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| Kathmandu, Friday January 31, 2003 Magh 17, 2059. |
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Nobody should doubt Maoist
intentions
By VIJAY B KUNWAR
The first ever cease-fire against the Maoists
was declared by Sher Bahadur Deuba immediately after he was appointed Prime Minister for
the second time, but before formally taking an oath of the high office. The Maoists had
reciprocated by declaring cease-fire in return and showing readiness to hold talks in
order to find a peaceful resolution of the Maoist movement.
On the eve of the Martyrs’ Day, the Maoists
came forward with the declaration of immediate cease-fire and holding of negotiations with
the government. The Maoist statement has reiterated its concerns for a round table
conference, interim government and election to the constituent assembly as its fundamental
issues to be covered at the talks. The Maoist team of three members to sit for the
negotiations includes Dr Baburam Bhattarai who will lead the team as was declared more
than a month back. The government has also welcomed the peace bid offered by the Maoists
and reciprocated by assigning one of its Ministers to coordinate the process of dialogue.
The government has also lifted the price tag, a label of "terrorists" and red
corner notice issued through the Interpol. This is a welcome decision of either side; let
us breathe a sigh of relief and hope for an end to the death row.
But it seems that there are some politicians who
are always on the look out to dilute the most coveted happenings, that bear positive and
long-lasting effects on the whole nation. They simply want their own role to further
deteriorate the fate of the country. Peace for them has a single target, their accession
to Singha Durbar.
Madhav Kumar Nepal – General Secretary of
the CPN-UML – has been the first big shot to comment on the developments that have
emerged out of the last couple of days’ hectic exercises undergone in camera. He
finds the understanding reached between the hitherto outlawed Maoists and the government
lacking transparency and a permission from the current mainstream political parties. He
perhaps lacks the psychological as well as physical pressure experienced by every citizen
created and caused out of the Maoist war. Irrespective of who is facilitating the peace
process most Nepalis today will welcome the most awaited move. So could it be possible for
the ‘mainstream’ party bosses wishing for the success of the dialogues, not yet
resumed ? Please, Dear Nepal sir, do concentrate on your own general convention at
Janakpur and try to come out triumphant as well as undivided over the not- so- important
–an- issue, which is going to dampen the sprint of your cadres and dent the pride and
prestige of your once revolutionary party. Days may be nearing for a future disintegration
of the UML party line-up. Were you also not responsible for the abortion of the dialogue
process undergoing with the Deuba government in November pre-last year? Yes, you were.
Your party, the UML was also threatening Deuba by issuing directives for do’s and don’ts.
It was, in the meantime, yelling at the Maoists also to come under the prevailing
circumstances and test their strength in the general elections alongside the then
pro-parliamentary parties. UML was rather creating an atmosphere forcing the Maoists out
of the negotiating table. It was somewhat like when the Panchas were calling the then
banned party forces to come under the Panchayati Constitution and test their strength in
the elections. But despite a few of the Communist insiders (all of whom later were seen
with your party) fighting the Panchayati elections and subsequently getting elected to the
Rastriya Panchayat, you did not participate, officially. Did you?
The NC was also equally responsible for the
failure of the peace talks held by Sher Bahadur Deuba. It has a history of running dual
leadership if the party boss and the leader of the parliamentary party happen to be
different faces. Girija Prasad Koirala was the party boss when his own party’s Deuba
was holding dialogue with the Maoists as Prime Minister. Koirala was acting so hastily
that his reactions were directed towards hindering the process as a whole. He was also
issuing directives of a few do’s and don’ts, in line with the UML both for the
Maoists and the government. In such a situation, how could the Maoists depend upon Deuba,
whose party boss was opposed to the government initiative? They found enough reasons to
leave the negotiation table. The failure came as a blow to the whole nation, which created
a huge and irreparable loss to the socio-economic state of the nation.
After the latest announcement of cease-fire,
Deuba should have reasons to celebrate. Now he should come out of his illusions of being
deceived by the Maoists fifteen months ago. He was deceived not by the Maoists but by his
own party men, representing the loose faction in the parliamentary party and Deuba’s
guru, Koirala himself. Deuba should come out in self-esteems and boost up the morale of
the parties in dialogue. He has become the elected Prime Minister twice. God willing and
people permitting there may be yet another opportunity in waiting to regain his lost
position in the days to come.
Koirala’s nature will not permit him to
issue welcome statements, as he is a man not so easily accepts his failures in
streamlining the country, be it on the political or economic front. It may sound somewhat
prejudiced to the pride of the historical man, but those who know him may be cautiously
watching him how he reacts to the latest developments; a miracle he failed to produce
while driving the nation for almost nine out of twelve years of parliamentary practices
and five years during the Maoist movement now completing its seventh year.
History takes its own course. It does not wait
for anyone’s wishful aspirations, nor does it abide by any ill-intended bickering.
The country is economically collapsed and socio-politically paralysed. But politicians
seem to be under permanent hallucination. The nation is reeling under crises and
undeclared threats of being a playground of non-native military forces. Invitation to or
entry of foreign forces may dismantle the territorial integrity of Nepal as a nation
altogether.
Let us welcome the historical declaration made
by the Maoist leadership. Presence and involvement of all of the trio of its supreme
command as Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, Baburam Bhattarai, Dr and Ram Bahadur Thapa
alias Badal is in itself a symbolising factor in taking the whole nation into confidence
and reassurance. The process will, of course, take a long and painstaking time. But, let
us not think any ill of the process. As any ill thinking of it may, in the expression of
PB Shelley, dampen the high spirits of the newest political establishment known as
CPN-Maoists that has emerged out of a nationwide revolutionary tide. Resorting to peaceful
means is an unprecedented move for the force involved in armed insurrection till late last
evening.
Man struggles for his survival in the struggle
between life and death and all in the civil society and political parties know better the
dichotomy between an armed struggle and a peaceful process of transformation.
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