The Problem Of Maoist Insurgency Urgent Solution Essential

-By Prem N. Kakkar

ENCOUNTERS with the Maoists in the various districts of the country has almost been reported regularly. The Maoist insurgency that started almost four years back has yet to be controlled. The use of force is necessary when considers the panic that the insurgents are creating in many districts especially those districts which are quite backward even when compared to other districts in the national level.

Serious

That more than 1,000 people have been killed in the past four years is an indication that the problem is very serious and needs immediate solution. The terrain that the Maoists operate is rugged and police action has to be carefully planned. In such a mountainous terrain that the Maoists operate, any action needs proper planning.

The mobilisation of a significant number of law enforcement personnel is the only solution as the various offers made for talks have failed. It shows the adamant behaviour of the insurgents. The urgent need is to end violence and bring the Maoists into the mainstream of the national politics.

It must be remembered that the activities of violence and looting that has been taking place in the name of the people’s war is not justified. But one thing that has to be realised that the people of the region where the Maoists are active need more development. Poverty is one of the factors that may have attracted many youths to go the other way. If greater socio-economic development efforts are directed to the sensitive areas then that will be for the welfare of the people.

In the Maoist initiated detrimental activities, the people are the real sufferers. They can get solace only through the end of violence and a return to normalcy whereby the people will be able to lead their lives peacefully. In this respect, it can be said with certainty that the affected people do not want a disruption of their social life.

The need for an immediate solution is on the lips of everyone. Even the government wants an end to the violence perpetrated by the Maoists. But the fact is that there has to be talks concerning the matter. Just by resorting the violence, the Maoists stand to gain nothing leave aside political mileage. In fact, criminal elements too have terrorised the local people in some of the remote districts which does not augur well.

The murders of political activists of certain political parties go to show that the norms of democracy has been violated. The law and order machinery has to be strengthened in Maoist affected areas. This is all the more essential because in attacks on police posts many policemen too have lost their life besides many local people themselves.

The unwanted loss of life and property is an matter of grave concern. This was the reason why the May 1999 elections were conducted in phasewise manner taking into consideration the sensitive areas. But the turn out of the voters even in the sensitive areas confirmed that the people want peace and want the government to guarantee the safety of their life and property.

The atmosphere of political instability that prevailed prior to the May 1999 elections gave the then governments little time for looking at issues of national importance. Fortunately, the installment of the majority Nepali Congress Government raised hopes of government focus on urgent national issues including Maoist insurgency, corruption and faster economic development.

There is no denying that corruption is present but the need to tackle it on a war footing has not materialised. But greater seriousness has emerged on combating corruption which is eating into the social fabric. On the other hand, the people are burdened with various sorts of price hikes. Even in such a scenario it is surprising to find that the shares floated for some schemes have been oversubscribed. This certainly is an anomaly.

This reflects the imbalance that exists between the limited people with much money with a significant proportion of the people living below the poverty line. This seems to be the reason why the Maoists have been active in areas where the majority of the people live below the poverty line. The poor and the deprived people need assistance through the implementation of development projects so that their living standard can be raised and the Maoist insurgency will have no validity.

It is true that in a democratic set up everyone has the right to express himself freely and frankly but that does not mean resorting to violence to fulfil one’s petty interests. The people do not want violence but law and order to be maintained which is the ultimate responsibility of the government.

It has to be agreed that the government is not unaware of the problem so in the current fiscal year’s budget speech, provision was made for Ganesh Man Singh Peace Campaign. This certainly was a positive move in seeing that the Maoists renounce violence and join the mainstream. But the implementation aspect of the campaign has not kept pace with the projected achievement.

But given the right spirit and sincerity of the implementation aspect, there is no doubt that the insurgency can be controlled to a great extent. There may be some elements out to disrupt the social atmosphere for which the laws of the land can well be applied. But, in this respect, the empowerment of the local bodies and the government’s positive thinking as regards increasing the grants to them is moving in the right direction.

