Sunday, March 25, 2007

Best Option For All: Elections In June




परमेन्द्र भगत नामका नटबरलालबारे

It will be best for all parties concerned in Nepal to hold elections in June.

25 Reasons To Hold Elections In June
  1. The last time we had one was in 1999. It has been almost a decade.
  2. Who elected the current parliament?
  3. The sooner the monarchy goes the better. And it will go during session one of the constituent assembly.
  4. Once the monachy is abolished, most of the conspiracy theories will fly out the window.
  5. Once the monarchy goes away, the assembly can focus on the key issue of federalism.
  6. The people are going to say a big no to Maoist dictatorial tendencies at the polls.
  7. It will be a hung parliament. No single party will attain majority.
  8. The Maoists will emerge the third largest party, if that.
  9. A newly elected parliament will bring forth a government that will do a much better job in the law and order department.
  10. All old and new political parties will get to know their true size.
  11. The Terai now has half of all elected seats, after the Gaur incident the Home Minister's resignation issue has switched to becoming a Maoist issue and is no longer a MPRF issue, and Om Gurung's recent hostile interview to Kantipur shows there really is no Madhesi Janajati alliance, so sticking to the completely proportional elections to the constituent assembly for the sake of the Janajatis is no longer valid for the Madhesi Movement.
  12. The MPRF and the NEFIN and all similar outfits will be forced to become political parties or they will stand to be sidelined for lack of mass support, or an unwillingness to test their mass bases. The MPRF as a party will do very well at the polls. Any party that does not go to the Madhesh with a clear agenda of a Madhesh state stands to get wiped out of the Madhesh.
  13. Announcement of a poll date will force the two Congress factions to come together, which might be a good thing for the anti Maoist alliance.
  14. Announcement of a poll date will force all parties to come up with a concrete map for federalism and the power distribution between the center and the states.
  15. Maoist excesses will be a good reason for the people to desert the Maoists at the polls. The Nepali people are smart. They will teach the Maoists a lesson.
  16. Work on a new constitution can begin.
  17. On the campaign trail, many debates and discussions will take place.
  18. All ethnic and gender and other grievances will move from street protests and strikes onto the campaign trail.
  19. Girija gets to retire in style. He needs the rest. It's been half a century for him.
  20. A new generation will take over the Congress leadership. That will be a good thing.
  21. The Sadbhavana (Anandi) will grow dramatically in size. That party spent the 1990s saying Sadbhavana Age, Madhesi Pichhe. The Madhesi Movement has been Madhesi Age, Sadbhavana Pichhe. Let's hope the two converge for the polls.
  22. Hopefully a Janajati Party will emerge, and the Janajati will stop begging from the Bahun parties, and instead do it themselves.
  23. After the election, according to a new law, each party in the country will become state funded. How much money you get depends on how many votes you earned. That will make Nepal the number one democracy on the planet.
  24. State funded parties will be more prone to internal democracy. That will be a good thing. Parties with internal democracy will be more inclusive in terms of ethnicity and gender.
  25. It's about time.

40 Reasons Why The Three Forces Should Come Ar0und To My Proposed Constitution
100 Reasons To Revive Parliament
1000 Multifarious Uses Of Article 127

Banning MPRF: Not An Option
Homework For Om Gurung
Survey: Nepalis In New York City
Sarita Giri: Madheshi Movement In Defense Of Democracy And Madhesi Nationalism
Hamro Nepal, ANTA Press Releases On Gaur Incident
Om Gurung
Gaur: Prachanda's Reichstag Fire?
Gaur: The Madhesi Gongabu
PM, Defense, Finance: Congress, DPM, Home: UML, DPM: Maoist
Magar Event
Mainstreaming Maoist Tendencies In The Madhesh
Lawoti: Ethnic Or Administrative Federalism
Mainstreaming The Maoists: Various Scenarios
Madhesi, Janajati, Business Community
Three Parties: Congress, Communist, Sadbhavana
ANONYM: Association Of Nepali Organizations In New York Metro
Manoj Gajurel, Comic, In NYC Soon
Joint Movement
What Girija Could Have Done
Empowering Nepalis In New York City
Dipendra Jha: The Real Picture Of The Madhesi Movement
No Guns, Explosives, Weapons Outside Cantonments
MPRF: A Few Scenarios
It Is Tough For The Madhesi
Upendra Yadav: Madhesi Martin Luther King
New MJF Strategy: Hit The State, Not The People
Krishna Sitaula: Appeaser, Not Peacemaker
A Federal Republic Electoral Alliance Against The Maoists Needed
Sadist Koirala, Kans Sitaula, Pol Pot Prachanda
Further Compromise: Mixed Election With Reservations
5 Point Demand: Compromise Formula So Elections Can Be Held In June
MJF And NEFIN Must Become Political Parties
The Economist: Nepal's Ethnic Politics: The New Battlefront

