Maoists: good or bad- who are to decide?
Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda’s first public appearance in
the capital in mid June brought much of an excitement in the country. In his few
interviews taken, he tried to make his goals clearer among the people.
Prachanda is viewed both as good or bad, in the country, depending on the people
who like or dislike him. For some he may be a hero while others decry him as a
villain.
Some people find it ironical that a man who has led a cold-blooded war against the king
and the corrupt politicians, the war that took away the lives of 13,000 people, is still
being treated like a hero. For millions of people in rural areas Prachanda is a hero who
has given a voice to them in order to uplift them from their downtrodden living
conditions. After 30 years of direct rule by the then king Birendra, it was when the
multiparty democracy just got kicked in; Prachandra started his armed rebellion in 1996.
King Birendra became a constitutional monarch and enforced a new constitution under
the pressure of a peaceful uprising in 1990. Everything was calm despite some issues of
corruption in the government. Many developmental activities were being done with many
schools and bridges under construction. Though records have fluctuated, the GDP growth
rate in 1995/96, when the Maoists began their insurgency, was 5.4%, an encouraging
figure for Nepal. Around that time, the Maoist then put forward their demands (many of
which relating to political and social reforms were acceptable). As the government
showed their negligence and rejected their demands, the rebels immediately declared a
war against the government. Many say that the declaration of war spread intimidation
and violence causing enormous loss and suffering cannot be justified. According to
Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, the damage to the infrastructures alone amounted
to $246m - around 15% of Nepal's current annual budget. The Maoists have used threats,
extortion and killings to get their way. They have killed poor, innocent people and those
who have criticized their top leaders. Such atrocities are definitely associated with a longterm impact in a society which was credited for peace and harmony.
However, Prachanda and others have defended their policy, saying that during the war
such incidents do occur and that they regret mistakes.
But on the other hand, some people are very angry at the sight of their country turning
into a battle field. They argue that Prachanda and many top Maoist leaders are, in fact,
more feudal and hypocritical than those they criticize as being hypocritical. Prachandra’s
elevation to a demi-god status by his supporters has brought discrepancies in what he
bases his activities when he talks fervently about the need to break down the feudal
structures and to create a people's society. However, the rich and ruling elite in
Kathmandu has been left untouched throughout the war, whereas poor and ordinary
villagers have suffered the most.
Some people believe that the rebels have set up the well trained regiment only to extort
forced donation from poor people or else it wouldn’t have been possible.
But all this wouldn’t be enough to actually prove that Prachanda is devoid of any good
worth.
As a middle-class villager Prachanda could have followed an easy route in life, but he
chose a difficult path to pursue his conviction that "power comes from the barrel of the
gun". Taking many Risks in his life, he did obtain that power and made the ruling leaders
of the country accept his terms and conditions. He now claims to have torn down the
feudalistic social structure in the villages under Maoist control and brought about a
growing awareness in rural Nepal about social and political rights.
In some locations, they are on a drive to win ordinary people's hearts and minds. They
have also started building camps in their own favored locations. One is a hilltop in the
village of Muntang in the rugged hills of Palpa in western Nepal.
Comrade Seetal, Maoist commissar was quoted saying, “In the past we were
preparing for war -we had no time for development but now we're closer to the
people every day. We are now striving to work for peace, switching their direction from
a war of weapons to a war of ideas”. The rebels were long known for destroying
structures such as bridges and roads. But Commissar Seetal insists those days are over.
Previously, the rebels were more fragmented, living nomadically, going from house to
house and demanding food and accommodation but they have stopped using terror and
doing so. In some villages, Maoist doctors have opened a library and a health post, taking
villagers' blood pressure and dispensing pills. We are told the houses used for these
facilities are the homes of people who have migrated to the plains. In the village camp,
the Maoists are filling their leisure time. There are regular literacy classes for their own
less educated troops.
However, they are still far from winning trust and confidence of the people as they
haven’t given up their arms.
Even after the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement, there are reports that the
Maoists’ extortion and atrocities are continuing within the country. There are continuing
reports of Maoist violence in some villages. Prachanda has come down to make a
compromise with the multi party system but the Question arises with his every action:
“Were all the killings and destructions necessary for him to agree to what had been
accepted by other parties a long time ago?”
Nepal has much to see in future how many these leaders can actually enhance Nepal's
political set-up how meaningful their reformed behavior really will be.