Ability

Once the local bodies become able to implement development projects on their own, local development in the true sense will be assured. In tackling the Maoist insurgency, the basic problems must be identified and requisite action taken. And balanced development of the districts is essential so that everyone can taste the fruit of development. The benefits must percolate down to the grass root which will guarantee prosperity and an end to insurgency of any sort.

Houses For Poor

-By Dr. Prabha Basnet

EVERY human being wishes to have a safe housing which has basic facilities.

Almost fifty per cent or half of the population in Nepal lives under the poverty line. They are living in such housing conditions that they have nominal facilities for living in.

Challenging

Because of the lack of such basic needs as the food, habitat, clothing, education, health and security, the people are destined to be exploited. It is a challenging job to arrange for them a safe habitat. In this field is the organisation of Nepal Habitat For Humanity (NHH) working for the last two and a half years.

This organisation was established in 1977 by its founder Millard Fuller in Georgia, USA, with a view to helping the low income families by cooperating them for safe living with joint venture of their labour for constructing concrete houses for those who live in the houses that have leaking roofs, that are crumbled and have no proper inlet for clean air and light even if they have their own land.

In the beginning, the founder of the organisation had envisaged a grand future prospect for the organisation. This organisation which was founded with a view to serving the humankind was within two decades expanded to 70 countries with its branches there and is growing to make his dream come true. Now, in many countries all over the world more than 70,000 concrete and safe houses have been constructed to accommodate the poor families that lived in huts.

The founder of the international organisation Habitat For Humanity is a lawyer and a businessman of Georgia state of USA. He donated all his property he had earned in the founding of the international organisation. This organisation has been providing housing facilities to poor families by providing them with interest free loan with their families’ labour participation in a campaign for poverty alleviation.

Construction of houses began by giving the poor with interest free loans as suggested by various social workers and Father Batrin when Ed Lipuman, advisor to the organisation Habitat For Humanity came to Nepal. This organisation is registered in the Social Welfare Council and the District Administration Office, Kathmandu. It has handed over 53 houses after constructing them in Tikapur of Kailali district in the Far Western Development Region. Similarly, 30 houses in Pokhara and 28 in Chitwan have been completed and handed over. Plans are underway to construct them also in Surkhet district. This programme is also to be launched in Biratnagar and Lalitpur.

These houses for the poor are constructed by using their own labour after selecting from the applications of the families on the basis of certain selection process those who pledge to pay the interest free loan within ten years for the low income families who have land but can’t build houses that have basic facilities for living.

Every families participate in this work. After the handover of the house, loans are paid back within ten years Rs. 400 to 500 a month and from it a new house is prepared. In this way, the families getting the housing facilities can pay their debt by contributing labour to build houses for their neighbours instead of paying it in cash.

This organisation which does not discriminate any individual or a family on the basis of their social and religious faith and existing situation and works with a pure motive of giving humanistic service based on mutual cooperation.

This organisation, which is operated with a pure objective of providing poor families a humanistic housing has expected cooperation from all including individuals, organisations, governmental and non-governmental organisations, social and religious institutions, industries, trade, tourism, hotels, other entrepreneurships and journalists so as to give continuity and sustainability to the organisation and to provide the poor with safe housing as this organisation working since two and a half years back has not been able to make continuity from the sole financial assistance given by the Habitat For Humanity.

The donations received from any individual or organisations will be utilised in building houses for the homeless poor who are living without such basic needs.

Amount thus received will be used to construct houses for thousands of people one by one in a gradual basis.

Inspiring

His Majesty’s Government, Ministry of Finance has published a notice in the Nepal Gazette, section 48 dated 2055-12-16 (annexure) which has waived the sight mortgage registration charge needed for the interest of houses for the poor under provisions of the article 24 of the HMG Financial Act-2055 to be effective on the day of its issue.

This kind of cooperation from the HMG has inspired all the social workers working in this field to be involved in the service of constructing habitat for humanity.

(Former Secretary of HMG Dr. Basnet is the resource development convenor of the Nepal Habitat For Humanity)