Roadmap To Peace-Maoist Way

Finally, maoists have come up with their version of the roadmap to peace. It seems that they are more than eager to join the mainstream. Decade long war must have ravaged their hopes and aspirations of a communist Nepal. However, it is a good sign towards establishment of sustainable peace in Nepal. According to Kantipur, the following are the blocks of ice we need to break to give a way to sustainable peace.

1. declaration of a ceasefire

2. finalisation of code of conduct

3. formation of talks team

4.release of political prisoners

5.starting talks, dissolution of the old parliament, constitution and government

6. formation of an interim guideline and government by holding a political conference with representation from the political parties, civil society and renowned personalities of different sectors

7. setting of electoral constituencies by ensuring the representation from people of all classes, castes, sectors and genders

8.holding constituent assembly elections under reliable international supervision and restructuring of the whole state structures including the People's Liberation Army and the Royal Nepalese Army as per the popular mandate expressed through the (constituent assembly) elections.

It seems feasible to me. What do you people think? May be the political parties might think otherwise of points like dissolution of parliament among others but for me, it is perfectly fine to dissolve the parliament. After all, these leaders should have been out of office long time back.

Prachanda To Lead The Maoist Talk Team

Yet another surprise in our favor. Prachanda is going to lead the maoist talk team meaning they are real serious this time for sustainable peace. Recently two maoists leaders, Yadav and Magar, were released by the government to create an conducive environment for talks. Nepalnews writes:

"Mahara might come to create conducive environment for talks but our chairman Prachanda will led the team for talks this time,” Yadav said, adding, “The talk will be held between Prachanda and Girija for it to succeed.”

However, the maoist leader, Yadav is not happy with the progress made by the government so far. Moreover, he expressed doubt over the honesty of the political parties. Nepalnews further writes:

“As the political parties are not honest, international mediation is a must to make the talks results oriented,” Yadav stated.

It is not just the sentiment of Yadav. We don't trust these politicians either. However, we are short of alternatives forcing us to surrender to these leaders. Moreover, the demand of international mediation could become an issue of debate in the political circle as the government has been ruling out any mediation in the talks. If maoists insist on mediation, it should not be a problem. We should get some responsible body not only to mediate talks but also to supervise the proceeds of the talks.

Former Ministers Arrested, Security Chiefs Laid Off

A respect for the wishes of the people?
A democratic action?
Is it fair in all respects?

These questions are not easy to answer but yes, the news is true. Five former ministers have been arrested while three security chiefs have been suspended from work. Among the arrested are Kamal Thapa, Rameshnath Pandey, Shrish Shumshere Rana,.Tanka Dhakal, and Nikshya Shumsher Rana. Meanwhile Himalayan Times writes that Inspector General of Police Shyam Bhakta Thapa, Inspector General of Armed Police Force Sahabir Thapa and chief of the National Investigation Department Devi Ram Sharma have been suspended from their posts.

A new step to crush those who went against the whims of the people but it is largely seen to be unfair by those scepticals who think that maoists can't be granted freedom if we are to fair to everyone. Why are we giving a chance to maoists while arresting these people? Is it not just because we have to compromise with the maoists while we can do away with these people? We should be fair in every respects.

I believe we should let everyone start a new life. What do you people think?

Is Girija Ditching Nepalese?

The pain of the death of more than 20 people has not gone down but the parties seem to be back on their original agendas about the functioning of the society. The reforms wanted by different parties are different. The major issue is of course the fate of monarchy. Most communist blocks obviously press for a republican set up but Congress, one of the major alliance seems to have distanced itself from the republican idea. Hindustan Times writes:

Insisting that he was not a republican, Koirala on Wednesday said Gyanendra could be a ceremonial king like the British queen. At a meeting with a delegation of the South Asian Free Media Association, Koirala asked: "What is the harm if he stays as Lord Pashupati?"

Is he ditching the general people? Is this for what we agreed him to be the primeminister? I have always been sceptical about the ideas of Girija. He seems to cling to the idea of monarchy despite the catastrophic actions that have come forth from the monarch in the last couple of years. However, he agrees that he will accept the fate of monarchy as decided by the people. But, look at his haughtiness. Hindustan Times further writes:

Forever a centrist, Koirala defined the ceremonial monarchy-multi-party democracy combination as "borderline" to the republican system. "I've nothing to say if the people want to cross that," he said. "I'm expected to lead rather than being led by popular opinion."

