Govt-Maoist Talks Rekindle Peace Hope

THERE is no doubt this is a huge step forward in peacefully resolving the six year old Maoist problem. The first round of formal talks between the Government and the Maoists that took place the other day, concretely proves that the present government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is very serious in ending the crisis. Virtually every Nepali has expressed concern over the "Peoples’ War" waged by the Maoists, which has caused the loss of more than 1600 people so far. The government in turn has had to spend huge amounts of its funds for security purpose, which definitely is not a good thing for a developing nation like Nepal. In many districts, development works have come to a virtual standstill because of the violence and environment of uncertainty. However, it is encouraging that now things have finally started to move to end this unfortunate situation, which is not good for the people and the nation. Here credit must go to Prime Minister Deuba, who made it his top most priority to try and resolve the Maoist problem. He appealed to the Maoists to cease their violent activities right from the first day he took office and it is promising that serious violent activities have stopped and the government and the Maoists have engaged themselves in peaceful talks.

The first round of talks ended on a promising note with both the sides saying they wanted to resolve differences through Peaceful Dialogue. This is a heartening news for the majority of Nepalese, who like to see peace prevail in their country. It is sad that once renowned for its peaceful image, Nepal in recent years has had to suffer several setbacks on this front, but the peaceful resolution of the Maoist problem, should go a long way in once more enhancing the serene image of this country. It is not that some sectors have not expressed scepticism over the present efforts of the government. But such sceptics should realise that violence and an environment of instability will be good for no one. The country needs to move forward in an environment of peace where the people feel secure. This is the top most priority. For now, just the fact that the two sides are involved in peaceful means to end the Maoist problem, is a positive development and all sides must show restraint and understanding to ensure this common problem of the nation is resolved sensibly.

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