First Government-Maoist Talks
Now, What Next?

By Prem N. Kakkar

IN WHAT could be a tough stance, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has told the Maoists to cancel their stated mass meeting to be held at Tundikhel on September 1. So far the government had been liberal in its attitude towards the Maoists and fulfilling a number of their demands to create the right environment for the peace talks to be held. But, going by the reports there has not been a total cessation of all activities by the Maoists. This has not augured well for the peace initiatives that Prime Minister Deuba had taken right from Day 1 of his taking over the premiership.

The directions given to the security personnel to stop all actions against the Maoists received the right reciprocal gesture but in reality there are still many events that took place despite all this. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that the initiatives for talks with the Maoists have come to a dead end. It only shows that if both sides respect each other it would have been better.

The government on its part has released the Maoists held in custody but this alone does not seem to have impressed the other side fully. Unless and until the demands are reasonable it is difficult to fulfil them. One of the demands of the Maoists, which have been publicised to a great extent, include the establishment of a republic. But the government on its part has made it clear that all talks to be held with the Maoists will have to remain within the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990. Any deviation from it would not come in the agenda of any further meets.

It is barely a week, on August 30, that for the first time the government team and the representatives of the Maoists sat down for talks. The talks, the first of its kind in almost six years that their movement had begun with the presentation of the 40 point demand, should be taken in a positive light. It at least gave both sides the opportunity to present their views and points to base their talks in the future. It must be remembered that another round of talks is supposed to take place within two weeks of the first one. Though no date has been specified for the next meeting, hope remains that they will sit down for talks soon.

Now, the mass meeting of the Maoists scheduled in the third week of September has raised many eyebrows. Even Prime Minister Deuba has warned that the second round of talks could be hampered if Maoists continued with their "activities like mass meetings, and forceful collection of donations" and so on. He emphasised that these activities which are still continuing are contrary to the commitments made during government-Maoist meeting last week.

This is a significant development at a time when the government has been quite lenient in its dealings with the Maoist so that the return of normalcy in the affected districts would be a reality. Deuba was of the firm opinion that the Maoist problem would be resolved through dialogue and in this direction he would be giving his whole attention. The commitment of Prime Minister Deuba is under no doubt as he considers his duty to achieve the objective stated as soon as he became the prime minister for the second time. Resolving the Maoist issue has been his top priority. And the first round of talks and stopping all actions against the Maoists has been significant achievements. But the response from the Maoists has not gone to the fullest extent as expected.

Though both sides in the first ever face to face dialogue stressed the need to shun violence and to resolve the problem or rather the differences through peaceful dialogue, the recent activities of the Maoists in the districts offer some room for doubt. Assurance given to the government delegates by the Maoist coordinator at the talks that all forceful activities would be avoided on their part does not seem to have been followed as it should have been. This might be the reason why Prime Minister Deuba took the opportunity to express his views at a function organised by the Ex-Parliamentarians’ Club on last Wednesday.

A serious matter that it is the government has been doing all the needful in this regard. Reciprocal gestures are an integral part of sitting down for talks in the future also. Optimism, of course, has been raised with the Maoists sitting down for talks despite the differences that exist. It is not yet time to see what twists and turns take place before the problem is resolved.

Such events are part and parcel of every country’s political sphere, but the other side of the coin also shows that solutions are possible. The give and take theory holds ground even in the most complex situations. Here also it has been noticed that one of the most difficult demands to be fulfilled namely the release of the Maoists in custody has been met. May be that paved the way for the government-Maoist talks last week. The meeting was part of a confidence building measure and in that it can be said to have succeeded. The terrain in the coming days will not be as easy as stating one’s views only. Now the tough part of negotiating has to be traversed. This will not be easy despite the commitments made in the past as everything has to be taken into account as it is the interest of the whole country that is the focus.

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