What does this guy think of himself? Look at the last sentence. Agreed, leaders should lead but they are elected to lead based on the popular opinion. We are not their slaves. We decide what should be done and he should be the one to execute.

However, on a positive note, Communist parties have been respecting and capitalizing on the sprit of the people. They are for a republican set up, clearly appreciating the sentiments of millions of Nepalese. Hindustan Times writes:

To a poser on the NC's stand, UML's Madhav Nepal said: "People are above the Nepali Congress, in fact, above all parties, who have to respect their views.Nepal doesn't need monarchy. We are for a democratic republic."

So, what will be our future? And what do you want to see?

(ps: based on article by Vinod Sharma,Hindustan Times, May 10,06)

In-Fighting Continues Among the Parties

These leaders are again faced with the same old dilemma. The power-hungry leaders never seem to change despite the strong protests from the public. A recent meeting of the SPA alliance failed to name the speaker of the house due to serious differences among the parties. The expansion of ministries is awaiting the decision on the nomination of a speaker. Himalayan Times writes:

A meeting of the seven-party alliance today failed to take any decision on the expansion of the Council of Ministers and announcement of the name of Speaker.According to Amik Sherchan, chairman of the People's Front Nepal, the meeting which was held at the PM's residence in Baluwatar this morning, concluded inconclusively following a dispute on the issue of appointment of Deputy Speaker Chitralekha Yadav as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. NC-D proposed Yadav’s name and CPN-UML outrightly rejected her and proposed Subas Chandra Nemwang’s name.

Are we going to have changes for real? What if this in-fighting continues for long? Will the regressive forces become active again? What will be the impacts on the peace talks with the maoists if such tussel for power continues? These are the questions that bothers my mind. I do not understand how these leaders can be so indifferent to the sentiments of the people. They are always for party-politics when in power. Only when they are out of power will they act largely in unison.

What should Nepalese do to make these leaders understand that we do not encourage such delay over the nomination of ministers and proper functioning of government before we start peace talks and consequently election to CA?

UML Threatens the Government

CPN-UML has threatened to walk out of the government if its demands of bringing the army under the purview of the parliament and the government, scrapping the Military Secretariat and the Raj Parishad, changing the national anthem and rechristening the Royal Nepalese Government were not met-writes Himalayan Times.(May 10,Ktm)

UML by its nature is more inclined towards a republican set up than another major alliance Congress. Therefore, it is not surprising to see UML taking a lead to revamp the nation. Though they should compromise with the allocation of ministries for the sake of the general interests of the people, they should not buzz from the demands in the like of scrapping Raj Parishad, and bringing army under the parliament among others. Moreover there is a need for a change in national anthem too. Why should we be chanting the praise of Gyanendra when he killed so many Nepalese? We really need to get away from such national anthems.

I still remember how maoists started the drive of changing the national anthem in their native areas. Though they replaced national anthems with their so-called revolutionary songs, that was a good start to get away with the main suppressor of Nepal for decades.

In addition, we seriously need to revise the name of our government. We are not the puppets of Gyanendra that our government be named as "sri-panch ko sarkar." It really sucks to have been lived under such a slave environment but what options did we have? We need to change the name to "Nepal Sarkar." I feel like UML is doing a good job pressing the government to take these bold steps even before the CA elections.

Despite the fact that I hate Maoists for their bloody revolution, I give them credit for bringing the monarchy down to the ground. Though we are not totally done with the king, there is a high chance that we will establish a republican set up. However, this came at the cost of more than 12000 lives. So, was it worth it? We are still to see the results but definitely we should lead the country to that level which pays a sincere tribute to the death of those people.

Comedian Hari Bansha Threatened

Who did it, it is largely in the dark but the same person who shot Dr. Hemang Dixit recently reportedly threatened Hari Bansha Acharya. It has been reported that the unidentified person called Acharya in his cell phone and told him that there was some business with him too.

Merosansar writes that the person who called had a serious tone and that he is largely assumed to be the same person the police has been searching in relation to the incident of Dr. Hemang. Acharya is concerned about his security but the government is yet to respond to that.

