NATIONAL7Spotlight Weekly)]

Target Dolpa

As Maoist rebels propose dialogue after making a strategic attack, the role of security forces including military comes under review

By A CORRESPONDENT

As the ruling party was embroiled under internal conflict, the Maoist rebels broke weeks long lull by targeting Dunai, the headquarters of largest district in the country, Dolpa. Thousands of Maoist rebels, armed with socket bombs, pipe bombs and other explosives, attacked simultaneously key government offices and a local bank on early Monday (Sep. 25). The District Police Office and district prison were destroyed completely while the official residences of chief district officer and chief of police in the district were set on fire. At least 14 policemen were killed and more than two dozen injured seriously during encounter with rebels, reports said. The rebels looted nearly Rs 60 million in kind and cash from the sub-branch of Nepal Bank Limited, out of which Rs 35 million had been sent by the central bank only a day before. The rebels are suspected to have abducted 21 inmates and 12 policemen guarding the prison in Dunai along with them. Interestingly, two of the inmates have returned to the police.

Home Minister Joshi : In the dock

Though the sounds of explosives could not be heard in the capital, the assault by the rebels was a major setback to the G. P. Koirala government that is trying to intensify pressures against the rebels. And, a major boost to the morale of the rebels. The same evening, a statement issued by general secretary of the CPN (Maoist) party, Comrade Prachanda, reached offices of the major newspapers in the capital. "Our party is ready to hold dialogue with the government in an "institutional way," said the statement. The underground party even urged all the political parties that were involved in the drafting of the present constitution, to help create a congenial environment for dialogue. "Since we are sensitive toward the grave situation of the country and people at the moment, we are ready to hold dialogue with all the political parties and organizations," the statement said. "Our party is ready to hold dialogue on the issues ranging from minimum to maximum level," Prachanda said.

As the domestic and international pressure is mounting against the government as well as the rebels to start peace initiative, both the parties are reportedly trying to put themselves on a strong position while sitting for the table of negotiations. While the crisis of confidence between the government-appointed high level committee led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala did not help the matter lack of coordination between different security-related agencies got exposed during the fiercest Maoist attacks ever over the last five years.

Reports said army personnel stationed near district headquarters at Dunai did not come to save lives and public property despite repeated SOS call from the local administration. Analysts see it as an example of lack of a proper mechanism to deal with security threats. Chief of Army Staff, General Prajwolla Shumsher Rana, had recently said Maoist insurgency was a threat to the national security. But the recent episode proved that the government did not have any plans to deal with organized insurgent activities in a coordinated way.

The emergency cabinet meeting on Monday decided to take every security measures under the governmentís disposal to maintain law and order in the country. This would mean that the government would ask the military to help other security agencies to deal with the insurgency. But, will it happen?

The constitution of the kingdom of Nepal, 1990 (Part 20, Article 118) says, "His Majesty shall operate and use the Royal Nepal Army on the recommendation of the National Defense Council (NDC)." The three-member NDC, led by Prime Minister consists of the Defense Minister and Commander-in-Chief as its members. Since Prime Minister G. P. Koirala also holds the defense portfolio, the NDC now has only two members.

The latest event shows that successive governments over the last five years have failed to formulate concrete strategy and national consensus against the insurgency. Upon assuming office early this year, Koirala said he would `activate'National Defense Council. But it did not happen. Later, a government-appointed committee proposed to set up a 25,000-strong `armed security force'under the Home Ministry to deal with insurgent activities in the country. The government was still undecided. All it did was to recruit a few hundred police personnel as part of `armed police force'and got them trained from the army. This force is yet to be fully equipped.

Maoist Attacks : Target Dolpa

Nepali Congress leaders say the rebellion is directed against their party and democracy at large. "The series of murder of Nepali Congress activists by reactionary forces in recent years will never be able to destroy the ideology upheld by our party," said Prime Minister Koirala. The ruling party believes in constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy right from its inception. On the other hand, the declared principle of the Maoist movement has been to set up a 'people's republic'in the only Hindu kingdom of the world.

Besides ideological rifts, some analysts see wider implications of the Maoist rebellion centered in mid-western hills. The attempt to capture the strategically important district headquarters of Dolpa, bordering Tibet autonomous region of China, could have bigger implications at a time when the entire Himalayan region, ranging from Kashmir to Myanmar, is engaged in one or the other type of insurgency activities.

The opposition Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) was the first political party to put its views after the Maoist attacks. In Dolpa. It is the first duty of the nation to maintain law and order and solve problems in democratic atmosphere, the RPP said. This responsibility should be fulfilled through fresh dialogue and understanding between all the political forces in the country, it said. Other political parties, including the main opposition UML, had not made their views public regarding the Dolpa incident till Tuesday afternoon.

According to officials, more than 1400 people have lost their lives since February 1996 when the underground Maoist party launched its `peopleís war.'The insurgency has emerged as the single largest threat to the decade-old multi-party democracy in this Himalayan kingdom.