Kathmandu: What is in this new man very exclusive and special that the Maoists insurgents who have through their fiercest activities have practically paralyzed the whole nation since six years or so could at his maiden call “suspend” their entire guerrilla warfare and give the panic-stricken population to take a respite?

This is the general comment of the Kathmandu intellectuals regarding the new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba whose Monday afternoon “appeal” made in the name of the Maoists tentatively for the latter to heed to his call and acted accordingly.

Deuba’s fervent call for the Maoists to shun violence immediately and his appeal to the insurgents to come to the negotiating table has apparently been taken in a positive manner by the other camp.

Deuba’s appeal was almost simultaneously reciprocated by Maoists movement Chairman, Comrade Prachanda alias Pushpa Kamal Dahal who has already notified his comrade-in-arms to bring to a total halt all the warfare tactics currently being utilized to harass the police force and ultimately the government in Kathmandu.

The sudden change in the insurgents’ overtures towards Sher Bahadur Deuba assumes special significance in the aftermath of the ouster of Prime Minister Koirala last week.

Scores of questions abound regarding this sudden “lovely” posture acquired by Maoists towards Deuba who has not even taken his oath of office and is yet to form his cabinet.

However, what is for sure is that the insurgents from the very beginning considered Deuba-Bhattarai combine as comparatively liberal than Koirala.

The fact is also that Koirala as the leader of the government always took the insurgency as “terrorist” in nature. Contrary to that the Deuba-Bhattarai duo considered it as a political problem.

Besides this Koirala and his tentative ‘hardline coterie’ considered the insurgency as a disease that needed surgical operation through the use of the guns and bullets while his opposition pushed the idea of dialogues which was tentatively backed by the entire political spectrum including the lay population.

Encouraged by the sentiments of the political parties, common men and of the Bhattarai-Deuba duo perhaps the insurgents concluded that the King could never send the army to contain their threats in the far-flung districts. However, things went against the insurgents. The army was sent but could do little to rescue the kidnapped policemen in dozens and dozens. The ground reality in Rolpa at the moment is yet unknown to the common men but it is becoming apparently clear that the army would still wish not to press their triggers against the Maoists.

Under such situation, the present Deuba overtures and his call for dialogue and the insurgents’ ready-made acceptance has got to be watched.

That Deuba can move ahead on his own could be taken for granted. In the past, Deuba under the command of the then Premier Bhattarai had, we were told then, enjoyed “one-to-one quiet dinner” with top hats of the insurgency at some Hotel in Patan. This means that Deuba personally knows them and could yet again invite the two top hats for “constructive and meaningful dialogue” through the use of little efforts of his own sources.

However, Deuba has tremendous limitations. For he can not exceed his limits as the nation’s Prime Minister and could only talk well within the framework of the constitution.

However, the Maoists will demand much more from him, which he can’t, and hence yet another deadlock. Because the insurgents will perhaps not “settle for less” because their ultimate demand is frightening.

Nevertheless, the dialogue process must resume at the earliest.

Notably, Deuba’s seriousness for talks is understandable because it was during his stewardship of the nation that the insurgents entered the jungles.

That Deuba needs cooperation from all the segments of the society including the international community is predictable. More so he needs real support from his detractors in his own mysterious party.

Undeniably, Deuba is a person who enjoys sympathy from all and sundry including hopefully from the Palace as well. Deuba could play a meaningful role in between the government, the Maoists, taking the opposition parties into confidence on matters of national concerns and the Royal Palace.