Hari Bansha Acharya's group "maha" had recently started a fund to help cure the victims of the protests against the king's autocracy with a donation of 100,000 rupees from their side. The threat has come at a time when people have been contemplating about getting rid of the King. Hari Bansha Acharya was highly keen in helping the injured in the protests. Is this the reason he was threatened?

Nothing can be said for certain at the moment, but definitely there are some criminal forces within the country who are against the right of people to decide their future.


(ps:to read more visit http://www.mysansar.com/)

Maoist Leader and CDO Come Together

Nepal is increasingly heading towards peace. Feeling of brotherhood and love has overcome many obstacles and chains that hinder the peace process. In what is seen as yet another step in the process towards peace, Maoist leader and a CDO have shared the same podium to address various issues, probably for the first time in the history of Nepal since the insurgency began in 1996. The leaders were talking in a program organized by INSEC in Rukum. Himalayan Times writes:

Speaking on the occasion Maoist in-charge of the district, Purna Gharti (Avash) and Chief District Officer Bal Bahadur Malla agreed that long-lasting peace could be achieved if a conducive atmosphere was created for the same.Both expressed commitment to the ceasefire. Avash said there would be long-lasting peace in the country if the problems were solved politically.He said eventually the Peoples’ Government of Maoists may be dissolved.Chief District Officer Malla, on the other hand, said he would carry out development activities in the district with the support and cooperation of all the people.

We need more of interactions like this so that the maoists can assimilate in the mainstream politics. The leaders of various sectors of society have to come together to build a peaceful and prosperous Nepal. Himalayan Times further writes:

CPN-UML district secretary Sher Bahadur KC said the people of Rukum, who have borne the brunt of war for the last 10 years cannot face another war.He said democratic republic should be established in the country through the constituent assembly.Chief of Maoist Peoples’ Government (Rukum), Barun Bantha Magar, Rukum secretary Anal, NC (D) secretary Krishna Rokaya and INSEC (Nepalgunj) coordinator Bhola Mahat also addressed the function.

I hope we will soon return to peace so that prosperity can bless us all.

(visit: Himalayantimes.com for original article)

Personal Attacks & UWB Hatred

It is amazing to see so many people coming to this blog and expressing their views despite its poor user interface. This blog was started to facilitate unmoderated comments so that people can speak their mind. However, some agents of UWB have been pissed off at the arrival of a new horizon in Nepalese blog atmosphere. The low level of personal attacks that UWB agents have been practicing can be a sign of their failure to appreciate the global competition and changing environment.

UWB agents, if you think there is a genuine reason in support of UWB moderation and if you think there are no alternatives, you are free to pursue your interests. However, writing comments full of crap and personal attacks disturbs the motto of blogging and interactions. If you truly want to comment or write personal attacks to save the face of UWB, you are more than welcome to write your comments in this thread. However, the people who write such comments have been just one or two. These stupid bunch of people are trying to take advantage of our advocation for free speech and unmoderated comments.

Again, I would like to reiterate our stance that people should be free to speak their mind as long as they have respect for others. I will not accept comments full of personal attacks in any other thread. Freedom of expression comes at a cost-respect for others. This blog is for the people who are rational. So, hold yourself off personal attacks and involve yourself in genuine discussion-my sincere request.

We Did Injustice-Mahara Admits

Finally have the Maoists admitted that they were involved in coercion and forceful taking of money and assets from the general public. This might seem as a positive step given their nature. They have agreed to return all those things they took by force through mutual discussions. They further said that they already have started the process.

In another note, Mahara has appealed for the release of all the maoists who have been imprisoned in Nepal and India. He hopes that this will facilitate the negotiation process. He also said that they are committed to the peace process.

I hope we will soon have peace in the country.

(source: http://krishnasenonline.org/)

Is this the End of Monarchy in Nepal?

For long have these "shah" people dominated Nepalese with their rule irrespective of whether they acted autocratic or went with the wishes of the people. The Nepalese people got themselves out of the "Rana" monopoly about half a century ago only to fall into the autocratic rule of another despot. Times changed, and so did the demands of the people. Referendum in the Panchayat era could not bring what people wished for. And, at last Birendra had to understand the global shift in the meaning of democracy and freedom in the year 1990. However, it was not enough.

