VOL. 05, NO. 01, June 17, 2011 (Ashar 03, 2068)

The disputes in the Maoist party have begun to affect the ranks of the Maoist combatants also. Chairman Prachanda no longer enjoys the respect that he used to during the people’s war as the supreme commander of the people’s army. The combatants are said to be unhappy over his position on the army integration issue. They are upset with him after he gave a nod to the Nepali army’s integration proposal which they suspect will amount to surrender. The combatants are leaning towards the Mohan Vaidya ‘Kiran’ camp who are said to be opposing the Prachanda line of thought on the issue. This has encouraged the Kiran camp while scaring the Prachanda camp. Fearing a loss of grip over the combatants Prachanda has sent his trusted lieutenant Barsha Man Pun ‘Ananta’ to visit the cantonments and take the combatants into confidence. (Sanghu, June 13)

Madhesi Parties’ Fight Deepens

The Upendra Yadav-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal has vowed to stop the splinter faction of J.P.Gupta from entering the Terai region. This followed suspicion that Gupta was planning a whirlwind tour of the Terai districts to weaken the Yadav faction. Gupta is said to be planning to undertake tour to 22 districts to expand the organisation of the breakaway outfit. The MJF-Nepal, led by Yadav, which once was the fourth largest party in the constituent assembly with 53 seats has now been reduced to one of the many smaller parties with just 13 seats. Now there has been speculation that even Upendra Yadav’s confidant, Renu Yadav, could form a separate party with five CA members of the party. This has alarmed Yadav who has been busy ‘educating’ his cadres that India was behind dividing the Madhesi parties. (Tarun, June 13)

Call For The Integration Of Armed Outfits Also

As the major parties discuss the integration of the Maoist combatants in the Nepali army and the Madhesi parties press for the inclusion of thousands of Madhesis in the national army, the armed outfits operating in the Terai region are also raising a similar voice. Some Madhesi youth groups have demanded that the combatants of the armed outfits also be integrated in the army. The Madhesi Youth Democratic Party said at a press conference that the integration of the Maoist fighters alone would not suffice for the completion of the peace process and that the fighters of the armed Terai groups should also be taken care of. Said the party’s chairman, Rajesh Kumar Jha, “as long as the combatants of the Madhesh-based armed outfits are not taken care of, the peace process will not be complete.”  He warned of agitation if the demand was not addressed. According to him, there are more than 20,000 fighters in political and armed outfits based in Terai. (Drishti, June 7)