Restoration Of Peace
Will Of All Nepalese

By Shirish B. Pradhan

NEW rays of hope were arisen as the Maoists issued a statement expressing their desire to hold peace talks with the government a few days back. Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand immediately responded to the offer saying that the government would respond positively if the Maoists send a formal proposal for talks. The four conditions laid down by the Maoists for initiating a dialogue do not seem to be unrealistic. But they should not change their stance again to prove that their offer is genuine and not strategic. As Prime Minister Chand has also said that the Maoists should prove their credibility while making such offer. The Maoists have asked the government to withdraw the terrorist tag labeled against them and make public the status of their cadres who were detained.

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The government also seems to be positive in withdrawing the terrorist tag labeled against the outlawed organisation. But for this, the government wants the Maoists should halt their terrorist activities which the Maoists are hesitating to do. If they stop targeting innocent civilians and development infrastructures as per their own commitment there is no need to label them as terrorists.

Prime Minister Chand has also asked the major political parties to make a unified approach while dealing with the Maoist problem. He has said that the government will try to resolve the issue through national consensus. In fact, all the responsible political parties should make a clear and unified approach while dealing with the Maoist issue. They should come above the party interest and look into the issue from the perspective of the national interest. The insurgency spreading across the country should get due attention from all the political parties and everybody should make genuine efforts to rescue the country from the present crisis. The prevailing crisis should not be made an instrument for the political parties to fulfill their party interests.

The international community has extended all the possible cooperation and support to Nepal in dealing with the insurgency. The United States, the United Kingdom, India, France, Germany, Japan, China all have lend one or other type of support either to strengthen the capability of our security forces or to develop the Maoist hit regions by pouring billions of dollars. When the entire world is with us why should we not take the benefit of the situation? We should take the benefit and create a conducive environment to resolve the issue through making peace initiatives and for this it may also be necessary to build pressure on the Maoists to come to the dialogue table.

Talks can only be the real solution to any type of conflict. Human beings have got excellent gift from nature, that is their language and art of arguments, which distinguishes them from the rest of the animals. So, why not we utilise this very gift of nature to restore peace and well being of the people? If India and Pakistan can sit and talk; if Israelis and Palestinians can talk; if LTTE and Sri Lanka government can negotiate for resolving conflicts, why not the Nepalese sit for talks?  Nothing is more important than national interest and no ideology is more important that the well being of the people. In fact, there is no place for ideological conflicts in the 21st century. This is the century for cooperation rather than conflict, unity rather than division and peace rather than war.

During negotiations both the parties have to sacrifice something to gain something. So both should be flexible enough to let negotiation happen. The human rights organisations are trying to mediate between the Maoists and the government. Some international organizations have also shown their interest in brokering peace between the two parties. Now the main problem with us seems to be the crisis of confidence. The past seven years of conflict have left over 7,000 dead and many more orphaned and homeless. To end this situation of conflict we need greater understanding among all the nationalist political forces. There should be cooperation and unity among all those forces who are committed to the Constitution and parliamentary democracy. The rising gap between the King and the political parties is not a good symptom in this moment. The US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca also emphasised the need for a unity among all the democratic forces in Nepal including the monarchy in order to win the war on terror.

Nepalese people need peace and nothing else in this moment. They don't want to be cheated by the sweet assurances of the politicians who may be benefiting by cashing on the Maoist insurgency. So any organisation or institution should stop politicising the Maoist problem for their pity interest as they have politicised everything from water resources to garbage. Politicising everything too much may be harmful in the long run even for those who have benefited right now from such foul plays.

Nobody wins and nobody loses if we give peace a chance to flourish. In peace development prevails, in peace humanity flourishes and in peace our civilisation flourishes. Armed conflicts all over the world have ended in dialogue and restoration of peace. So, why should we promote war and conflict? No armed conflicts have solved any problem in this world. Armed conflicts have only spread hatred and misery.

If Mahatma Gandhi can use the instrument of non-violence to lead India to conquer the British Empire, why not we resolve our problem through peaceful means? If through non-violence Martin Luther King can get victory for colour people in the United States, where people were discriminated on the basis of colour, why not we give non-violence a chance?

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Nepalese people need peace at this moment, a lasting peace. They are tired of the killings of one Nepali by another. They just want to restore the image of peace loving Nepali people in the international arena. We Nepalese people have contributed a lot in maintaining world peace. We have sent our brave soldiers on peace keeping missions in the conflict zones and earned fame. We have spread the message of Lord Buddha throughout Asia and beyond the continent to promote world peace. Our mighty mountains stand for peace. Nepal was once regarded as Shangri-la, home of several gods and goddesses, the ancient culture and civilisation we inherit all symbolise peace. Nepalese people are, no doubt peace loving by nature and they still want peace and nothing else. So let peace be given a chance to flourish and everything will be all right.

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