Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Tackle it diplomatically

Our attention has been drawn towards the sudden announcement of a ceasefire by the rebel side last week. For a variety of seen and unseen reasons many a political forces, civil societies and a host of international friends have welcomed the ceasefire announcement and have concurrently urged the establishment to reciprocate at the earliest. However, the fact is that the government's side neither has fully endorsed the rebels' announcement nor has summarily rejected the offer.

This warrants thus deep analysis.

While the Maoists offer of a ceasefire is of a vague nature but then yet talks of the restoration of peace at least for three months which is a matter that could not be dumped out rightly for a variety of political reasons. But then yet the sudden announcement made by the other camp smells foreign connotation as has been claimed by an Indian daily last week which openly and very courageously declares that the fresh ceasefire declaration made by the Maoists were done in accordance with the instructions of the notorious South Block mandarins which has a track record of harassing neighboring countries as and when it suits their political interests.

Perhaps it is this newspaper announcement, which came into print and is there for all to see apparently made the Nepali establishment cautious in declaring its reciprocal initiatives to match those of the rebels.

Nevertheless, a panic ridden Nepali society as it is, hurriedly welcomed the Maoists statement, which only speaks of their inner desire to go in for peace at any rate and means. The society's feelings have got to be honored. After all, horrified denizens who have seen and witnessed the brunt of the violence and terror in the recent years would have done nothing less and more than welcoming the Maoists announcement. The feeling among the population is that at least their lives have got an extension for three months.

But then Comrade Prachanda, the son of this soil indeed, refutes the claims made in the Indian newspapers that he did so under the pressures from New Delhi. Ok! Let's believe him verbatim. But then the Nepali population's past experience has been that it were the rebel side that time and again disrupted the ongoing peace talks which meant that they did not want in effect a peace restored in their own country. These could be, let's for a moment presume, wild rumors spread to malign the very intents of peace of the Maoists by certain interested quarters but then still the ground reality is that the Maoists side has yet to control their own cadres who have been unleashing the same violence which was prior to the announcement of the ceasefire by Prachanda. How the Maoists justify these terror and violence even after the announcement of a cease-fire no less than a personality of the stature of Prachanda? Does it speak that the announcement Prachanda made was not in consultation with his lower echelon cadres? Or is it that the grassroots' cadre have begun sending signals to their top hats that they would henceforth not abide by the dictates of their Commander on such matters? Let's not bother about this nitty-gritty.

However, what could not left to the mercy of the Invincible is the opportunity thus provided so bafflingly by the other camp. Serenity and complete harmony has got to be restored by any cost. The rebel side might have some premeditated and "impressed upon" propositions, but then yet the offer is an offer and hence it would be advisable to the establishment, more so to the monarch himself, to exploit this opportunity so that the population within Nepal and international friends might not allege that the establishment did not want peace and that whatever it talked about peace were limited to rhetoric only for the consumption of the masses within and without.

Certainly, the manner the ceasefire announcement has come its way is dramatic and indeed a surprising one. But then yet it has provided an opportunity to proceed in that direction. If the announcement has come under pressure and duress, the response should logically be given by well consulting matching "equal and opposite muscle" so that the declaration of the announcement gets a befitting reply.

All the same, Nepal's friends abroad, for example, the European Union, has freshly told that any backing the country or for that matter the political parties needed in regard to the restoration of peace it was ready to extend such support and presumably such a support is not attached with strings as India does more often than not. So let's cash in upon this verbal assurance of the European Community to begin with. However, to what extent the country needed the EU's support is a matter to be decided upon by the authorities here.

Let's be pragmatic. Let's not suspect the sincerity of Prachanda in this regard. Even if he was forced to issue such a declaration, let's utilize it considering him as the son of this soil who better late than never has talked of peace though his declaration is being challenged right by his own lower rung cadres. Let Prachanda accept this fact. This is the ground reality. His intents could be sacrosanct indeed. However, the ground reality is different than what he claims. It is not for nothing that UML stalwart Madhav Nepal and NC leader Dr. Mahat have also reiterated the same the other day. Words and deeds must not differ.

His Majesty the King would do well if he understands the nitty-gritty of these entire political developments and devises some instrument so that talks could be made probable and peace restored. If he does so would also send positive signals abroad that would surely enhance his peace-credentials.

His Majesty the King knows how to deal with such sudden developments. However, these are few suggestions only offered with a view to encourage him to bear these responsibilities on himself as his ministers in the government don't understand the nitty-gritty of international relations. The prevailing "perplexity" is neither in the interest of the people nor of the nation.

Peace must get a chance again.