Maoist problem: Is it each to his own?

-By A Staff Reporter

If Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala is to be believed, all the political parties may be willing to see the Maoist problem through the same eye. But such a speculation was immediately rejected by the UML saying that no compromise or agreement has been reached with the Nepali Congress on the Maoist problem.

The NC president had told a gathering at a tea reception hosted by him on Sunday that he has prepared a ‘concept paper’ on how to deal with the Maoist problem after consultations with leaders of the other political parties. He did not elaborate about the contents of his paper, but said the government should now implement the plan.

If Koirala’s plan is to be put into practice as an agenda of national consensus, first it needs to be endorsed formally by all the political parties.

But this does not seem to be the case. Koirala’s enthusiasm was cut short when the very next day the UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal told the press that no basis has been agreed with the Nepali Congress. He, however, accepted that there were talks with the Congress on forming a common stance on the Maoist issue.

The other political parties have also not said anything yet whether they were involved in any kind of dialogue in forging consensus with the ruling party. But their remaining quiet indicates there indeed were contacts between themselves and the Nepali Congress about the issue.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has said he would call an all-party meeting on the Maoist problem after he was criticised at the party’s parliamentary committee meeting on Monday for not doing anything to find a solution to the problem.

But the possibility of such a meet has been put into doubt with the UML general secretary saying that his party was unwilling to sit down for talks until the government makes its position clear on other issues like law and order, corruption and price rise.

This is a clear indication that even four years after the Maoists started their violent campaign and after the death of almost 1000 people, political parties have failed to find a common platform to seek solutions to the insurgency. Still the political parties contradict each other on whether the Maoist problem is a political or an economic problem.

In the past the UML had largely seen the Maoist problem as being directed mainly against the Nepali Congress and the RPP. But later when the Maoists directed their attacks against its workers also they found themselves on the same side as the Nepali Congress.

It is most likely that the UML and the Nepali Congress, along with the RPP, may view the problem with the same eye, though they still have to agree  on how to deal with the problem.

Now, the Prime Minister Bhattarai is under increasing pressure to find a way out of the problem, he is being criticised both by his party and outsiders for not handling the Maoist issue properly.

The Nepali Congress had expressed its disagreement with Bhattarai when the latter offered some peace deals to the Maoists. The Prime Minister immediately after becoming Prime Minister five months ago, had offered some kind of amnesty and even some provision for livelihood to the Maoists if they lay down their arms.

It might be mentioned that when Koirala was prime minister just before the elections, his government had launched some tough measures, like the ‘Kilo Sera Two’ operation, against the Maoists.                But such operations have been opposed by the other political parties. The other parties, mainly the splinter Left groups, have been opposing any attempt to quell the Maoists insurgency by force.

Recently Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka’s proposal for amendments to some Acts regarding internal administration had been opposed by all the opposition parties. The amendments would have given more power to the district administration to deal with law and order situation, including the Maoists.

In such a situation finding a consensus among all the political parties on the Maoist issue may be a far-fetched dream.

So, the government may have to act all by itself. The question now is, how will the government act ? If Koirala’s disagreement with Bhattarai’s peace offer is taken as a cue, Koirala might suggest taking tough action against the Maoists.

Some even express the belief that Koirala’s suggestion might also mean replacing Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka with one of his own men to start with. Khadka is seen by the Koirala side as a complete failure as home minister after several Congressmen have been killed and one police official kidnappsed by the Maoists.

Now, Koirala has entrusted the government with the responsibility of putting his plan into practice. If Prime Minister Bhattarai fails to do according to what Koirala wants, the rift between the Nepali Congress and the government is certain to grow wider.

The relation between the party and the government is already strained, and this could be another point of discord within the Nepali Congress which could severely undermine the performance or even the future of Bhattarai’s government.

NC, UML select candidates for by-elections

-By A Staff Reporter

Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala has chosen his successor for Morang’s constituency No. 1. But it was neither Shailaja Acharya, who was the first to stake a claim to be Koirala’s successor in the constituency, or Sujata Koirala, Girija’s daughter, but Aamod Upadhyaya nonetheless a Koirala clan. Upadhyaya is the son-in-law of Nona Koirala, who is the sister-in-law of Girija Prasad Koirala.

The by-elections for three seats of the parliament in Morang’s Constituency No. 1, Rautahat’s No. 4 and Jhapa’s No. 6  will be held on December 9.

Similarly, the party has chosen Dr. Gopal Koirala and Prakash Koirala as the party’s candidates for Jhapa and Rautahat constituencies respectively. Prakash Koirala is the eldest son of late B.P. Koirala.

