5 Questions

This week we decided to invite a few personalities belonging to different sectors of the Nepali society. This we did to know what the rest of the society members think of the ceasefire and the would be talks with the Maoists. It is this sector generally which remains neglected from the eyes of the Nepali mainstream newspapers.

Below the results-chief editor.

Cease-fire announcement is a welcome move

Mr. Hari Maharjan, Farmer in Kathmandu

TGQ1. How you Mr. Maharjan have taken the cease-fire announced by the government and the Maoists? Your comments please?

Hari Maharjan: The cease fire recently announced by the government and the Maoist insurgency is a very welcome move whose positive impacts are likely to emerge in the coming days. This will definitely enhance the speed of the now stalled development of the country.

If we all unite and work together, things will become easy to accomplish.

In my opinion, if the government and the political parties wish the prevalence of peace in the kingdom, then they all must work together to guarantee a permanent peace in the nation. The government and the political parties must work together in the larger interest of the nation.

The Maoist insurgency had created a sort of fear and terror in the minds of us all the farmers. We had a constant fear in our minds as to what would happen the next second while working in the fields. Now that a cease-fire is there, we have heaved a sigh of relief and can now work in the field without nurturing fear and terror.

I thank all involved in the announcement of the present cease-fire.

If not a conspiracy, the ceasefire declaration is an exciting move

Mr. Bal Ram Phokeral, Biratnagar, Nepal

TGQ 2: Being a household, how you Mr. Pokhrel take this cease-fire? Your comments Mr. Pokharel!

Pokharel: If this is not a part of conspiratorial Political Drama then the declaration of the cease-fire is definitely an exciting matter for me. The unfarsightedness and the unmanaged or unsuitable ideas, theories and plans of the political parties who ruled the nation for all along these thirteen years created a dangerous situation, which is in essence affecting our daily lives since the last seven years of the insurgency. Due to this political drama we have experienced increase in the prices of various commodities, which is badly affecting the people having low-income and other difficulties pertaining to the deteriorating law and order situation in the country. Definitely those were the terribly difficult days for us specially those engaged in simple household activities. Due to the degrading security situation in the past, people were in doubt that once they come out of their homes whether or not they could meet their family members in the evening.

Due to the declaration of cease-fire there is a ray of hope among the people that the lives will be better in the days ahead. But what is the guaranteed? But yet let’s hope things will improve.

In a family peace plays a vital role not a war and fighting. I think everyone, those engaged in the talks and the lay men as well, should have a positive view towards this new development.

The talks should proceed taking political parties in confidence

Mr. Rabi Hamal, High Student, Kathmandu

TGQ 3: Mr. Hamal, Are you excited and hopeful with the recent declaration of cease-fire?

Mr. R.Hamal: One knows that the talks will be held between the King or his nominee and the Maoist but not with the people’s elected candidates. I will be excited or even hopeful if this talk would have been in between the Maoists and those representing the peoples in the parliament. This is not democratic. So as you think, I am not excited or even hopeful.

I hope this conflict will be peacefully resolved by means of talks

Mr. Raju Prasad Upadhya

TGQ 4: How do you take this cease-fire declared by Prachanda and Baburam?

Mr. R.P.Upadhya: This is really a positive move taken by the two sides. This will certainly help this country to be in peace and the countrymen will be liberated from the ongoing conflict. With the declaration of the ceasefire by Comrade Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, there will be no more fear in the minds of the people. I hope this conflict will be peacefully resolved by means of talks.

Government should invite parliamentary parties to the talks

Mr. Ram Bahadur Karki, Businessman, Butwal

TGQ 5: Are you hopeful from the talks with the Maoists? Do you think Mr. Karki, political parties should be invited for the talks with the Maoists?

Mr. R.B.Karki: Firstly, I would like to thank you for your question. Personally what I think about the proposed talk is that this is really a good move towards restoring peace in the troubled kingdom. What we have seen since last twelve or thirteen years are just corruption, mal-governance and nepotism. Those handling the power were almost all corrupt and they even didn’t give attention to the poor and the marginalised people, which apparently forced Maoists to enter the jungles and fight against those corrupts. But here what I would like to clarify is that I don’t support the killings that the Maoists were involved in. Finally the King had to intervene to find out a peaceful solution to this problem, which he has been doing since long. Personally I think one should not consider those corrupts for the talks. But then yet being a democrat, I wish that the government invited the parliamentary parties to the talks and make the whole affair a transparent one.

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