The inefficiency and corruption of leaders gave birth to several problems. Regional discrimination coupled with corruption at the central level gave some fuel to the extremists. The birth of maoists marked the wrath of some of these extremists. However, these freaks took into arms to send our country back by several years.

Gyanendra thought he could save the monarchy from these extremists only to realize that he had thrown the monarchy itself into crisis. Now that the popular demand has been to oust the king, how will the events turn out in the future? The credibility of king has gone down, even those who used to revere him as the incarnation of god have started chanting "gyane chor, desh chod." So, are we going to have Nepal without a King? How is Gyanendra going to react? Is he still going to live in Nepal or will he send himself into exile? How will the international community react? These are the things that none can forecast at the moment.

What do you people think about it? Do you think we can set up a "Republic Nepal?"

Habit dies Hard: Can Maoists Change?

Despite the apparent change in shift towards peaceful Nepal, Maoists in Nepal have not left out the old methods of coercion back in the jungles. They still involve themselves in forcing people to attend their programs. Previously they forced people to join their army, now they force people to attend their mass meetings. Either way, coercion is their lifeline. Himalayan times writes:

Passengers were left stranded here on Monday after the Maoists forced them off their vehicles to participate in a mass meet organised in Phidim, the district headquarters.Besides the passengers, the Maoists also took with them two members of each family of the rural areas in the district, locals said.Pilgrims bound for Pathivara were also left in lurch. After forcing all passengers out of commuter buses and cargo trucks, the Maoists captured the vehicles, said a pilgrim, who was forced to walk for 18 hours from Gopetar of Panchthar to Phidim. Some people left for their destinations on foot, he said.

How can we trust these people when they don't know the meaning of democracy? In the name of freedom of assembly and speech, they are forcing people to attend their programmes. As said in the text above, people have suffered a lot and these freaks don't give a damn about it. When will they learn to respect the rights of people? If they are to involve themselves into such activities, how are we to trust them? A big question mark ...?

(source:Himalayan Times http://www.thehimalayantimes.com)

Prachanda to become Public

One step positive. Prachanda has agreed to come out of his cave if the prospects for peace become certain. He said this in an interview with the journalist Bhoj Raj Bhat. He talks about one and all issues in the exclusive telephone interview which can be played in Merosansar. Basically his points can be summarized below:

Who is Richard Boucher to call us terrorists and to determine our fate? We, the Nepalese should have the full say as to what we want in our country-Prachanda roared.

SPA decided to go for the formation of government and re-instatement of the parliament against the agreed agenda between SPA and Maoists. However, now that they have agreed to talks, it is no more a pressing issue.

Maoists are 21st century communists. They are not a group of dogmatic people. They are not fundamentalists.

Regarding the supervision of the rebels and army during the election, Prachanda was of the view that during election, both the parties should be kept under the supervision of some reliable international organization like UN and consequently after the election, there should be the formation of a new army comprising both rebels and army.

Maoists have no connection with the Indians and there should be no public illusion over this.

Democratic republic is and should be the goal of all of us. That is the desire of Nepalese. SPA should respect it.

Express your comments over his interview.

(ps:based on the interview which can be played in Merosansar http://www.mysansar.com/)

Abuse of Privileges by the So-Called VIPs

Several VIPs who have had high level government posts in the past have been abusing the security people. Kantipur says that despite some provisions against such abuse, it has been in practice.

Senior officers of all three security agencies have been obliging their previous bosses by illegitimately providing security guards, communication equipment and weapons, even after the latter left their offices. The beneficiaries enjoy the facilities for the favors they did to security officials.Security personnel posted at such so called VIPs' residences are often misused for washing clothes, cooking/cleaning, paying utility bills and driving.

This is a really bad trend which has plagued Nepal for long. Even during the multi-party era, this was there in place and now also it is continuing. Kantipur further writes:

Former Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi is one of such VIPs enjoying the continued service of a dozen security personnel at his residence. According to our source, the privilege is due to Shahi's contribution in transferring his relative SSP Kesh Bahadur Shahi to the post of chief of District Police Office, Hanumandhoka. Kun Dev Shah, a security personnel, washes clothes and cooks food for the former minister.