On The Web

French presidential election, 2007 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Category:2007 elections - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
French Élection 2007
NSW EC | State Election 24 March 2007
NSW EC | State Election 2007
Vote - Election 2007 Ireland - Home
Election 2007 - Belfast Telegraph
The Electoral Commission : Elections : Elections 2007
Oz Politics Blog » Election 2007 predictions
Debian Project Leader Elections 2007
Election 2007
LXer: Debian Project Leader Election 2007
C-SPAN -- Election 2007 - Main
NI Election 2007
Library Dust: ALA Election 2007
Online Guide to Election 2007 «
Craig's Musings > Entry > PWC Election 2007 Updates
NI Assembly Election 2007 | Electoral Office for Northern Ireland
Pinoy Vote - Philippine Election 2007
Labour in Brighton & Hove - City Elections 2007
Philippine Eleksyon 2007
Oshkosh Northwestern - Elections
City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk - Election Page
General Election 2007 - boards.ie
TOWN ELECTION 2007
Craig's Musings > Entry > PWC Election 2007 Updates
NSW State Election 2007. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

In The News

National, intl' forces trying to prevent timely CA elections: Nepal Kantipur Online, Nepal
Nepal EPA fails to finalize...Telegraphnepal.com
Nepal asks parties tobe serious about polls Gorkhapatra
Nepal Urges Govt not to Defer CA Polls Himalayan Times
Nepal Urges Govt not to Defer CA Polls Himalayan Times, Nepal
UML Gen Secy doubtful about timely CA polls
Nepalnews.com, Nepal
'Political parties should be active to conduct CA polls'
Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Growing Terai turmoil casts doubts on Nepal polls
Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
Nepal Polls only possible when... Telegraphnepal.com, Nepal
Defer polls through eight-party accord: Deuba Kantipur Online
Nepal polls may be deferred: EC
Times of India, India
Nepal polls may be deferred
Hindu, India
UN Envoy Raises Question Over Nepal Polls Without Political Consensus
All Headline News
Time running out for Nepal
ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland
Govt committed to hold CA polls by mid-June: PM
Nepalnews.com, Nepal
Call to announce CA polls soon
Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Student’s drive to make people aware about CA polls
Nepalnews.com, Nepal
OHCHR-Nepal for pluralistic representation in CA polls
Kantipur Online, Nepal
Nepali PM reassuares timely CA polls
People's Daily Online, China
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) leader opposes single-party ...
People's Daily Online, China
RPP-Nepal condemns efforts to bar it from taking part in CA
Nepalnews.com, Nepal
EC cautions parties to be serious regarding polls
Kantipur Online, Nepal
Eight Parties to Blame If CA Polls Delayed: PM
Himalayan Times, Nepal
PM to Blame If CA Polls Delayed: Nepal
Himalayan Times, Nepal
Mid-June deadline of CA poll must be met: PM : Leaders want ...
Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Nepal's Election Commission casts doubts on Constituent Assembly polls
Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
US provides 200000 USD assistance to CA polls in Nepal
People's Daily Online, China
Carter Centre mission to observe CA polls in Nepal
Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Carter Center Deploys 13 Observers For Nepal's Constituent ...
All Headline News
Nepal tells govt to fix date for CA polls
Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Eight parties to discuss polls, interim gov't in Nepal
People's Daily Online, China
Koirala directs Election Commission to intensify poll preparations
DailyIndia.com, FL
CA Polls Essential to Establish Dalit Rights: Nembang
Himalayan Times, Nepal
Nepal to Recruit 30000 Short-term Employees to Assist CA polls
Nepal human Rights News, Nepal

