At long last, the government of Nepal having realised the
seriousness of incidents relating to Maoist menace announced the establishment of a
high-powered special committee on 1st December to look into the Maoist problem
and initiate a dialogue with them. The committee is to be chaired by former Prime minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba.
This announcement was preceded by a statement on October 12 by
G.P.Koirala former prime minister and President of Nepali Congress appealing to the
political leaders of all parties to help in solving the problem. He said "the need to
come up with an appropriate mechanism to move forward to end the Maoist violence has now
become imperative. Nepal, a small country cannot sustain itself for long if it allows such
violence to continue without any check." He announced a three pronged strategy of
dealing with it economically, politically and administratively though no specific details
were revealed..
Initially the Nepali Congress government looked at the Maoist
problem purely as one of law and order, a problem "wholly terrorist and
criminal" in character. Prime minister Bhattarai once threatened (Times of India,
August 4) that if the Maoists refuse to a serious dialogue to settle the matter once and
for all, "it will be a case of bullet for bullet." This statement was criticised
by many left oriented political leaders that a democratic government committed to
democracy "should not speak in the language of bombs and guns." Easily said than
done.
On the other hand, as early as May 1999 Prachand, leader of the
People’s war movement in a reply to one local newspaper, on the question of talks had
said "We do not know that the government has ever called us for negotiations in an
honest, authoritative and serious manner. We have always made it clear that we are not
opposed to negotiations in principle. But in a statement after the full plenum of its
Central committee, on August 4, the party ( NCP maoist) announced a restructuring of its
military organization towards the "lofty goal of constructing base areas" and
for forging a joint struggle of all "leftist, progressive, patriotic and pro people
forces."
Many suggestions have been made to meet the menace from one
extreme to the other but none appeared to consider the problem in all its aspects. One
suggestion, perhaps from the Ganesh Man Singh Peace campaign, was to provide monetary
incentives in terms of cash and land to the misguided Maoists. As expected some of the
Nepali Congress leaders strongly objected to the suggestion as this would encourage people
to indulge in terrorist activities while the victims would remain uncompensated. As one
local newspaper said (Nepal Jagaran of July 19) "anyone can now pose as a Maoist,
surrender before the government and become rich." On the other hand, when the
government seriously set about tightening the anti terrorist laws of the country with the
introduction of the "internal Administration (amendment) bills, all the leftist
parties of some standing the ML, the Unity center, the Masal, the MLM, the Marxist, the
United, NWPP, the National People’s movement Coordination Committee and the United
People’s front jointly voiced their opposition to the bill that it deprived people of
their rights!
The government was placed in a dilemma drawing flak both from
within and from the opposition. It was left with no choice but to form a high-powered
committee to go into all aspects of the question and initiate a dialogue with the
Maoists..
A list of major incidents from May 1999 to October 1999 is
appended with this paper. It could be seen that the major brunt of the problem has been
borne by the two districts of Rolpa and Rukum of Mid Western Development region and the
Gorkha district of western Development region. Rolpa and Rukum are far removed from
Kathmandu the capital, economically backward and thinly populated with very few roads.
It is estimated that till last month from March 1996, a total of
1060 people including Policemen, Maoists and civilians have lost their lives and another
2000 have been wounded.
Some of the incidents like the abduction of Thule Rai the Deputy
superintendent of Police of Rukum, the ambush and killing of the Deputy Superintendent of
Police in Kalikot district are serious and disturbing. In one of the encounters in Gorkha,
Suresh Wagle, an alternative politburo member of the party was killed. Retaliatory strikes
in response to the killing were made by the Maoists in many districts. Thule Rai is still
in the custody of the Maoists.
Perhaps the most spectacular event was the coordinated attack on
the night of September 22 when Maoists exploded bombs at different places in 25 districts
of Nepal. A bomb was exploded at the house of Superintendent of Police Krishna Bahadur at
Kalanki and in the ancestral residence of Home minister at Birendra nagar. Other targets
in the co-ordinated attack were Police Posts, a movie theater and some branch offices of
small farmers Development Project and of an Agricultural development bank. Though there
was no lost of life, there was extensive damage to property.
Reports indicate that the government of Nepal is now quite
concerned with the Maoist menace. The announcement of a high-powered committee to open a
dialogue with the Maoists is a good sign. There is realisation that it is just not a law
and order problem but one having deeper ramifications affecting the social, economic and
political fabric of remote regions of Nepal.
APPENDIX: Major Incidents since May 1999
May
9 : At Liwang in Rolpa, Maoists attacked an army team escorting
ballot boxes after the poll. 2 soldiers were killed.
June
11: About 200 Maoists in army uniform attacked a police post in
the Badarnak VDC with bombs. One policeman Krishna Dev Joshi was killed. The insurgents
tied 14 other policemen to a tree and took away 13 rifles and 2 revolvers. This was one of
the worst incidents when the Police Post was overwhelmed.
14: Police Post in the Laha VDC of Jajarkot district was attacked
resulting in the killing of 4 policemen and 6 others seriously injured.
23: In a two hours long encounter between Police and insurgents,
11 Maoists were killed at Kwang, Rolpa district. Nine weapons with ammunition were
recovered. 2 Policemen were injured.
27: One Maoist was killed in an encounter with the Police at
Bhirkot VDC in Gorkha district.