Probably this is the first time the Nepali Congress has chosen its candidates for the parliamentary elections without any fuss. This could be because of the Dasain slumber, but it also could be because the leaders feel any more internal bickering will be bad for the party.

Likewise, the CPN-UML has also selected its candidates for the two constituencies of Jhapa and Rautahat. For Jhapa’s No. 6 constituency, vacated by UML’s K.P. Oli, the UML has selected Devendra Dahal. For Rautahat’s No. 4 constituency, vacated by Madhav Kumar Nepal, it has selected Ram Kumar Bhattarai. But the UML had yet to choose its candidate for the Morang constituency.

If the last election is any indication the UML may again win in the two constituencies of Jhapa and Rautahat and the Nepali Congress could win in the party’s stronghold of Morang.

UN Day functions

-By A Staff Reporter

The Nepal based United Nations System is holding a special function today (Oct 27) to mark the United Nations Fifty-Fourth Anniversary at the UN House, Pulchowk. At the function the launching of the UN Common Country Assessment (CCA) is to be also released. Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai who is the Chief Guest will also deliver the key note address at the function.

Later in the day, President of United Nations Association of Nepal, Dr. Bishwa Keshar Maskay will also host a function commemorating the occasion where the Prime Minister is the Chief Guest.

Political tea parties

-By A Staff Reporter

The receptions hosted by both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML on Sunday and Monday respectively were quite different from the mayhem of the parliamentary session.

The Nepali Congress has been hosting such tea receptions since the last two decades on the last day of the Dashain festival. Likewise the UML has also followed the tradition since the last few years. These are one of the few occasions when politicians try to hide their fangs behind the facade of festivities and smiles and jokes. Still, there were attempts to cut with polished razors during both the occasions.

Both the receptions were participated in by the politicians of all hues including diplomats, journalists party workers and even common people.

Are the Maoists winning the “WAR”

-By Dhana Thapa

The traditional festival tea parties hosted by the leaders of the major political party have ended. Now most people are looking forward to the next festival on the calendar, that is Tihar, but even as firecrackers have started to disturb the tranquil nights, the fear on most people’s minds, is what the government will do about the Maoists insurgency problem.

This very thought seems to be in the minds of the political leaders too. In the past few days, the leaders of both the ruling Nepali Congress and the main opposition CPN (UML) have  voiced their serious concern about the growing insurgency in different parts of the country. Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai himself has said that an all party consensus is needed to combat this threat.

However, contradicting what Nepali Congress party president Girija Prasad Koirala said, UML General Secretary Madhab Kumar Nepal said to journalists on Monday, that he was “unaware of any agreement reached between the NC and UML regarding the combatting of the insurgents”. Koirala had said a few days earlier that an agreement had been reached between all the parties and a basic framework had been drawn to solve the Maoists problem.

Madhav Nepal flatly denied any such agreement had taken place and he even complained to Prime Minister Bhattarai about it when the latter had come to attend the tea party hosted by the UML at its party office in Balkhu on Monday.

But even as political leaders bicker here about how to deal with this serious insurgency problem, security officials in the affected areas are sending alarming signals about the maintainence of law and order in districts like Rukum, Rolpa and Jajarkot.

“We are fighting a losing battle for now,” a security personnel who just arrived after completing duty in the affected areas said in a gloomy tone.

He went on to explain that the morale of the young police personnel was at a low ebb. “We have senior officers who have had no training in guerrilla warfare and even simple combat tactics, this makes it very difficult for them to understand the problems at the field level and it makes it hard for us to combat the insurgents,” he informed.

Giving the example of the Mahatgaon incident, where DSP Thule Rai was abducted, the police personnel explained that DSP Rai was also not trained for heading the security of such a sensitive place. “The fortification he had made around the post, that housed more than two dozen police men, in fact helped the insurgents when they attacked”.

In security circles the strategic importance of Mahatgaon has already been known. “It is a post which will allow either the police or the Maoists to control many kilometres of land in that area,” the police official said. He added that if the Maoists take control of the post there, then they will be able to save several days in travelling to different villages lying in that area. “Therefore now it is a keen battle between the security forces and the Maoists on who will wrest control of that important post,” he said.

One great setback the police suffered when they lost several men and also DSP Thule Rai to the Maoists when they attacked the post at Mahatgaon, is that the insurgents were able to capture valuable communication equipment, including a Motorolla set. “The Maoists can listen to what plans we have through that set,” a police official informed.

Alarmingly, the Maoists also seem to have access to the VHF mode of communication the police use. So any raids the police plan, the insurgents can be aware of it in advance.