February 3, 2007

परमेन्द्र भगत नामका नटबरलालबारे

- दिनेश आचार्य

एकजना छन अमेरिकाको न्यूयोर्कमा । आफुले आफैलाई बुद्धिमान घोषणा गर्दै आफु बिदेशिनुलाई ब्रेन डर्नको सज्ञा दिने त्यो सख्श अरु कोही होइन अनाबश्यक रुपमा तपाई हाम्रो ब्यक्तिगत मेल अकाउन्टको यनबाक्स फुल गर्ने हिन्दु अतिवादी र तराईको शान्त नेपाललाई भारतीय भुमन्डलमा मिलाउने प्लानका सेवक हुन-परमेन्द्र कुमार भगत ।

उनी हरेक दिनजसो दर्जनौ मेल दुनियाका हजारौ मेलबक्समा पठाउछन् । कुनैबेला नेपालको प्रजातान्त्रिक आनदोलनलाई सहयोग गर्ने नाममा काठमाडौंको आन्दोलनको फोटो किन्ने भगत अहिले हरेक दिन पहाडिका नाउमा बिद्वेश उराल्दै मधेशीका मनमा घृणाको बीउ रोप्न उद्यत छन् । अर्थात उनी पहाडी र मधेशी नेपालीबीच माराकाट गराएर साम्पर्दायिक हिसाको बिउ रोप्न चाह्छन । किनभने यो उनको मालिकको आदेश हो ।

भारत नेपालमा के चाहन्छ ब्वासोले गाइको बाच्छालाई मायाले सुम्सुमाएर कन्याउदै मुटु कलेजो झिकेर खाएजस्तो गर्ने प्लानमा छ । नेपालमा हिसा बढेपछि बिचरा भन्दै सुमसुमाउन आए जस्तो गरि तराइलाइ आफ्नो भागमा मिलाउने र को दीर्घकालिन रणनीती पुरा गर्ने एजेन्ट हुन उनी । उनीमात्र होइन उपेन्द्र यादव हृदयेश त्रिपाठी र जयकृस्ण गोइतहरु पनि त्यही हुन । जो आफुलाई नेपाली भनाउन समेत चहदैनन् ।

हिजोसम्म श्री ५ को सरकार हुदा उनीहरुले जनआन्दोलन भाग २ मा कहि पनि मधेशका नाउ उच्चारण गर्न परेन । राजाकै शाशनमा मस्त भए । किनभने अहिलेका राजा भारतीयकै ज्वाई र नातेदार अनि उतैबाट आएका थिए । तर अहिले जब नेपाली जनताको ुनेपाल सरकारु भयो उनीहरुलाई नेपाली भन्न लाज लाग्यो र मधेश सरकारको नारा उचाल्न थाले ।

केही समयअघि सम्म मधेशी र लोबतन्त्रको नारामा ब्लग लेखिरहेका उनी एक्कासी नेपालबिरोधी र भारतसमर्थक भएर निस्किए । उनी नेपाली पासपोर्टकै आधारमा अमेरिकामा बसिरहेका छन् भलै भारतीय कृपादृष्टिले पालिएका किन नहोस । तर आफुलाई नेपाली भनाउदा लाज लाग्छ रे । मधेश छुट्टै देश हो रे । नेपालीहरुले त्यस देश हडपेका हुन रे । उनका पछिल्ला लेख पढ्दा यस्तै लाग्छ ।

काठमाडौंका नेवारले नजानेर किम्बदन्ती वा जोक्स बनाएको ‘मनु मखु मडिस्या ख’ लाई ठुलो मुद्दा बनाएर आर्टिकल लेखे । पहाडिया भनेका मान्छे नै होइनन र उनीहरुलाई खत्तम गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने उनको आशय झल्किन्छ ।

