From all accounts it is clear that the fall of Prachanda government after the President over ruled the sacking of army chief Gen Katwal, the Maoist leaders have called upon its cadres, particularly the youth wing ‘YCL’, to intensify street protests and violence. Within the Constituent Assembly, the ‘elected’ Maoists are disrupting the proceedings of the House.
One of the main targets of the Maoist attacks is media personnel. In the past two weeks, a number of reporters and TV cameramen were attacked. Newspaper vans were targeted repeatedly.
Some of the incidents
• Kantipur (Nepali) and Kathmandu Post (English) newspaper bundles have been burnt at t various locations
• Kantipur’s Butawal Correspondent, Harish Dhakal was attacked and his motor bike damaged.
• Sagarmatha TV channel employee Mina Dhakal was attacked
• Manager of the Radio Lumbini, Kulmani Gyawali was manhandled in Rupandehi district
• Reporter Dilli Pokhrel and Cameraman Niranraj Ban of AV News attacked near Malla Hotel in Kathmandu.
The second target of the Maoists, as pointed out at the very outset are political parties, particularly the CPN (UML), whose leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, is currently leading the new government. The party’s General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel was attacked on May 17, 09.
Maoists called for a bandh in 10 districts adjoining the capital on June 7-8 and they vandalized Banepa-based office of the UML. This led to a clash between the locals and the Maoists.
In another bandh, this time in the Terai, on June 11, Maoists hauled up school authorities and students in Birgunj for defying the call.
With no end to such street violence and Constituent Assembly proceedings repeatedly disrupted, the prospects of the House fulfilling its responsibility of forming a new Constitution are becoming very grim.
Both Gen. Katwal and his deputy Lt. Gen. Khadka are retiring in the next few weeks and the cause of the Maoist violence would effectively end. But, out of power, will the Maoists desist from violence and House disruptions.
The new Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has been calling upon the Maoists to re-join the government and agree for consensus politics. As of now the possibility of Maoists heeding the call look pretty remote.
