The Obstinate Monarchists

The Home Minister says the Maoists have not officially informed the government of the ceasefire.

The army says the Maoists have not been following the dictat of their own ceasefire.

Are these positive signs? Is this a government suggesting if the Maoists were to formally inform them of a ceasefire, then the government might respond to it? Is the state army saying even if there is no formal approach, if only the Maoists were to follow the ceasefire and not engage in sporadic violence and abductions, that the army would consider announcing its own ceasefire?

This is delicate territory, and we democrats have to be careful. Peace process is like the patient is undergoing heart surgery. We have to treat the matter that delicately.

So let's ponder upon these two moves by the government.

Another thing the Maoists will have to make room for is they seem to be the swiftest of the three camps. They are rapid response. The democrats are the slowest. The Maoists approach the democrats for talks. It takes the democrats two months to even respond. The king executes a coup, it takes the democrats over three months to respond. Similarly, the king and his men are slow. After a week, they are finally responding.

Let's zero in on this a little bit.

Maoists still carrying out violence: Army NepalNews ...... A group of Maoists exploded IEDs targeting security forces on patrol in Deumai area of Ilam district Friday afternoon and, in Kailali’s Balachour, the rebels opened fire at a security team today ...... the Maoists abducted two villagers in Salyan district, one each at Pyalekhola and Kathigaon areas, on Thursday. It is not known why the villagers – one of them identified as Bhim Bahadur BK – were abducted........ one Dridaya Das of Manedawa village in Rautahat district was injured in a reckless firing by the Maoists Wednesday....... a group of Maoists abducted ten teachers and five students of Hangdewa area in the eastern district of Dhankuta. Likewise, on Tuesday, the rebels marched 14 students of Damodar High School in Takhuwagaon, Dhamkuta, to an unknown location ........

What does Prachanda have to say? Are these false claims? If not, has the word of a ceasefire not reached all his cadres? That is entirely possible. He could say that, and assure the rest of us that further efforts will be made to make sure all his cadres adhere to his order. The specific details of these claims have to be responded to. On the other hand, if there have been RNA attacks on Maoists since the ceasefire, Prachanda has the option to furnish the details.

Maoists have not informed us about ceasefire: Home Minister Shahi NepalNews ...... They have issued their statement over the Internet which they can withdraw any time ....... The interior minister said the government too had preconditions for the ceasefire. First of all, they should stop their terrorist activists, hand over arms and come over to the table of negotiations....... the government will not call its forces back into barracks. "If the terrorists and dacoits say that they are going for ceasefire and that the government should not arrest them, should we let them scoot free? ....... accused the seven-party opposition alliance of maintaining double standards vis a vis the Maoists. "These are the ones who declared Maoists as terrorists and issued Red Corner notices against them. Now how can they hold talks with them?" asked the minister. "If those who call themselves as constitutional move beyond the scope of the constitution, the government will not tolerate" ........ Shahi further said there was no possibility of talks between the King and the parties as long as they come up with what he called 'immoral, undemocratic and meaningless issues.' ......... there was no rationale or basis for the King to give up (executive) powers. "His Majesty took up powers for a period of three years. He will handover power to an elected government by holding elections within that period. Our royal tradition is such that the monarchy doesn't turn back without fulfilling its pledge."

This Shahi genius is talking out of some organ other than his mouth.

1. "Hand over arms" talk is saying the Maoists should plain surrender. That is the voice of Monarchists who do not want peace. Peace means they end up out of power.
   
2. The government does not have to call the army back into the barracks. Ceasefire would mean you stand where you are, and do not attack the opponent.
   
3. His open warning to the seven parties is further proof the minister does not seek reconciliation. These people want war with the Maoists, and they want war with the democrats. So it is not even about the gun. Because democrats do not have guns. But the monarchists still can not tolerate the democrats. That is recipe for a revolution.
   
4. The government is not only ruling out talks with the Maoists, it is also ruling out talks with the parties. This is recipe for a total showdown, a confrontation.
   
5. The king is sticking to his three years mantra.
   

If the minister is so adamant on his idiocy, why is it not possible the RNA is spreading falsities about the Maoists?

I feel like the country is headed towards a classic revolution. These monarchists stand to be punished. Saddam broke, he did not bend. Negotiation is the art democrats exhibit. Autocrats take a stand and stick to it all the way. They break.

The king seems to have chosen to go down with the unroyal monarchists. Mao begot Maoism, King G begot Monarchism. Monarchism is an ideology. It is a feudal mechanism.

