NRN has provided immense entertainment
Dr. Raman Misras

The discussions, diatribes, and debates that seems to be
going among the Prabashies, (NRN as they like to call themselves) has
provided immense entertainment, in spite of me and my fellow citizens having
to live in this unprecedented turmoil in this country. In one sense the
Prabashies seem to think and speak as we used to about 7 or 8 years back.!!!
In another sense they seem to be "all knowing" individuals, matching the
capacity of the supreme God. At times I get the impression that their
wishes, hopes, directives, and demands will make geopolitics in our region
disappear and the natural trend of actual events in Nepal to bow down to
their prescriptions. I hope their notions will alter the course of our
reality. For then, magically we will have a haven on earth and that also the
very next day.!! We, who have been lucky to be in a relatively secure
locations, with about 40 to 50 percent of the army providing such security,
must naturally be very grateful to the Prabashies ( not the army, who are
putting their lives in line for our defense) for their suddenly intense
concern for our "democracy".

We must be particularly grateful to the Prabashies for their concern,
focused only in our residential locations and only at this time in
February,2005 and not for those of us who have been in Maoist controlled
areas since 1996. This pray is not to insinuate "democratic favoritism" of
the Prabashies to the lucky us in the relatively secure locations.
Presumably, the advocates of democracy have by the grace of God known all
along that things like "freedom of speed", freedom to assemble, freedom to
pursue ones economic occupations, freedom to live, freedom from any types
of intimidation and coercion etc etc had never been deprived in those Maoist
controlled areas since 1996, so that they did not have to wine and wail like
now. We are grateful to them for discerning that this mystical "democracy"
only in the secure locations has suddenly been endangered from February
2005, by only those very institutions that have hitherto provided relative
security and protection to us. Presumably if we could just get rid of our
protectors, we would surely enjoy the democracy like those of us have
enjoyed it since 1996 in the remote districts. This will surely bring peace
of mind to those wailing and wining for love of "locational democracy"
since this February. We are also grateful to the Prabashies for making us
aware that demands for democracy should be made only from those who are
taking decisions to address our crises and not of course from those who have
been leading us into confrontation since 1996 as well as those who are
finding new ways and means for yet more confrontations and instability, all
in the name of democracy of course !!.

You had asked, "How do you see the present political crisis in the country?"
As for the like us, who have to suffer the consequences of reality of
Nepal, we do not know what this "present political crisis" that you allude
to is. We have been in crisis since 1993 and more intensely so since 1996.We
know that a new type of decisions have been taken. We are still trying to
figure out what it means to us, out lives, our security, and our
unprecedented economic uncertainty. This new decision, we believe is a
reaction to and an attempt to address the CRISES that we have been facing
since a decade. The series of crises that some have described as leading
Nepal towards "becoming a failed state". Uncertainty prevails. It is too
early to make any judgment. We still have to wait for likely trend that
maybe discernable after some time. We are more concerned with results and
how it affects our lives our securities and our future. One has to wait some time yet,
to see the type of results that the February decision brings. But if the wishes, hopes,
wants and the current February furor of the Prabashies is any indication of actual
reality, we may add yet another series and types of confrontation, that
presumably will be according to the "love of Nepal" displayed by our
Prabashies and this no doubt will make us free from worry and dejection,
simply because, even if we are not killed, we will eventually just get used
to our agonies.

As I have told you before, "should", "must" are words that are beyond
my comprehension. My "should" and "must" have no power to alter or guide
reality. So I am in no position to tell you what the immediate role of the
media "should" be. Further, I fail to understand which media you are
referring to, the Maoist media, the other partisan media, or other types of
media? Well, they are taking the role that they have decided for themselves.
They need no prescription. But just because you asked, I would repeat what I
had said before, that is if media could just promote consensus, we maybe
blessed with some pragmatic direction and condition for peace in this
country. But this is just my wishful thinking. Is it not?

"How will this move affect the peace process, the negotiations with the
Maoists?" Again Kamala jee you have taken me by surprise. What "peace
process"? Is there any peace process going on, that we in Nepal are unaware
of ? If there were, there would have been grounds for hope, wouldn't it be?
And Negotiations with the Maoists? I believe I had given my opinion in the
article titled "Hearts overriding minds." published in the People's Review.
Just to reiterate, negotiations depends on the desire of those who started
the conflict and only secondly on those who are opposing them. Further
negotiations must include, The International Revolutionary Movement (RIM),
as well as CCOMPOSA ( South Asian Maoist Organization) to which our Maoists
belong. And what maybe the things to negotiate about? Terms of surrender by
the State or the Maoists? Hypothetically speaking, even if negotiations were
possible between the State and The Maoist, will it be acceptable to other
parties and of course, I almost forgot, the Prabashies ? Do the other
parties have any pragmatic points or issues or commitments or stands for
"negotiations" with both the State and the Maoists? What are they going to
give to the Maoists or the State and what are they willing to take? Have
they made any approach or even contacts with the Maoist to explore the
possibility of this "Negotiations"? And if they have, then have they granted
the "freedom of information" to the people of Nepal and the world at large?

As for the nature of conflict after 1st February. Again, I am no soothsayer.
The answer to this question is in one sence inherent in the answer to your
first question. But, is the action of 1st September the cause or the
consequence of conflict? Or is it not just a part of the conflict? Just
another maneuver like the attempt by NC to reinstitute the expired
parliament, like the attempt to have all party government sans elections of
the UML, like the previous two attempts at dialogue, like the reluctance of
the over-ground parties even to try to attempt to facilitate and conduct
elections, like the demand for elected constitutional assembly? By the way,
I have heard of constitutional assemblies of other countries, but I have
never heard of the "ELECTED" constitutional assemblies (except as a slogan,
now in Nepal), have you? Is this February action the consequence of the
lack of consensus between and within the over-ground parties? Is this latest
action the consequence of ever increasing areas of operation of the Maoists
and non-seriousness or incapacity of any other forces to address the Maoist
problem ? When the over-ground forces are in disarray and in disagreement
and in conflict with each other, will that motivate the Maoists to intensify
conflict or to give-up the use of arms? And just an insinuation, without
heed to future consequence, crises and conflicts, would not this current
conflict and current crisis simply disappear, if only all of us agree to
live in communes under the "new democracy or people's democracy of the
Prachanda System" and as part of the Compact Revolutionary Zone, together
with Bihar, Jharkhand and Andra Pradesh?

You had asked, "How hopeful are you about Nepal's future?" Many of us who
have lost all hope have, as you well know already, lost sanity and many have
committed suicide. Rate of such incidents have risen since 1996 in Nepal.
Hope is the only thing we may have to sustain us. But those high and mighty
who just demand, keep saying "should" "must" and display their unique wisdom
by doing nothing concrete, but only blame others, do contribute in depriving
even the little hope of those who have been suffering the consequences of
conflict. Yet lets keep hoping that things will be better. That is what the
people I have met in Nepal are doing, now.