Mediation needed a la’ Norway style

Despite the fervent appeal released by the Presidency of the European Union only last week suggesting the Nepal government and the Maoists to immediately shun violence and present themselves before the negotiating table in order to bring about a qualitative change in the deteriorating law and order in the country, the sudden increase in the hostilities in between the warring parties is simply surprising.

To boot, after the EU statement to this effect a considerable number of police men and innocent civilians have been killed in the process which could in no way be considered to be a wiseful act of the Maoists. The Maoists might possess their own justifications to these wanton killings that could be right in their own-forwarded perspectives, however, the killings are killings and no person on earth could applaud such inhumane acts in any pretext or the other.

What has gone wrong with the Maoists and the government in the meantime is difficult to understand? Considering the current spate of their standoff, what could be concluded is that only an early negotiation in between the two would ease the problem to a greater extent. How the two come to the table at the earliest has got to be facilitated by all and sundry including the international community who wish to see now a negotiated settlement in between the two almost established ‘forces’.

Since the over stretched war in between the government and the Maoists insurgents is taking its heavy tolls by every passing day, it would be advisable to the interested quarters in the comity of friendly nations to do the needful by assuming the roles of a tactful ‘mediator’ so that the two shun violence immediately. What is disappointing of it all is that both the government and the Maoists’ were killing Nepali citizens and that too very mercilessly as has been given to understand by the published media reports.

A mediatory effort a la’ Norway style that brought the Israelis and the Palestinians to the table would do if the government and the Maoists both agree to this scheme. Or else the warring parties could forward the names of the countries that they deem fit for this purpose. France, Denmark, Finland, Germany or even the EU could be few good names who on whom both the parties could bestow their trusts for the negotiated settlement.

It is time that the Deuba commission convinces the government to look in to the ‘conditions’ set by the Maoists for the talks that is long over due no. Resumption of talks is the only answer to this imbroglio be it known to all and sundry.

Coercive diplomacy!

The fake bundle of accusations hurled upon a sizeable chunk of the Nepalese population by the India today must be taken seriously by all sections of Nepalese society. The timing of the release of this preposterous allegation is equally dangerous, as it has coincided with the trip of Brajesh Mishra who is supposed to have handed over those ludicrous compilations to the Nepalese authorities for their consideration. A casual glance at the locally prepared material that accuses responsible citizens to have close links with the Pakistani intelligence services gives one the impression that it has been deliberately released at this critical juncture to scare Nepal to the extent that she pleads for Indian support for the maintenance and preservation of her, read Nepal’s, security interests. In essence, this is what India intends to extract from this small country where the number of RAW men perhaps should come to the tune of the half of the Nepali population. However, the Indian media reveals it just the otherwise.

The manner the Indian media wished to damage the credibility of a vast section of the civil society members, save a chosen few, bodes ill for the enhancement of the bilateral ties that unfortunately has witnessed many downs than the ups in the recent years. To a greater extent it could be fairly said that Nepal-India ties have of late remained the hostages of media on either sides of the borders. This is the crude reality. The Nepalese media being still in its infancy and hence the damage it might cause to the bilateral ties should be presumably less comparatively speaking. The fresh example is best provided by the India today report that has stunned the nation and more so the personalities who wish Nepal-India relations to flourish for mutual benefits. However this section wishes to see the ties expanding without any strings attached. India must say no to its coercive diplomacy that more often than not she applies in the case of her small neighbors.

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