According to reports, the morale of the police personnel is also very low. An observer in Kathmandu was of the opinion that this happened because many police officers and also junior ranks, took it as a punishment when they were sent for duty to the “risk areas”. The high level of corruption in the Police Force does not help matters.

Lastly, the equipment of the police are also outdated. “The Maoists have much better arms and even hand grenades than the police”, a police personnel said. The police must be given better arms and a free supply of ammunition, when they are being sent to such sensitive areas.

There also seems to be an acute need for junior ranks as well as commanding officers to be trained in guerrilla warfare. An analyst was of the opinion that even the top level officials commanding different areas must be trained in combat tactics. They simply cannot stay in the regional headquarters and deploy junior ranks in the risk areas.

Of course, like it has been mentioned time and again, simple force will not be enough to quell the insurgency. There are many top level insurgents who have been forced to terroristic activities because of socio-economic problems and also sometimes due to the brutal tactics of the police.

The government must try to understand the problem in totality. It must formulate policies through which this armed rebellion should be tackled from different angles. A big no, would be in using more force or using the Army.

But at least for now, when the government is depending only on the police, it must not shirk from its duty of giving proper facilities and more importantly, arms and equipment to the men in uniform, who are after all fighting for the safety of the people. 

A Meaty Affair

-By  Sushma Amatya

Meat and men are closely connected since prehistoric days when in our primitive stages, our survival depended on meat. We still carry the taste for the flesh of another animal in our ancient genes handed down the generations, though some people have successfully overcome the basic desires. Down the centuries, with more choices in food and meat getting more expensive by the day, non-vegetarian fare is increasingly becoming a luxury for the common people.

In Nepal, no matter how poor they may be, the common people indulge in blood and gore, flesh, bones and skin wholeheartedly once a year during the festival of the year, the Dasain or Dasahara festival. It is a time to indulge in a variety of meat delicacies for the rich. Dishes made out of fish, chicken, duck, goat, buffalo, deer and so on fight for their place on the congested table. It is truly a meaty festival.

Weighed to death: Dasain becomes dasa (curse) for animals.

The air starts to reek with the smell of uncastrated goats and their pitiful bleating mingle with equally pitiful bleating of their castrated counterparts weeks ahead of the major event. Amidst the cackling, clucking and mooing (of the buffaloes), a brisk business takes place with much haggling over the prices. A majority of the Junta make sure they buy their livestock well in advance so as to avoid the sky rocketing prices as the main days draw near. Those who have neglected to take the precautionary measures are forced to pay through their noses, like say a thousand rupees for a chicken on the Astami day.

Some farsighted families get their goats from the Terai regions through their relatives a month or two in advance; enough time for them to fatten their future sacrificial animals. One such family was dismayed to find their temporary pet drooping looking half dead, squashed between other four goats after 18 hours journey in the luggage compartment of a bus. There actually was some bad vibes between the family whose goats on the sides fared better and the family whose goat was crushed in between. It sure must have lost a kilo or two during the stressful journey and that was plenty of meat! However, the goat quickly regained its weight and found its way to its maker soon enough leaving its body to be transformed into tongue titillating preparations.

Meat sure poses a problem when deep-frozen, discovered another family much to the delight of the children in the house. They had saved a big chunk of their kill for the relatives that would be visiting them for Tika after a couple of days. The day arrived and the master of the house took out the ice block with meat inside early that morning. The efficient refrigerated had done its job well and the whole family chipped in to pry the stubborn chunks of ice apart; hammer, screw drivers, heavy metal ladles et al. When the guests arrived they were still at it.

Almost each and every part of the animals is transformed into eatables. Blood, digestive organs, lungs, brains and you name it. Some meat is set aside to be dried in the normally strong rays of sun at this time of the year, to be made into Sukuti. Much to the dismay of Sukuti lovers, there came heavy rains for full two days and the meat rested in the ice chambers. Once the sun came out, the meat hung out in full glory. “Now, this looks and feels like Dasain,” remarked many.

Some vegetarians around the year relax to partake some meat this time in deference to the goddess Durga for whom the sacrifices are made. These are the Dasain only meat eaters. Strengthened with the strong doses of protein, they go back to their roots, leaves and seeds and remain chaste till another Dasain. The satiated meat eaters who have downed quite a few drinks ‘to digest the huge intake of meat’, struggle on their feet after the long holiday of nine days. It is back to the grind now. What an orgy of eating this Dasain is; accompanied naturally by drinking, gambling and visiting relatives most of whom you see only this time of the year.