In The News

• SC stays RCCC summons Kantipur ..... the court asked the RCCC not to arrest, summon, record a statement or carry out any other activities.
• NHRC requests govt not to use excessive force
  
• Country heading towards democracy sans monarchy: Nepal .....Ruling out the possibility of dialogue with the King in the present situation, Nepal also informed that the CPN-UML has decided to take special initiative to make the party's decision to go for a democratic republic a common agenda of the agitating seven-party alliance..... there is possibility of threats and challenges from various sides while organizing the seven-party movement and holding talks with Maoists, Nepal directed the party activists to be ready to face such risks ....... "There are many risks and threats against the movement...and there are risks if the present constitution is transformed into an interim constitution while going for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution," Nepal said, adding, "We should identify and face all these challenges." ..... parties are preparing to organize nationwide exposure campaign against the monarchy soon
• Parties will have no dialogue with king: Oli ..... no possibility of a dialogue between the King and political parties and until the monarch agrees to give up his active role.
• Over three dozen leaders detained
• Parties continue street protest
• SC continues hearing on RCCC's constitutionality five-member special bench of the SC comprising Kedar Prasad Giri, acting chief justice, Justices Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, Ram Nagina Singh, Anup Raj Sharma and Ram Prasad Shrestha ....... The SC had rejected any writ petition questioning the constitutionality of the RCCC for more than six months. But the SC administration began entertaining such petitions from August 10 when Justice Rayamajhi ordered its administration to register such petitions which involved a serious issue...... "The Constitution does not give authority [to the King] to form another organ [the RCCC] by confiscating the jurisdiction of other organs of the state," Nepal Bar Association President Shambhu Thapa, who pleaded on behalf of the petitioner, argued...... the SC today issued a stay order to the RCCC for not to implement its July 26 verdict related to Lama Construction Company, the contractor of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project.......
  
• Over three-dozen writers arrested from pro-democracy rally NepalNews
  
• Nepal police detain 120 pro-democracy activists Reuters India, India
• Call truce and we'll talk, Nepal Maoists tell king Newindpress
  
• Crossfire War: South Asia; Nepal - Skepticisim Regarding Maoist " ... NewsBlaze, CA a telling excerpt from Mao’s "Little Red Book", a manual that has for decades been the bible for revolutionaries, "Make good use of the intervals between campaigns to rest, train, and consolidate our troops. Periods of rest, training and consolidation should not in general be very long, and the enemy should so far as possible be permitted no breathing space."
• Govt bans online news service The Britain-based Everest World Limited (EWL) today said the Nepal government has banned its online news service www.gorkhanews.com in Nepal "for its stand against the curb in Nepali press since Feb 1"..... closing down of the online news service was the climax of ‘autocracy’
• Jhyamma, Jhyamma: Singing Democracy UWB Yesterday was one of the most impressive anti-autocracy demonstrations that New Road saw in recent days. Thousands of people marched on the streets thundering the slogans that must have echoed in Narahaynhitti palace. Police used heavy force (including water canon, tear gas and lathis) against those pro-democratic souls....... Khum Bahadur Khadka is courting repeated arrests..... Singhadurba matra hoina, Narayanhitti pani hamrai ho [Not only Singhadurbar, Narayanhitti is ours too] ....... The singer was singing well. The crowd was singing well. I noticed even policemen enjoying the song. Some of them were patting tows. Some were moving their heads.......... A few minutes later, I saw Khum Bahadur Khadka, Nepali Congress leader, in a real hurry to enter the police van........ A few women, most of them wives of the politicians, courted the arrests..... I talked with a policeman who was holding a gun that was meant to fire tear gas. He wasn’t agitated. He was sort of happy. “Do you think they will succeed like this way?” I wanted to steal his mind. “No. Very few people are coming. Only the party cadres.” Now, the policeman went like he would like to see the movement gain momentum as soon as possible. .......
  
• An Army Statement Claims War Has Not Stopped UWB ....... the daily press release issued by the Royal Nepal Army ..... shockingly lists some of the “criminal activities”, that the release categorically alleges, as perpetrated by the “terrorists” ........ manipulate the media by waging a proxy war ..... I don’t want to believe RNA. Instead, I want to believe that rebels are fully committed to their leader Prachanda’s last week’s cease-fire announcement. Three days ago, army released similar statement detailing the violations of cease-fire by the Maoists themselves.
• Some Dreams Shattered, Some Continue UWB Maoists’ unexpected announcement of three-months-long truce has effectively shattered some dreams of some very powerful people in some power centers. The plan that was never announced has been aborted. Europe and New York odyssey has been cancelled. Government’s reaction to the rebel cease-fire has been pathetic. It is something like “Oh…what a nonsense. I thought I was the sole contractor of peace in Nepal. I thought peace was my agenda only. They have overtaken me. But I will not let them bring peace.” ...... The competition to take credit for peace is so fierce among the power centers ...... Near and dear ones of the Narayanhitti royal palace are busy depicting the king as a god. This is not suitable especially after the king himself has admitted- in recent TV/Radio/RSS interview- that he is a HUMAN being. ........ ........... After the departure of Hari Prasad Sharma as the Chief Justice, Supreme Court has started to think about people. Yesterday, it rejected government’s plea to stop news casting in FM radios. What a jolly good decision. This is a blow to the current autocratic regime. I can take this as yet another dream shattered.