What are these so-called VIPs thinking? They are treating the government employees as their slaves. They should be dealt with properly, otherwise this trend will continue. The leaders have been cited for misuse of power and authority among others in the past and we cannot be assured that it won't repeat in the future. Hence, Nepalese should be vigilant over such activities.

(ps:visit http://kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=73036 for the original article)

Breaking News: Ambassadors Called Back

In what is seen as a campaign to punish all those people who favored the King against the desires of the people during the last couple of months, many ambassadors to foreign countries have been called back. Kantipur writes that the ambassadors for the countries India, China, France,US,UK, Japan, Russia, Pakistan, Qatar,Thailand, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia are among those called back from their respective duties in those countries.

In the same note, all the political appointees made after Gyanendra took power have also been dismissed by the decision of the council of ministers, writes Kantipur. This might be a positive step considering the sentiments of the people. However, who are going to be the next batch of appointees? Are these politicians going to have in-fighting over the nomination for these posts again? We are yet to see further developments in this regard.

What do you have to say on this?

Against Communism, Socialism & Egalitarianism

Egalitarianism is the most poisonously false and destructive myth ever foisted on our people. Though it is contrary to even the most cursory observation of the real world, egalitarianism has its destructive power in its appeal to the inferior, to the envious, and to the resentful. It says to the loser, to the sluggard, to the dull, the clumsy, and the drab: "You are just as deserving as the winner; you are just as strong and agile, just as bright and creative, just as imaginative and energetic, just as brave and skillful, just as beautiful and admirable in every way. The only reason you are a loser and he is a winner is that you have been cheated, and he has been given an unfair advantage."

Dr. William Pierce wrote in the year 2000 for Free Speech under the title "Capitalism and Equality." And this seems to explain the "deep hole" inside the whole idea about communism, socialism and egalitarianism. This also explains the need for free market approach with personal liberty,respect for freedom and limited government. However, would this idea be relevant in case of Nepal? China is progressing with such a high growth rate despite the fact that it is still a communist state(It has liberalized its economy a lot in the last couple of decades though). What explains the failure of Russia?

We need to contemplate on the right mix for our country. Is a little bit of socialism required? USA is doing all the welfare jobs while advocating capitalistic policies. So, why not have socialism in Nepal? Nepal lags far behind other nations in terms of economic development but does this imply a significant role for the government to play? Should we have welfare programs? These are the questions for debate.

Another idea of this piece was to make us think on how we should move ahead with the development program. Should we have active government role or should we have the government as a facilitator? Should the government be limited to public goods or should it actively participate in the growth of other industries too?

The debate is open to you people...

Reconstruction of Nepal-Challenges and Opportunities

Look at the Picture of Fewa. It is so beautiful. Wish we could make Nepal as a whole equally beautiful by working together. (Pic courtesy: http://www.mirc.gr.jp/nepal1/jpg/pokhara.jpg


It is all too familiar tale that the maoists war has cost billions of dollars to the country. The damaged bridges, roads, public facilities including police camps are all in need of re-construction. And, this is surely going to demand hundreds of billions of dollars. But, how are we going to get it? A couple of alternatives:

1. Grants and loans and FDI from other countries as well as remittances-This is a good option if we get grants, however, we have to be careful with the loans as we have to repay them back. If the projects are not going to yield sufficient return on time, projects launched with loan money may proove too costly to the nation. Even with the grants, we should be able to prioratize the projects. Rapid transition to market economy is essential if we are to sustain growth initially boosted by foreign investment. Similarly, to trap remittances, we should create more incentives so that private sector invests.

2. Domestic Loans-This is a good option, however, I doubt if we can raise enough money to finance such high-order economic activities.

3. Increased money supply- It can be done in various ways by the intervention of central bank of Nepal. However, if we fail to grow the real output with the growth of money supply, we might find ourselves in spiriling inflation.

These are short term alternatives. In the long run, there has to be a well-developed financial system to foster market based economic activities. There has to be incentives for proper channelization of remittances as well as investment by NRN and even FDI as I mentioned above. State involvement has to be cut severely to those areas which direly need it. Other loss-making state enterprises should be privatized. So, this process "gradualism" towards market economy should proove the best alternative for Nepal.

What do you people think on this? What should be the initial priorities of the country? And, which would be the best source of funds for such activities?

What Should be Done to the Royalist Oppressors and Maoists?

