Kathmandu: The Maoists appear to have acquired two-pronged policy of late.

This they have done so mainly after two of their hard-core polit bureau members were handed over by the Indian authorities to Nepal which is talked to have weakened the insurgency from within.

High placed sources in the capital also suspect the Indian design, which might come heavily down against the insurgency, should Nepal yielded to their “genuine” security interests.

Unconfirmed reports have it that the Indian foreign secretary is returning home “pleased” which means that the days ahead for the insurgent leaders in India would be a hard nut to crack with now.

Jokes are in Kathmandu that says that India handed over two hard-core Maoist leaders when Nepal agreed to buy two choppers at a price stated by India and could even deport the top-hats of the insurgency should Nepal accepted the terms and conditions of India on a variety of known and unknown issues including water resources, trade, and commerce and a host of others.

Be that as it may, the rebels of late appear to signal that they were all prepared to come to the negotiating table provided the UN System mediated the talks. On the other, the insurgency is forcibly kidnapping hundreds and hundreds of school children and teachers apparently presumably to train them all as their primary army inorder to face the challenges posed to their insurgency by the RNA.

The fact is that the talks of UN mediation on the one hand and kidnappings of innocent school children on the other does hint that the insurgents wish to go in for a major offensive against the establishment’s security some time in the near future. The abduction of the children by the rebels could have been inspired by the logic that they could be used as human shields as and when the RNA comes face to face with their own militia.

Clearly, the RNA would think twice prior to attacking the other camp for fear of the innocent school children being killed for a fault which is not their own making.

The Maoist rebels are clever but the trick they have acquired for gaining a superiority over their enemies at time of the battle seems some what contrary to the rules that are usually taken for granted at times of war.

Be that as it may, analysts also disagree with the government’s claims that the Maoist insurgency were now an already weakened force which could further be weakened is a misnomer.

Albeit, no major offensive have come against the RNA in the recent days and weeks from the other camp, but to conclude that they were already a spent force would be an act to console oneself in a dark room.

It is time that the Maoists spell out their real intention. Whether they are serious on UN mediation or had other options in mind, they must clarify at the earliest.

The population would wish the Maoists coming to the table. Nepal as a nation-state can’t afford to see the dead bodies on either side, as both were the sons of the same soil.