Kathmandu: Prime Minister Koirala who was relaxing in his hometown must have felt a tremor of higher intensity and scale when he learnt of the Chief of the Army Staff Prazwal Shumsher Rana talking in a manner quite contrary to his expectations and assumptions.

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Monsiur Rana only the other day point blank told a Royal Nepal Army gathering that his troops were physically and mentally ready to go in for any sort of actions against the Maoists insurgents provided an “all party consensus” is reached in between the major political actors of the country prior to the army is deputed in the troubled areas.

The fact is that only a week back, the Army chief had tentatively acceded to the demands of the Prime Minister and his team that had went to the Palace to convince the King of the Army’s support in order to materialize the new scheme charted by the Koirala.

The sudden change in stance of the chief of the army unfortunately very glaringly explains the kind of relation that exists in between the government and the army at the moment.

The Prime Minister who remained confident that the Maoists insurgency will soon disappear from the national scene the moment the army enters into the areas where the Maoists rule the roost with carrot and stick. However, with this new condition put forth by Prazwal Rana, Prime Minister Koirala’s dream to tame the Maoists with the use of military force has all gone to the dogs.

A dumb found Koirala could not respond to a query of a media man in Biratnagar when he was asked to comment on Mr. Rana’s new vexing proposal. He however, assured the journalist that “he would talk” to Rana and then only can tell the rest.

To recall, the Nepali army has repeatedly been saying in the past that it would obey the government orders provided it is equipped with all party consensus.

Be that as it may, the puzzling condition put forth by the Army chief has come at a time when the Army fully knows that the Koirala regime is in a total mess and that the government can not garner the required support from an opposition which is in an almost inimical position with the regime and hence the deployment of the army were simply remote at least at this juncture as wished by Koirala.

In the meanwhile, two former Army Chief , Sacchit Shamsher and Gadul Shamsher, too through an interview in local weeklies have indirectly supported the views of the incumbent Army chief.

Notably, the agitating UML and its allies have already told the government that they would not come to the meeting where the government wishes to inform them all about the new package meant for the Maoists affected areas.

“‘ The talks with the government at this juncture is simply futile”, said a UML leader to a newspaper recently.

More shocking is the divulgence of Comrade Prachanda when he says that his party will not come to the table to discuss peace formulae with a government that is being discredited by all and sundry.

Summing up, the Army apparently prefers delay in the whole affair. This could mean that they do not wish to kill the Maoists. This finally should mean that Nepali army would prefer not to kill Nepali Maoists at least under Koirala’s command.

The Army’s changed stance might have emboldened the insurgents for obvious reasons.