Maoists’ Seriousness For Talks
A Plus Point

By Prem N. Kakkar

THE announcement by the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) of a three member team to hold talks with the government must be taken as a positive gesture. The task of making a conducive atmosphere for the government-Maoist talks is very necessary in the present context. The country at the moment cannot afford a protracted state of uncertainty. A definite path has to be charted. In this venture it is not only the government but all the different political parties as well as the people in general have to contribute their mite.

The Maoist problem that came to the surface about five and a half years back has been quite harsh as far as loss of life and property is concerned. More than fifteen hundred people including security personnel, Maoists and other people have lost their lives. The Maoist affected areas are generally the most undeveloped regions of the country. In a way, it can be said that poverty seems to the breeding ground for the discontentment that has spilled over in a violent way.

The Maoists may feel that violence can lead to their success but that does not seem to be the case. The orgy of violence that led to the deaths of scores of policemen cannot be taken lightly. There may not be local sympathy for the police personnel as such because of their high handed dealings. But the fact remains that the people killed are Nepalese whether liked or hated. This may be the reason for the Maoists building up their popularity.

As it has been often mentioned, violence alone cannot lead to peace returning. It is talks that can lead to a long lasting solution. The give and take formula has to be activated so that peace can return to the troubled districts. It must be realised that without normalcy returning the people have to suffer in the long run. The country is already lagging behind in the race and if the same situation continues for some time more it may lead to a point of no return to catch up with the vision of the twenty-first century.

The government has done well to gear up for talks with the Maoists. In fact, the Maoist movement had started during Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s tenure over five years back. And now with Deuba at the helm of affairs, the initiative has been taken for talks with the Maoists. The positive gesture came as soon as Deuba became the Prime Minister for the second time. The timing was perfect as it was only a few weeks back that around 69 policemen were abducted in Rolpa. The army was deployed but nothing came of it. It is fitting that no confrontation took place because that would have been a tragedy.

Prime Minister Deuba had dealt with the Maoist problem when Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was the chief executive. But there was no progress when Girija Prasad Koirala became the prime minister. Though two Maoists were released and the list of Maoists in custody or serving sentences was made public but no real progress took place as far as solving the problem was concerned. But now the pace has picked up with the Maoists being released and the right atmosphere being prepared for the talks to take place.

The cessation of action by the security personnel was one of the first instruction that Deuba gave as the prime minister. The Maoists too ordered their workers to stop all retaliatory action. This came as a measure of relief to all concerned. The people in the districts were also relieved as they were the ones in the line of fire between the policemen and the Maoists.

As the Maoists have responded well to the government initiatives for talks, it is now necessary to do the necessary home work to identify the agenda. That the talks will take place is a certainty but the issues for discussion must be pinpointed. Without an agenda no talks can materialise. Moreover, just because both sides have agreed for talks it does not mean that the goal has been reached. There’s still a long way to go before the talks are held and that too on a positive note.

The Maoists have been quite sincere so far in responding to the government overtures. By nominating a three-member team for the talks they have done their part of the job. That much for the present. The next moves are what is being anticipated by all. The government on it part must not be easily misled. With the support of all the political parties Prime Minister Deuba has the mandate to deal with the Maoist problem in the manner which is best suited.

This is a time not for concrete action on the part of the government. It is also a time to enhance its image among the public. But only time will tell how good it can fare. Times have to be made favourable. The government now has the opportunity to hold talks with the Maoists who have expressed their commitment to do so. Getting carried away by emotion will not help. A serious line of thought has to be followed. If this is done then there is no reason why the government-Maoist talks will not be fruitful.

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