वास्तबमा यो फलाम तातेको बेलामा हिट गरेजस्तै हो । तराईमा सयजना मान्छे अगाडि लगायो हजार जना पारीबाट सय रुपैया दैनिक दिएर ल्यायो । नत्र काठमाडौमा लाखौ मान्छे उत्रदा जनआन्दोलन २ मा किन तराईमा मान्छे सुन्यप्राय थियो राजतन्त्र बिरुद्ध ११ बर्ष जनयुद्ध हुदा पहाडमा जसरी क्रान्ति मौलायो तराईमा लुटेर खानेहरु मात्र बढे किन हुन त तराईमा पुरानो डाका सस्कारले गर्दा पनि माओवादीमा लाग्नेहरु लागेका थिए लुट्न नपाउने भएपछि जनतान्त्रीकमा लागे । राजा फाल्ने आन्दोलनमा चाही नलाग्ने अहिले ठुृलो क्रान्तिकारी कुरा गर्ने भगत जस्ता कथित नौटंकी अनुहारहरु धेरै छन् यहा । उनी कहिले आफु नेपालमा राजनीति गर्न नफकर्कने कुरा गर्छन त कहिले अमेरिकामा सबैले नेपाल गएर राजनीति गर भनिरहेको लेख्छन ।

परमेन्द्र भन्ने मान्छेले एकपटक अनौठो कुरा गर्यो । सारा सार्क क्षेत्र एउटै रास्ट्र हुनुपर्ने प्रस्ताब राख्छन । यसको अर्थ के हो हिन्दुस्तानले भन्ने गरेको सारा भारतबर्ष एउटै देश होओस भनेको होइन पाकिस्तान बंगलादेश देखि नेपाल र भुटानसम्म भारतमै गाभियोस भन्ने उनको आशय हो कि होइन यस्ताले तराइको आन्दोलन हाकेको दाबी गरेका छन् । के यो कहाबाट सन्चालित हो यसै थाहा हुदैन

अमेरिकामा उनी कसरी पुगे यहा के काम गर्छन उनी बेलाबखत नेपालमा पत्रिका र इन्टरनेट साइट चलाउनेहरुलाई अलिअलि रकम दिएर भारतीय लाइनका नेपाली नेताहरुका। अन्तर्बातार्ता लिन लगाउछन् । यता केही पैसामा बिकेर पत्रकार भनाउदाहरु भारतकै दलालीमा बोलेको कुरा छाप्छन । उनको धन्दा यस्तै छ । आफुलाई महान बनाएर आर्टिकल लेख्दै दुनियाका मेलमा बिना अनमति बग्रेल्ती िलंक पठाएर उनले दुनियालाई दुःख दिएबापत क्षतिपुर्ती तिर्नुपर्दैन अमेरिका बस्नेलाई त यो थाहा हुनुपर्ने उनले अरुको मेल आइडी कसरी थाहा पाए प्राइभेसी ल अनुसार त कारबाही हुन्छ आफु बिदेशिदा ब्रेन ड्रेनको घोषणा गर्नेलाई त थाहा हुनुपर्ने ।

गगन थापासित अकंमाल गरेको फोटो खिचाउदा आफुलाई भाग्मानि ठानेर आर्टिकल लेख्नेले अहिले तिनै थापाहरु अर्थात पहाडेहरुका बिरुद्ध बिषबमन गर्दा कस्तो लाज नलागेको । साइटभरी आफ्ना नानाभातिका फोटो राखेर प्रचार गर्ने भगतले लेखेका अग्रेजीका भाषण कतिजना तराइबासीले पढ्छन त्यो उनलाई के मतलब भगतले त त्यो भाषण आफ्ना मालिकहरुलाई देखाएर पैसा झार्नका लागि हो । साच्चै तराइका लागि सबेदनशील हो भने त कलैयामा आएर जुलुसको नेतृत्व गरुन न । सोझा गरिब मर्ने भगतहरुचाही अमेरिकामा बसेर तर मार्ने

पहाडिया र मधेशीको साम्प्रदायिक सदभाब भडकाएर मान्छे मार्ने खेल हुदैछ । यदी त्यसो भयो भने नेपालको इतिहासमा पहिलोपटक लाखौ मानिस मारिन्छन । देश बिखन्डन पक्का हुन्छ । भगतहरुको मास्टर प्लान यही हो ।