29: In an encounter in the forest of Jaktipur VDC, in Jajarkot
district, 6 insurgents were killed and large quantities of explosives were seized. 2
Policemen were also hurt.
30: About 150 insurgents attacked and set fire to a Police post
at Meche VDC in Kabhrepalanchok district. One Maoist was killed and four Policemen were
injured.
July:
10: 4 Maoist insurgents were killed in police firing at Ratandura
VDC in Sindhulamadi.
12: 2 Maoist insurgents and one Policemen were killed in a clash
at Awathing VDC in Surkhet. About 150 insurgents were involved in the clash. The
insurgents used explosives to damage the Police Post building.
13: Maoists looted the Police post at Phukot VDC in Kalikot and
killed 2 Policemen.
22: 4 Maoists were killed in a clash with Policemen of Pipale VDC
in Rukum district. Two muskets and explosives were seized from the insurgents.
23: One Maoist insurgent was killed and one Policeman injured in
an encounter at Thanwang VDC in Rolpa district.
24: The Maoists killed Bhakta Bahadur Gurung, a police Havildar
at Bhoteodhar VDC in Lamjung district.
Same day 2 Maoist insurgents were killed and 2 others injured in
an encounter with the Police at Parewa Danda VDC, in Lamjung district.
25: Insurgents bombed the office building of the Small farmers
development project at Halchok VDC in Gorkha district.
30: Kripa Ram Oli, Vice chairman of the Muru VDC of Rukum
district was brutally murdered by Maoists.
August:
4: Police Inspector Hari Singh Silwal was shot dead in Siraha
district.
5: Hom Raj Lohani, a member of the Tanahu district committee of
the Nepali Congress was brutally murdered in broad day light on the Prithvi Highway at
Tanahu.
8: In an encounter in Narayanpur VDC of Kailali district, one
Maoist was killed.
11: A deputy Supdt of Police, Kailash Kumar Chetri died on the
spot and one other Police man injured when their team 11 in number was ambushed in Paku
VDC in Kalikot district.
Same day , one Polic Havildar Khem Bahadur Khatri was shot dead
in Gorkha. The insurgensts also set fire to the building in the Gorkha Education Campus.
14: There was an exchange of fire between Police and Maoists in
Surkhet. No one was injured.
17: One Maoist was injured in the Thakurdar VDC of Bardiya
district in an encounter with the Police.
21: One Maoist was killed in an encounter with the Police in
Pokali VDC of Okhaldunga.
23: Two persons with 145 pieces of gelatine, 15 detonators and
fuse wire were arrested in Kuvakot VDC of Baitadi district.
Same day, in an attack on the Small farmers development project,
property worth 6.5 million NC (Nepali Rupees) were damaged. The building was razed to the
ground.
26: The Vice Chairman of Mahakali VDC of Rukum was abducted.
29: The Secretary of the Majhauwa VDC of Siraha district, Dhanik
Lal Mandal and his son were shot dead in Majuhauwa in Siraha district.
September:
11: A group of Maoist insurgents abducted and later killed Mitra
Man Tamang, of the security staff of the Khimti Hydro power Project in the Bhirkot VDC of
Dolakha .
12: Suresh Wagle an alternative member of NCP (Maoist) was killed
in an encounter in Gorkha.
13: 3 Maoists were killed in Rolpa district in an encounter.
Same day in an another encounter 2 insurgents were killed in Rukum district.
14: In yet another clash 2 Maoists were killed in Shriwang VDC of
Rolpa.
16: In Pakhapani VDC of Rolpa, 3 insurgents were killed in an
encounter.
18: A group of 20 insurgents killed Purna Bahadur Ale and
seriously injured six other family members in Narayankhola VDC of Sarlahi.
19: 3 Insurgents were killed in an encounter inKOL VDC of Rukum.
20: Dambar Jung Chand, a Maoist commander was killed in Kotwada
VDC of Salyan .
21: 2 insurgents killed in an encounter in Salyan
22: A Police Post in Mahat VDC of Rukum was attacked and seven
policemen were killed. One senior NC leader Purna Bahadur Budhamagar was also killed. The
chief of the local striking force, Thule Rai, the Deputy supdt. Of Police was abducted.
Same day, a Police Post in Jaktipur VDC of Jajarkot was attacked
with one Policeman killed and several others injured.
24: One insurgent was killed in Shova VDC of Rukum.
26: 50 armed Maoists attacked a Police Post at Bhimkhori in the
Shikharpur VDC of Kabhre district. 3 Policemen and one insurgent were killed and 4 other
policemen sustained injuries.
OCTOBER:
1: Krishna Prasad Aryal, a district member of the Tarun Dal of
the Nepali Congress and district member of the Tarun Dal at Bajhang VDC of Gorkha
district, was hacked to death.
3: 3 insurgents were killed in a police-Maoist clash in Mahat VDC
of Rukum. It is suspected that those killed were high ranking Maoists.
16: In yet another clash between Police and insurgents at Mahat
VDC Rukum, 6 Maoist insurgents including three women were killed.
22: One Nepali Congress leader Mohan Singh Ghimire was hacked to
death at Ishaneswor VDC in Lamjung.
26: A large group of insurgents attacked the Pakhapani Police
Post in Rolpa. One insurgent was killed with no casualities on the side of the Police.
29: 2 Maoists were killed in a clash with the Police at Gram VDC
Rolpa.
Dr. S.Chandrasekharan
3.12.99
