Nepal: Maoists Need To Be Ostracized
By John Lama*
Maoists are still adamant. Despite their professed commitment to peaceful democratic process, they have not ceased to
murder innocents, abduct people and extort money. Deputy Prime Minister Khadka Oli asked them not to resort to such
atrocities. Stating that the sustenance of the guerrilla force entailed a huge amount of money, Maoist supremo Prachanda
responded by asking the government to earmark a largesse from the national exchequer to support them. On the one hand,
it clearly implies that they are not going to eschew their brutal pressure tactics. On the other, how presumptuous it is
for the guerrilla leader to seek a sizable section of the taxpayers’ money in order to sustain the armed militias who
are hell bent on gruesome murder, loot and extortion.
The parliament, couple of days ago, was expected to make a historic proclamation curtailing powers and authorities of
the King who has been reduced to a pitiable pigmy in the aftermath of recent mass movement. But the failure of the Seven
Party Alliance (SPA) to arrive at any conclusion with regard to the elimination of the supreme position of the Royal
Nepal Army (RNA) - that is customarily held till date by the Nepalese monarch himself – prevented the reinstated House
of Representatives from fulfilling its commitment. This incident was greeted with widespread vandalism including burning
of tires and government vehicles, in different parts of the capital, thus forcing the Home Minister to appeal for
restraint. Despite their denial, it has been blamed on the Maoists.
When asked about the Soviet communists, Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States, once said, “We’re naïve if
we don’t remember their ideology is without God, without our idea of morality in the religious sense – their statement
about morality is that nothing is immoral if it furthers their cause, which means that they can resort to lying or
stealing or cheating or even murder if it furthers their cause …….. If we’re going to deal with them, then we have to
keep that in mind.” Reagan’s insightful observation is ineluctably applicable when it comes to analyzing the basic
characteristics of Nepal’s Maoist communists. They seem prepared to go to any extent if it serves their nihilistic ends.
It was an egregious blunder on the part of SPA to shake hands with Maoists who outmaneuvered the former into entering a
so-called 12-point agreement in New Delhi last year. Precisely because of that understanding with Maoist guerrillas, who
were bent on turning Nepal into a communist republic through violent insurgency, the movement against the ‘royal
regression’ had failed to garner Western support at the initial stage. In retrospect, Western governments were stressing
reconciliation among constitutional forces that inevitably included the King. However, Koirala tried to distance himself
from the Maoists as the movement progressively gained momentum. But the Maoists used, with exceptional finesse, various
national and international media to prove their active involvement in the popular movement that in the later phase,
morphed into an uprising against the institution of monarchy. It had already reached a point of no return and Koirala, a
one-time arch enemy of communists, had no choice but to kowtow to the diktats of Maoists.
Now, Koirala should have also realized that the ominous threat of radical communism is hovering over the sky of Nepalese
politics. The leader of the Maoist outfit has already presented his roadmap that, if not checked on time, will
ultimately pave the way for Nepal turning into a communist republic. The present government headed by Koirala, no matter
how powerful it claims to be, is seen to have woefully failed to contain Maoists’ insidious moves marked by
surreptitious involvement in various destabilizing activities. Instead of spending the political capital earned from
successful mass movement on giving a new direction to the tattered country, they seem mired in a fit of vengeance and
vendetta against the King, his supporters and the security forces. Tit for tat can never be a precursor to the creation
of a peaceful democracy based on enhanced socio-political culture. A vibrant democracy always demands a solemn
commitment to humane values on the part of entire stakeholders concerned. Similarly, democracy cannot be nurtured by a
government kowtowing to the evil diktat of extremist communists and hysteric outbursts of misguided mobs.
The more the democratic forces get swayed by the ‘evil design’ of Maoists, the more they are likely to be deprived of
the support and sympathy of the international community. In course of time, it might eventually be translated into
Western democracy’s growing support for the institution of monarchy as a traditional force potentially capable of
containing the communist/terrorist menace. It could also be a part of monarchy’s long term strategy aimed at undermining
democratic forces, at least, in the eyes of the Western World. It is true that when it comes to establishing and
promoting broad-based participatory democracy, the West today plays as significant a role as the people of a specific
country themselves. If the past experience is any indication, it would be either naïve or chauvinistic to think
otherwise. Therefore, it would be prudent for the democratic forces to devote their energy, effort and resources to the
sustainable development of democratic institutions on which the much-vaunted restructuring of the state can be endurably
built.
In this context, media and some of the mainstream newspaper organizations in particular, should cease to pay obsequious
loyalty to Maoist extremists. The way they have started a sordid tradition - of deifying guerrilla leaders by
highlighting with exceptional prominence their venomous interviews on the front page of the broadsheet daily and by
printing their photographs on the cover page of a sister weekly – should be urgently stopped. It is better for them to
present themselves as some respectful institution dedicated to professional objectives rather than a slavish mouthpiece
of a ‘terrorist outfit’. Professional integrity rather than vengeance or ingratiation - should be the guiding force of
media.
Maoists need to be strictly ostracized as long as they stick to their guns. If they are sincerely committed to peaceful
democratic order marked by broad-based and competitive pluralistic politics, they should act accordingly, including the
dismantling of their armed militia before going to the elections for constituent assembly. They should not harbor any
illusion that the Nepalese can be hoodwinked mere by their theatrical uttering and statements. The way they are still
terrorizing the entire Nepalese society compels one to draw a parallel between them and the Islamic zealots whose sole
objective is destruction. Democracy and destruction are two diametrically opposite poles. They cannot coexist. In the
meantime, democratic forces should also not forget that Maoists, by refusing, in effect to eschew terror and violence,
are not contributing to their solemn endeavor. Rather, they are wittingly or unwittingly engaged in the strengthening of
some forces that are still conspiring against the timely will of Nepal and the Nepalese. (05/17/06)
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(*Mr. Lama can be reached at johnlama @ hotmail.com)