जनअधिकार फोरम भनेको भारतीय दुतावासबाट रकम ल्याएर सास्कृतिक कार्यक्रम गर्ने गोष्ठि गर्ने र एक दुइटा प्रतिबेदन छपाएर मधेशीको नाम भजाउदै पैसा कमाउने एनजिओ होइन यो कुनै पार्टी हो जसले बिचारको आन्दोलन गर्छ त्यहा बसेका नेताहरुको कुण्डल हेर्नुपर्छ कहा कहाबाट सन्चालित छन यसै थाहा हुन्छ ।

उपेन्द्र यादव काठमाडौंको बानेश्वरमा एकजना राजावादीको घरमा भाडामा सायद सित्तैमा बस्छन् । किशोरकुमार बिश्वास भन्ने मण्डले जो सद्भावना पार्टी छाडेर दरवारहुदै भारतीय क्याम्पमा पुग्यो उनी पत्रकारहरुको फोन नम्बर सकलन गर्दै आफ्नो नाम बजाइदिने अनुरोध गरिरहन्छन् । अर्का आफुलाई महासचिब बताउनेचाही उपेन्द्र यादबले बोक्ने ९८४१-४३५७७१ नम्बरको मोबाइल उठाउछन र आफ्नॊ नाम उल्लेख गरेर समाचार लेखिदिन र आफ्नै अन्तरवार्ता लिइदिन करकर गरिरहन्छन् । उनका अन्तरवार्ता लिन मानेन भने उपेन्द्र यादवलाई सम्पर्क हुनै दिदैनन उनी ।

अस्ति भारतको गणतन्त्र दिवसका भारतीय दुतावासमा भएको पार्टीमा फोरमका नेताहरु कसरी कानेखुशीमा मग्न थिए त्यो कुरा सहभागि यो पंक्तिकारलाई थाहा छ । राजेश अहिराज जस्ता नटबरलाल पत्रकारहरु पनि त्यस दिन एक लाख भारुको पुस्तक पुरस्कार लिदै चलमलाइरहेका थिए ।

Source: Hamro Blog










1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Source: http://www.blog.com.np/united-we-blog/2007/03/26/mprf-hired-professional-killers-in-gaur/

MPRF Hired Professional Killers in Gaur’
26,03,2007

Dr Mathura Shrestha, a prominent human rights activist, visited Gaur a day after the carnage, in which 28 persons died. Dr Shrestha served as Health Minister in the post-1990 interim government. He attended a meeting of MPRF in Delhi and met also Chief of Janatantrik Mukti Morcha, Jaya Krishan Goit, a couple of times. Dr Shrestha out-rightly rejects Prachanda’s view of outlawing MPRF. He suggests that addressing the Madhesi problems and implementing the decisions taken by the SPA plus Maoists, thus far, help restore peace and democracy in this country. Dr Shrestha shares his opinion and recounts eyewitnesses’ count on the Gaur carnage with Puran P Bista and Ghanashyam Ojha of the Kathmandu Post.


Q: How do you recount the gory incident of Gaur after your recent visit?

Dr Mathura Shrestha: Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) had made an announcement through mikes five days ago for holding a public meeting in Gaur at 11 pm on last Wednesday. Madhesi Mukti Morcha (MMM) set up the stage for the carnage after it, too, decided to hold the public meeting on the same ground at the same time on the same day.

The locals feared of something. As a result, president Deo Padayar Gupta of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Rautahat branch, invited the MPRF and MMM cadres to attend the meeting on Wednesday morning at around 8:00 am.

But none of them attended the meeting. At around 10 am, rallies of both the parties began. Some of the participants in the rallies had come from adjoining VDCs. The rallies, organized by both the parties, met near the district court. The participants in the rallies waved, clapped their hands and welcomed each other’s rally, showing an understanding on the holding of Wednesday’s public meeting. The locals took this incident as a good gesture that MPRF would hold its meeting first, and then MMM would do so, on the same ground but at different time. Then, the Maoist rally passed through Gaur, while MPRF’s rally converted into a public meeting at the Rice Mill ground.