We have all read the recent news made by our Home Minister that the oppressors of democratic movement will be brought to table. But, how are we going to do it? What about the maoists? Should we forget about their decade-long atrocities while thinking about punishing Kamal and his gang for their oppression lately?

I feel that we should be fair. Let all of them start a new life but we should make them realize that they did wrong. We should make them realize that it is the power of people that counts.

Another reason why we should let them free is that peace is not possible if we do not free all the maoists. If we are to free maoists who have perpetrated more crimes than Kamal and his gang, what is the basis of punishing Kamal and his gang?

This is a matter of debate. I want to reiterate my position: let all of them start a new life in a peaceful Nepal.

What do you guys think?

Is Brain Drain a Problem for Nepal?

The history of students going abroad to further their education has been quite long by now in Nepal. Nowadays, every middle class family dreams to send the children abroad for further education. The recent flux of students to USA is an evidence to this fact. Besides, many students go to India,China,Bangladesh, Singapore, Russia, Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K. and many other countries around the globe. However, the problem is not about students going abroad. Rather, the crux of the problem is that most of the students who go abroad tend to stay in foreign countries and work there. Many people complain that Nepal does not have appropriate opportunities to utilize the skills learnt abroad.So, the skills they gain in foreign countries are used in those countries and not in Nepal.

So, is Nepal gaining anything out of this? Yes, we are getting more and more foreign currency through remittances. However, is this enough? Are we heading towards a situation where there will be scarcity of intellectual minds within the country? This is a matter of debate.

I believe people should have the rights to decide their future. The responsibility towards home country should be left purely on the conscience of the individual. One should not be forced to work for home country.

What do you people think about this?

Are Maoists Terrorists?

No matter what, I term the maoists as terrorists. They have ruined the life of millions of Nepalese. Though the issues about caste discrimination, regional discrimination were relevant, the means they proposed were in no way acceptable. Yet, sometimes we have to compromise even with the terrorists, just because we don't have feasible alternatives to peace.

We should keep in mind that maoist revolution has claimed more than 13000 lives in the decade-long domestic violence. They have abducted thousands and forced many to join their military. One of the major violation of human rights has been the inclusion of children in the war. From my personal experience, I have seen many children under the age of 18 or even 16 fighting under their banner.

Moreover, has anyone cared to think how they have coerced the poor villagers ? The poor folks are forced to give donations. I remember one high school teacher saying that the maoists take a portion of his salary every time he gets it. Most people who are here are unaware of the real situation in the country side. I remember one of my friends saying that he was forced to cook food for the maoist guerillas in the middle of the night. These things have not come out to the media as the media rarely look inside the life of suffering villagers. The atrocities of maoists cannot be justified at all. They have claimed power in the rural parts through the guns.

And, recently I saw the video of Prachanda and Baburam crying in a guerilla show where they display the injured maoist guerilla dying and yet talking about freeing Nepal. Wow...what a comedy...did they ever cry when those 13000 people died?

These freaks have taken over the minds of thousands of innocent people. Mostly illiterate people have been easily swayed by the cheap propoganda of maoists. And the result: The mess of Today......

Most of us are aware that it was the government who killed more people but the initiation was from these maoist freaks. Had they not started the destruction of public facilities,infrastructures, had they not started bombing police camps, who would have responded? So, if you think that maoists are good people just because they killed less people, you are insane.

However, the time has come for negotiation. War cannot bring peace. It is time for reconcialiation. Yes, we should let them go free for the sake of our benefit, for the long lasting peace in the country. Yet, we have to remember all those atrocities and make them realize that they were wrong. Power comes through the ballots, not the guns!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should We Trust the Politicians?

Nepalese politicians are among the most notorious. Can we ever trust them? However, do we have alternatives? Should we trust them?
How about we, the civil society, maintain a constant watch over their actions? Does this help us achieve our goals?

Express yourself...

Should there be a quota in government jobs for the minorities and under-represented groups in Nepal?

We, the people tired of UWB moderation, are here to speak out as loud as we can, without any fear of moderation. UWB, yes, we hate moderation.
Our first challenge is to stimulate pure discussions among the Nepalese intellects. And again, UWB, without your moderation.

Here we go guys!
Lets start....

Should there be a quota in government jobs for the minorities and under-represented groups in Nepal?