The relations between the constitutionally recognized political parties and the Palace. The two main political parties – Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML – have begun accusing the Palace’s hand in the escalation of the Maoist movement. Recently, at a dinner at the Foreign Ministry, UML leader K.P. Oli even pointed fingers at the Palace saying that the source of the Maoist problem is the Palace.
Even Girija Prasad Koirala, when he was prime minister, during his weekly meeting with the King had complained to His Majesty about the role of the official and others of the Royal Palace. But when the King asked for proof, he could not give any.
Meanwhile, Home Minister has begun saying that there is a deep rift within the congress about the Maoist problem.
He had told his close confidants that former Home Ministers Khum Bahadur Khadka and Govinda Raj Joshi have begun saying that the Maoist problem would be solved with the change of the Home Minister. Now the Maoist problem has become the politics for chair within the ruling party. It would not be incorrect that the internal rift within the ruling party is one of the reasons of the escalation of the Maoist activities.
The Home Minister has also drawn a conclusion that the Maoist have infiltrated into the police, and they are getting information of the police activity from within the anti-Maoist cell of the police. The ministry’s conclusion is based on the revelation of a Maoist central committee member who surrendered to the Ministry. The Ministry has asked for explanation and investigation in the police and the police now look at each other with suspicion.
After the Maoists kidnapped police DSP Thule Rai, police activity against the Maoist has slackened. Police is in the defensive fearing the Maoists might kill the kidnapped DSP.
However, police will take departmental action against DSP Rai (after his release) and six other policemen under Rai’s command. They will be charged for surrendering before the Maoist and handing them their weapons. The police are taught in their training to run away if they can not fight.
Meanwhile, the Maoist high command has taken action against nine of its workers against the Harjung incident. In the incident several months back, 8 UML party workers were burned alive in their house in Harjung village of Rukum district. The Maoist take the incident has made their party unpopular among the people.
Meanwhile, the main architect of the Maoist activities today is not comrade Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, but a core group of four others. They are agriculture engineer Ram Bahadur Thapa of Rolpa, Khamba Singh Kunwar also an engineer from Sindhuli, Bir Bahadur Lama or Mahottari and Matrika Yadav. Now, comrade Prachanda ranks fifth and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai ranks 8th in the power hierarchy. On the sixth and seventh position are Kiran Vaidya and C.P. Gajurel.
History of the Maoist: The decision to launch a Maoist-style guerrilla war in Nepal was decided when Leonid Brezhnev in was in power in the then Soviet Union. According to former Prime Minister Marichman Singh that time the Russians main aim was to influence the students gone their under scholarship, both in education and ideology, against the US. Among them Ram Bahadur and Khamba Singh were given training in guerrilla warfare along with the Afghanis along with engineering course. Ram Bahadur had returned to Nepal in 1980.
After his return Thapa began giving training retired army personnel of the Indian army in Rolpa. Even that time he had tried to establish a ‘commune’ in Thawang of the district. But he failed because of the administration that time.
Meanwhile, according to a high level army source, during Brezhnev’s time, 84 boxes of arms and ammunitions had entered Nepal from Russia. That time Surya Bahadur Thapa was the prime minister here. Former Prime Minister Marichman Singh says, they could be brought by Thapa, and they could still be with the Maoists. Now, Khamba Singh Kunwar is the Maoist in-charge of Ramechhap and Sindhuli districts and Matrika Yadav is the in-charge of the Terai bureau of the Maoists.
Sources say the Maoists had plan to start Maoist warfare in Nepal since the early 80s. But it did not succeed because of the difference of Russia and China because China has a great respect to monarchy in Nepal.
According to a high level security officer, the Maoist war has full support of India and the Western countries. The Westerners want to spread their religion and they have not been able to do so because of the monarchy. Their main aim is to make Nepal a non-Hindu state. India, on the other hand, favour the Maoist war because of Tibetan issue and its economic interests.
On the other hand, the Maoists want to keep the security personnel on the defensive through traditional weapons. So, they are using ambush instead of bobby trap.
Again, according to another source, the Royal Nepal Army has submitted a report to the Royal Palace saying that the Maoists are likely to launch their attacks directly on 56 districts of the country. That could be the reason why the King send a letter to the Prime Minister and other political parties.
(Ravibar, October 3, Sunday)