The ground is near the district court. First, the MPRF cadres dismantled the MMM stage built for the public meeting. A few MMM cadres present there were beaten up. These MMM cadres left the ground to inform their leaders of the incident. Chairing MPRF’s meeting was Ram Prasad Biswas. No sooner had Biswas taken his chair as a chief guest, than the MMM cadres entered the field and began to disrupt MPRF’s meeting. Then, from the southern and western sides, some people fired shots at MMM cadres. Later, some MPRF cadres fired from within the stage at MMM cadres.

According to eye witnesses, MPRF cadres used socket bombs and small fire arms, besides sharp weapons and cleft bamboo sticks. I think MPRF had hired notorious higher killers.

Q: How can you claim so when you were not present there?

Dr Shrestha: Within two minutes, over a dozen MMM cadres were killed. Then, the MPRF-hired professional killers chased the MMM cadres. Some of the MMM cadres not acquainted with Gaur entered into nearby houses for safety. They were dragged out of these houses and killed. Some of the MMM cadres were chased as far as eight kilometers and killed. Some of the dead bodies were buried in a water canal.

I was told by eyewitnesses that eight of the killers were local Nepalis and 25 others were Indians. The three locals are Balru, Hafij Mukhiya and Binda Hasin Sahani. The eyewitnesses recounted that “the police force could do nothing”. But local police contradicted this statement saying that “they blank-fired to stop the killings”. Some local people even claimed that Upendra Yadav was staying at the house next to Dr Tayab and the superintendent of police escorted him up to Barganiya near Nepal-India border.

What was heinous was that five of the women were raped in public. Two people caught their legs and other MPRF cadres raped them in public. Later their breasts were chopped off and burnt to deface their identity. Gagan Singh, Bhusan Singh, Baban and Guddu Jha were involved in raping and chopping-off-activities. Two local Muslim girls were taken away and their whereabouts are still unknown.

Q: Are these rapists local or Indian criminals?

Dr Shrestha: They should be local people because the local residents knew them well and everyone could pronounce their names clearly. Twelve of the MMM cadres were killed at Hajmonia, some 12 kilometers away from Gaur. They included three women and nine men.

Q: According to your assessment, what was the police force doing at that time?

Dr Shrestha: Police could do nothing when government offices were set on fire by the MPRF cadres some weeks ago. The police force has been unable to wipe the sign boards written Madesh Sarkar in government offices. What can you expect from them?

Secondly, you must understand that King Gynendra conducted municipality polls. All the political parties boycotted the polls except Kamal Thapa’s. And you must have learnt that the highest turn out in the country was at Gaur - almost 72 percent of the voters cast their votes in Gaur municipality polls. And Kamal Thapa’s candidate got 92 percent of the votes polled. Now you can think of the situation there. Recently, all the government offices have been set on fire. By whom?

A girl of late 20s raised a question. She asked me, “Dr Sahab, is political change meant for criminals or the people?” I was shocked to hear such a question from a girl who I think was forced to leave her studies. Then, I asked a few more questions. Her response was: “there is none who supports MPRF at Gaur and I do not know other places. But whatever MPRF wants, it happens here. We can do nothing in the presence of MPRF because of criminalization of politics, culture and religion”.

Until the restoration of democracy 1990, there had been a mafia group operating in Gaur. This mafia used to smuggle hashish, gold and idols, and traffic women. But the restoration of democracy led to an emergence of another mafia group. This group killed the leader of the Panchayat mafia in Janakpur. The locals say that the democratic parties have given this mafia group a political protection. Whenever they are arrested, the parties ask the police force to release them. The NC, UML and other political cadres feed and pay them. During the early 1990s, there had been clashes between these two mafia groups. Today, they have joined their hands and the dacoits across the border have also been working in tandem with these two mafia groups.

So, it looks that these groups have been very active in Gaur and its adjoining districts. The locals say that MPRF is a mere mask. These two mafia groups are active in the name of MPRF. Even human rights activists cannot release any report on these mafia leaders as they threaten to kill them.

