Diplomats see political and ideological dimension in the emergence of insurgency Galtung favors revision in the 1990 constitution

May 21, 2003
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Kathmandu: The Maoists issue and theirs coming to the negotiating table recently has become a hot topic for national and even international scholars.

What is common about them is that both wish the Maoists join the nation’s political mainstream and the State facilitated their easy entrance into the system and contribute to the development of the nation that has seen many devastation within seven odd years of the said insurgency.

National scholars and diplomats are quick to hint that the emergence of the insurgency had both social and economic dimensions. They opine that the insurgency is related to “frustrated expectations” that came with the advent of democracy, related to abject poverty that persists for a large percentage of the population related to poor and inefficient delivery of social services in areas such as education and health and related to inequality, exclusion and widespread discrimination.

Others see the presence of political and ideological dimension in the emergence of the Maoists insurgency in Nepal.

This was disclosed at a program jointly organized by Nepal Council of World Affairs and the Nepal Human Rights Commission Monday in Lalitpur.

The main speakers included NHRC Chairman, Mr. N.B.Khatry; Dr. Henning Karcher of the UN System in Nepal; Professor Joahn Galtung, and the office bearers of the NCWA.

Dr. Karcher opined that one of the greatest challenges to the current peace process that was already on in Nepal lay in addressing “the structural elements of violence, the nine-tenth of the iceberg which were not clearly visible as that over 8000 people who lost their lives through direct violence.

He however highlighted the importance of the observation of the Human Rights aspects while negotiating at the table and said that without respect for human rights there can be no peace and without peace there can be no observation of human rights.

Dr. Karcher pleaded for signing a sort of Human Rights accord by both the parties sitting in the negotiating table which he described that could be a credible and feasible first step to begin with.

The main speaker, Joahn Galtung, an internationally acclaimed Norwegian scholar opined that conflict was an incompatible goal and that ceasefire engages both conflicting parties in their own political interests and that peace process engages both the warring sides in an egalitarian way to achieve an egalitarian solution to the problem confronting both.

According to Professor Galtung, peace process has always an element of equality contained in it. He suggested the parties concerned first to draw a line for conflict resolution.

He then cited various examples of conflict resolution process wherein he had himself played as an actor and said that peace process once started follows negotiation which in turn paves the way for a compromise which then leads to arrive at some sort of an agreement that finally initiates acts of cooperation in between the two conflicting parties.

Prof. Galtung was of the opinion that sooner or later the Maoists could declare through a statement that they could adjust themselves within a constitutional monarchy and that it would be nice if the RNA and the People’s Army cooperated each other in the development of the country which if happened would mean that rifts were being lessened in between the two.

Professor Galtung though pleasingly accepted the Maoists demand for a round table conference and an interim government but he disliked their demand for a constituent assembly. In his opinion, the 1990 constitution which he considered to be one of the best in the world could be changed as per the demands of the Maoists in cooperation with other major parliamentary parties.

The Norwegian scholar, however, wished to congratulate the Maoists for he saw a change in the mood of the leaders of the insurgency.

“I am glad that they are changing their hard stance which gives an impression that they too wish to come to terms with the situation in the country”, added Dr. Galtung.

According to Galtung, the main national actors were the King ( the HMG and the RNA implied), the parliamentary parties and the Maoists and the international actors he saw were United States and the United Kingdom plus the Indian establishment. He however, did not elaborate on the possible role of the outside powers that in his opinion were influencing the whole process in a subtle manner.

K.R.Jha, the NCWA president lauded the ongoing peace process and appealed all to contribute to the installation of a sort of permanent peace in the country. Himalaya kumar Singh welcomed the guests. Dr. Gopal Pokhrel, the Vice president of the NCWA, however, warned that it was not necessary for Nepal to adopt the peace processes which were tried in the Western world for conflict resolution.

Sushil Pyakurel offered vote of thanks on behalf of the NHRC and the NCWA.