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| Kathmandu, Saturday March 29, 2003 Chaitra 15, 2059. |
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Maoist negotiation team
arrives in capital
Bhattarai, Badal to hold first press
conference today
By Prateek Pradhan
KATHMANDU, March 28 : Dr Baburam Bhattarai, the
chief coordinator of Maoist negotiation team has arrived here today along with Ram Bahadur
Thapa, alias Badal, the commander-in-chief of the Maoist Liberation Army.
Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a member of the team who
became public immediately after the announcement of cease-fire between the government and
Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) about two months ago, escorted the leaders into the capital
from Butwal.
"Yes they are in the capital now. I
accompanied them from Butwal, and they will be public tomorrow through a press
conference," Mahara told the reporters.
Mahara had left for Butwal yesterday to receive
the Maoist leaders along with three human rights activists Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Birendra
Keshari Pokharel, and Sindhu Nath Pyakurel.
Matrika Yadav, a member of the five-man
negotiation team, flew from Simara and arrived directly at senior advocate Pyakurel’s
residence in Kalikasthan, where Dr Bhattarai and Badal were waiting for him. The fifth
member of the negotiation team Dev Gurung is expected to arrive in the capital late night
today.
According to our sources, immediately after
reaching the capital, Dr Bhattarai called up government’s negotiator Minister Narayan
Singh Pun and asked him to begin the peace talks immediately.
The Maoist team, commenced their journey in two
vehicles today from Hotel Sindur, Butwal at seven in the morning and entered Thankot
checking point at 1:40 in the afternoon.
The vehicles were inspected at several
checkpoints, which Mahara described to the press as a violation of the 22-point code of
conduct. However, after they arrived in Chitwan the security personnel did not disturb
them much.
"They showed respect after Chitwan, maybe
they recognized us," said Pyakurel. At Thankot checkpoint an army officer even shook
hands with the Maoists leaders, and allowed them in.
However, Dr Bhattarai expressed his dislike over
the harassment on the road. He raised the issue with Minister Pun during their telephonic
conversation, revealed our sources.
Dr Bhattarai, comrade Badal and three human
rights activists were seated in one car and Mahara was in the other car with four of their
cadres. The Maoists’ convoy did not stop anywhere except near Mugling where the
entourage were served traditional Nepali lunch of rice, dal and curry.
The convoy’s first stop was Pyakurel’s
residence at Kalikasthan, where they discussed about the press conference, through which
they intend to come in the public. "They were wondering if foreign media would be
represented properly in the press conference," said Pyakurel.
During the seven hour voyage and the around
two-hour long discussion, advocate Pyakurel did not feel any kind of excitement or
apprehension in Dr Bhattarai and his team.
"I found them very responsible toward the
country and the people. They are not going to compromise the country’s sovereignty
and would push for the round-table conference and the interim government," Pyakurel
said.
The press members gathered in Pyakurel’s
residence to get a glimpse of the Maoist leaders were disappointed as Bhattarai and Badal
duo managed to evade the media. The enthusiastic press got to click only the pictures of
Matrika Yadav.
Dr Bhattarai has become a little thinner and has
more gray strands in his beard. Comrade Badal looked pretty much in good health, according
to those who accompanied the Maoist leaders.
During the entire journey, the convoy did not
discuss much about politics. Dr Bhattarai inquired the human rights activists about their
families and told them that his wife Hisila Yami, an architect engineer and a senior
Maoist leader, was in Kalikot and working in a development plan for the district.
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