Q: How could these mafias be hired by MPRF to the extent of butchering so many MMM cadres?

Dr Shrestha: MPRF hired professional killers. They paid them money. Eight of them were Nepali criminals and over 25 were Indian professional killers. I am talking about only those who fired gunshots. Today, the cost to hire the professional killer groups comes to 15 million rupees.

These killers are used during the elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states also. You do not have to campaign if you pay 15 million rupees to these professional killers. You win the elections. I was shocked to hear such stories from a girl who was forced to leave her studies by these local mafias.

I was further told that a girl cannot get married to a man of her or her family’s choice in Gaur. These mafias come and ask the girl to get married to their choice. If she refuses, she is threatened to be taken to a nearby mango tree and raped to be left a prostitute. Such incidents are common in Gaur. These mafias have been very active since King Gyanendra’s regime conducted municipal elections. Now they are being used by MPRF.

These are the tips of the iceberg. In fact Gaur is ruled by criminals and the SPA government, until recently, considered them its allies. Apart from eight Nepalis and 25 Indian professional killers, some MPRF cadres hit with cleft bamboo sticks. Each MMM cadre killed and injured had deep cuts in their heads. You see a cleft bamboo stick is as sharp as khukuri. And you can’t survive if you are hit with a cleft bamboo stick on your head. They used other sharp weapons too. All the hospitalized had head injuries. One MMM cadre, who left the hospital after a doctor advised her to leave, was later caught and hit by a cleft bamboo stick. Now that girl is on her death bed. I was shocked to learn that MPRF hired professional killers to kill unarmed MMM cadres.

Q: Whom do you blame for the carnage?

Dr Shrestha: What I have been advocating for the past several months is that we should not have opposed MPRF-organized protest programs. The main reason that let the Maoists oppose the MPRF organized protest movement is that the SPA gave up its stance on addressing the Madhesi problems. First, the SPA gave up its stance on federalism in the interim constitution. Second, it gave up its stance on proportional representation. Third, it raised the issue of public opinion and later it gave it up. All this disappointed the Madhesis and other ethnic groups in the hill and mountain.

Now we must realize that democracy did generate hope but doubts are undermining our hope for democracy. I see this is the emergence of people’s resentment. It is there in Madhes, hill and mountain. The movement in Madhes was not started by MPRF but by Nepal Sadhbhawana Party (Anandi Devi). MPRF shot into the fame only.

I agree there are politicians in MPRF. I met Upendra Yadav personally and informed him of SPA’s stance on the demands. I advised him to give up the political demands since the SPA government was preparing to address his demands. Secondly, I told him to use peace as a weapon to raise the demands. His response was “we have been put behind bars, now all our cadres are out of our control”, adding that “it will be a peaceful movement.” He had assured me that he would even hold talks with the janjati groups, which he did not do so. Let us not talk of him now. He is not the right kind of politician. He was just a village level leader though he may claim himself a national leader.

Second, the primary concern is that the second revolt (April uprising, even if you call it a people’s movement) brought the eight parties into a single platform. If these leaders of eight parties continue with leg-pulling politics, then the Gaur carnage is the beginning. These leaders take decisions but fail to implement them. What is the reason behind the failure to implement or delay in implementing and blaming one another? This is not the way of playing politics.

Q: But the SPA continues to insist on arms registration before the formation of eight-party government. Isn’t it?

Dr Shrestha: Arms registration is not a big deal, nor is it the problem. The Nepali Congress did raise arms against the establishment, not once but twice. If we add the incident of Okhaldhunga, it raised arms thrice. When the NC reached an agreement with the then government, it did not surrender all the weapons; so did the Marxists after the Jhapa killing. The Marxist and NC did not surrender all the weapons they had in their possession.

So, history clearly tells us that registration of weapons is not the primary concern. The Maoists have agreed to join mainstream politics. Why can’t the SPA be accommodative now? The Gaur carnage is an outcome of Maoist pride and the anarchy let loose in the country. There are several counter-Maoist groups unleashing anarchy. Unless the eight parties come together and build trust among themselves, the country will continue to reel under violence.