Pondering over COAS Rana’s TV interview

December 19, 2001
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Kathmandu: In what could be described as a rare tête-à-tête with the national media, the nation’s chief of the military staff has spoken his mind regarding the current situation more so specially after the imposition of a state of emergency in the country and the mobilization of the army to disarm and concurrently tame the Maoists insurgency.

Chief Saheb, COAS Monsieur Prazzwal Rana talking to the Nepal Television Monday evening made it known to all and sundry that “had we been not mobilized at this critical juncture, the nation and its security would have been badly jeopardized”.

In the process of the interview, Prazzwal Rana made following observations which is as follows:

a) We would have come out of the barracks had we been provided the proper mandate as per the constitution; b) we have been attacking the Maoists terrorists only after they attacked us; c) at the moment we are in the offensive indeed; d) we will act as per the government’s instructions; e) we been telling the government in the past that provide us orders constitutionally so that we could act; f) we are the military of the nation, we were as well the military of security; g) our objective is not politics but nation’s security; h) we do not wish to indulge in politics or whatsoever, however, we keep ourselves abreast with the existing national politics but yet we do not possess slightest wish to interfere into the domain of politics; I) since we were not provided proper mandate by the government in the past and hence we did not come out of the barracks and now that the government has provided the required mandate as per the constitution and thus the mobilization of the military has been possible; j) we too wish that no civilians become the victim of our attacks on the Maoists; k) the government is cooperating with the nation’s army at the moment, however, the other organs of the state appear reluctant in extending their support to the army; l) no time frame could be said of the disarming process because of Nepal’s topographical position. However, the time frame could be shortened should we all come together and face the issue by joining hands in hands; m) the press has vast role to play at such times of crisis. We have been supplying all the available information to the press, however, the details of the “operation” can’t be made public; n) One has to go deep into the origin of the issue: o) was it due to mal or mis-governance ? and finally the Chief of the military staff exhibited his pain as well in having been in a mission wherein Nepalese were being killed.

These were the important points, which the chief of the military staff divulged, in his perhaps maiden interview to the Nepal Television.

Among the many points the chief of the military staff made known for public consumption, we wish to analyse a few points raised by the chief of the Royal Nepal Army.

What becomes pretty clear is that the nation’s army remains well abreast with the ongoing politics of the nation though they do not possess a desire to interfere in it.

Equally important is Mr. Rana’s revelation that in the past, more so during the Premiership Koirala, the nation’s armed forces were not provided the required mandate as per the constitution for the mobilization of this force. To recall, a section of the congress paraphernalia had then wished to publicize that even if the government wished the military to go into action, the military did not obey the government orders. Mr. Rana’s fresh divulgence puts to rest the previous rumors, which were all aimed at maligning the glorious past of the Nepali Army.

More so, the military too wishes to go deep into the possible causes of the “origin” of the issue now in question. Implied perhaps is that the nation’s military too considers the emergence of the Maoists insurgency to be some thing related to abject poverty and lack of development in the country.

Lastly, the military too thinks that a fixed time frame for taming the threats of the Maoists insurgency can’t be bluntly declared at this juncture for the existing Himalayan terrain apparently were causing hurdles in accomplishing their “declared mission”.

This perhaps means that the state of the emergency could well be extended for yet another round.