Kathmandu: The Monarch remains undeterred The opposition parties who differ with the King’s last year October moves continue to exhibit their reluctance to honor the King’s fresh appeal wherein the King apparently has hinted that the peace process that has already begun needed their sincere support.
The Nepali Congress and the UML, the two major parliamentary parties appear determined to neglect the King’s latest appeal made from the Western region last week.
The Maoists have already become restive and have started hinting that they see conspiracy in delaying the happening of the supposed talks with the government.
The lame-duck government under Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has almost become defunct in the sense that except Minister Narayan Sing Pun, the rest of the ministers either have been told not to speak or they themselves have opted to remain silent. In the process, the government has yet to name its representatives for the talks with the Maoists. Not very surprisingly, it has been more than two months of the announcement of the ceasefire and the talks appear yet remote. However, minister Pun is differing the dates for the talks from this week to another which is only but natural to create panic among the Maoists who have come for the talks.
These discrepancies have elated those who wish the talks not to happen or even if it happened prefer the talks to fail unceremoniously.
The million dollar question is why some political leaders or for that matter political parties wish the talks to go astray?
Nepali population in effect had in their minds that the talks with the Maoists would begin after King’s return from India trip. But then the King has not only returned from India but has already been able to visit the Western region for receving feliciatations from the people of that part but yet the talks appear a distant affair. But why is the delay? Who is causing the delay? What factors could have blocked the initiation of the talks with the Maoists remains clouded.
The fact is that the delay in talks is creating panic among the majority of the population because for this segment peace is above politics. The people appear terrified with the fresh statements emanating from the Maoists stalwarts wherein they openly say that they see conspiracy in delaying the talks and that they would create havoc should the talks fail or should they be lured in the name of the talks. Considering the Maoists past and the devastation they caused to the country and its people all in the name of the ideological politics they adhere to prior to their coming to Kathmandu this time what becomes clear or should become clear to all and sundry that if the talks failed or were granted lesser concessions they might enter the jungles and would retaliate with even greater force. This is what Comrade Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal and his colleagues have been hinting these days in their speeches.
In effect they suspect the government motive in delaying the talks and say that it could be that the government under “international” instigation might be conserving “energy” to weaken the Maoists should the talks fail, if at all it talks it take place.
The government side is listening to their threat loaded statements and makes no comments which is no less than a surprise. What is more surprising is the total neglect exhibited by the NC and the UML regarding the Maoists fresh warning loaded with threats as if the Maoists would spare them should the talks fail and the rebels enter the Rolpa jungles.
Analysts opine that the Nepali Congress under Girija Prasad should take more interest in solving the Maoists imbroglio for it is this party that has lost hundreds of its active cadres in the villages and the districts. In effect the Maoists’ for unknown reasons had made the NC men their first target followed by the UML activists.
Analysts hope that these two parties will ultimately come to the scene and would contribute to the peace process.
” It is incumbent on the bigger national parties to convince the rebels to enter into the main political stream and honor the verdict of the ballots”, opine analysts adding that “to make them enter into the mainstream the peace process has to be participated in by the major political parties”.
The analysts lament over the aggressive and the nonchalant attitude currently being exhibited by the major political actors’ vis-à-vis the government-Maoists talk.
The international community too appears very much in favor of the talks with the Maoists. Selected Foreign missions based in Kathmandu have so far not entertained the demands of the Maoists for an appointment with their respective envoys. In doing so they apparently wish the talks first to take place and their meetings with the Maoists leaders would occur should the talks produce positive results.
Some missions have asked their Head quarters to indicate whether their envoys in Kathmandu should meet the Maoists or simply shift the meeting indefinitely.
Summing up, what has been irritating the population is the government’s delay in the announcement of its team and the dates for the talks to begin.
The Maoists are ready for talks. Population is more than anxious for the talks. The major political parties can’t object the initiation of the talks for obvious reasons. Friendly countries too wish the talks to resume at the earliest. Why is the delay then?