Tackling Maoist Problem
Call For Sense Of Urgency

By Prem N. Kakkar

THAT 35 policemen have been killed recently in two separate incidents in Rukumkot village of Rukum district and Mainapokhari of Dolakha district comes as a shocking piece of news. This goes on to show that the spate of violence has not decreased even a little. The attempts to make the Maoists abandon the path of violence and sit down for talks has almost failed. The overture on the part of the government has not had the effect that it was thought to be sufficient.

Demand

By fulfilling a major demand of the Maoists the government had done its part but the results have not been satisfactory as far as what was desired. The government some time back had disclosed the list of Maoists in prison or police custody, as demanded by the Maoists. But that has not been able to stem the tide. There almost seems to be a wide gap between the two parties in question.

The simmering problem of the Maoist has not subsided even a little bit going by the incidents that are taking place at the moment in different parts of the country. The number of people killed is on the increase. The death of over 1500 people is not insignificant. They include policemen, civilians and Maoists also. Even after so much bloodshed has taken place, the solution to the problem has still proved elusive.

There have been earlier attempts to defuse the situation but nothing has come of it. Even as there had been indications of the Maoists sitting at the table to thrash out a comprehensive solution, further killings of policemen have taken place in two districts, which are far removed, from each other—Rukum in the west and Dolakha in the east. There seems to be a specific timing for the tragic incidents to have taken place all of a sudden when there was some complacency regarding the slowdown of violent activities. It is possible that the recent incident is somehow related to the countdown to Chaitra 26, reminding the day in 2046.

Maintaining law and order in the country is the priority of the government but events in the political arena have not been conducive for it to function smoothly. The priorities are there in place but the necessary assistance from the Opposition in the Parliament too has to come forth. In the situation prevailing at the moment in the House, uncertainty is seen. The Parliament is being held hostage by the Opposition by not letting it function as it should. Who is to blame? This is a tricky question to answer. The Opposition in the House has their own version of why they have disrupted House proceedings. But the reasons they offer cannot be swallowed down easily. The demand of the resignation of the Prime Minister over the alleged Lauda Air deal has to come not through sloganeering in the House or taking out demonstrations in the streets but through the appropriate channel that is either through the court or a censure motion in the House itself.

Here both the channels are not being utilised. Yet the House remains stalled. The issue sees no way out. While there have been attempts through all party meetings and so on but they ended without arriving at any conclusion. This speaks of the fact that unless the two parties in the conflict come down ready to sort out the problem nothing is going to happen.

It is already over fifty days that the House deadlock has continued. In this long time much business could have been done. But that is not the case. The same scene repeats itself at every House meeting. In such a situation it is essential for coming to a meeting point where compromises can be worked. This does not mean to say that such stalemates are rare. They have happened in many countries but sooner or later they have been resolved through the efforts of both the ruling and the opposition parties.

The political leaders of today are mature and have gained more wisdom and insight into looking at things yet such an unpalatable scenario has emerged. On the one hand, the Parliament has not been able to conduct its regular activities and on the other hand the government too is tied up in trying to defuse it. Over and above this, the Maoists have unleashed another wave of terror through killing of the policemen. Now the government has to work on two fronts: dealing with the impasse in the House and check the activities of the Maoists.

With all attention riveted on how to make the House conduct its regular business, something naturally goes amiss. The government has been taken off guard with the acts of violence in many parts of the country. Hence, the government must be allowed to fulfill its duties and responsibilities. For this the opposition parties must become restrained and let the House take its natural course. Only then tackling the Maoist problem can move ahead especially through the peaceful means of sitting down for talks.

Urgent

Unless a sense of urgency emerges in all, the solution cannot be found. Commitment together with the necessary environment must be created for the talks to take place. Once this happens, there can be no doubt that the problem will be solved in due course of time to the relief of everyone.

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