night. The
Maoists have also looted about 90 quintals of rice at Khalanga from local traders. This
indicates that, besides the local people, the army and police forces manning the district
have no food-grain to feed themselves. It seems the economic blockade imposed by the
Maoist rebels is only to stop the food supply to security forces. The Maoists would have,
otherwise, imposed similar blockade on Rolpa and Rukum that would have resulted in
preventing the transportation of food-grain and other essential commodities.
The shortage of food-grain in Jajarkot, Rolpa
and Dolpa has been perennial ever since they became part of this country. These districts
run short of food-grain especially due to poor communication rather than Maoist threats.
Every summer, preventable diseases claim hundreds of lives due to lack of either medicines
or medical personnel. The government has neither given any priority for the development of
these districts, nor have local people been able to transport their produce to outside
districts. Now the Maoists have threatened to destroy the only suspension bridge that
links Jajarkot with Salyan. The government has no option but to draw a long-term
development plan so that the people living in the region will benefit economically. It is
the poor infrastructure and communication that have compelled the local unemployed youths
to join the Maoist movement. |
