What cooks in Maoists’ kitchen?

The Statesman, 8 December

It is mentioned in the Interim Constitution that Nepal’s government will hold elections to the Constituent Assembly before 15 December. If the parties in the government and the Maoists fail to amend the constitution with a two-thirds majority within the next nine days, the country will be trapped in a constitutional crisis.

Though constitutional experts have been claiming that the terms of the constitution have been violated numerous times by the government and the Maoists, failure to amend the election date will openly declare the failure of the constitution.
That might also herald the failure of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between Nepal’s government and the erstwhile rebels, the Maoists.

In such a situation, the Nepali Congress, the largest political party of the country, could join hands with other democratic forces to oust the Maoists from government with the help of the Nepal Army. Fearing this, the Maoists have thrown the nationalist card. The nationalist card has always been effective in Nepalese politics, especially among royalists and the elite.

The Maoists have taken refuge in nationalist slogans as they were left with no option but to prove their popular support through the elections. And they know that they will lose miserably if the polls take place soon.

But it is unfortunate that Nepal’s national army seems to have fallen into a trap set by the Maoists, monarchists and the regressive elite.

Recently, Maoist leader Prachanda claimed that he had had discussions with the generals about the country’s situation.

The Nepal Army that was so prompt to oppose Prachanda when he said the Nepal Army was a bunch of rapists and murderers has kept quiet on the issue. The conspicuous silence provides space to believe that something is cooking between the Maoists and the Nepal Army.

The question here is this: Is Nepal on the brink of losing its national identity? If we were convinced by the Maoists and other radical nationalists, we would not be raising this question. Rather, we would be going all out in any capacity to defend our nation. But that is not the situation. We believe that the nationalist card thrown now is only a ploy to defeat democracy, as Pervez Musharraf did in Pakistan and as the generals are doing in Bangladesh.

It is a conspiracy hatched by both the monarchists and the Maoists who are destined to get sidelined if the elections were to take place and the people get a chance to speak their minds freely.

The Nepal Army should understand that the Maoists are trying to infiltrate it. Maoists know that except for the people’s vote and the Nepal Army’s firepower, nothing can stop them from taking over. Let us all be realistic and help the Maoists get rid of their unattainable and unsustainable aspiration of establishing a one-party Communist republic.

The Kathmandu Post/ANN