>>Gyanendra on Agreement: Kantipur FM is reporting at the end of it’s 18:30 hours bulletin that Gyanendra Shah, the king who dismissed democracy, imposed autocracy in Feb 1, 2005 and intensified war against Maoists after the takeover, has welcomed yesterday’s historic comprehensive peace agreement between the government of Nepal and CPN Maoist. As per the agreement, Gyanendra’s properties that he inherited along with the crown in 2001 will be nationalized, he will have no role whatsoever in the state of affairs in Nepal and the fate of monarchy will be decided by the simple majority of the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly. According to the statement issued by Shah’s office in Narayanhitti, he has “expressed his happiness” over the agreement. Shah has basically confied himself within the high walls of Narayanhitti since the third week of April when he was nearly overthrown by the popular uprising.
>>Today is the day of celebrations! The government of Nepal declared today public holiday and the Home Minister requested all citizens to do dipawali in their homes. All government offices are reported to be doing dipawali this evening. People on the street are in jubilant mood.
Images of celebrations and the Comprehensive Peace Accord signing ceremony (Tuesday, November 21, 2006). UWB Photo blog
Celebrating Peace: Students lit candles in a ceremony Wednesday (Nov 22) organized to celebrate the Peace Accord in RR campus (Kathmandu) Pic by Sailendra Kharel via eKantipur
In Biratnagar. Pics by Bhim Ghimire via Kantipur
Biratnagar
He…he.. Good News! A man in Tulsipur (Dang) listens to the live radio broadcast about the peace agreement signign event. Pic by Sudarsan Rijal via Kantipur
Peace At Last: Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala Koirala and CPN Maoist Chairman Prachanda shake hands and exchange the papers after they put their signatures in the Comprehensive Pace Accord. Pics by eKantpur
Koirala and Prachanda put their signatures at the copies of Comprehensive Peace Accord. Pic via eKantipur
US ambassador James F Moriarty and Indian envoy Shiv Shankar Mukharjee in the signing in ceremony
Related Post
01. THE WAR IS OVER, NEPAL DECLARES!
Further reading:
01.Comprehensive peace accord signed, decade-old Maoist armed insurgency ends (ekantipur)
United We Blog 
Comments
63 responses to “Nepal Celebrates End of Maoist Insurgency”
is that right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
finally ,good news
Mr. Mukerjee doesn’t not seem too please. As if were in deep comtemplating something. I wandering what’s going on behind those eyes.
Not in words but in action and deed. Thats the hope.
Sure is the joy. But yet to see the implementation.
Finally we get good news, Hope we will have bright future.
I see children are again being used for “propaganda” purpose (did not find a right word).
To suggest that these children are celebrating because they understand what’s going on or what are the implications of the accord is simply cruel joke on them.
Leave them alone ..
This is very joyfull day. Hope the smile in Nepali peoples face is retain long last.
Implimentation is the key.
yes, D. i go to listened that gyane has issued a statement hailing the peace accord.
radio nepal said, according to the statement issued by palace secretariat, gyane was happy to learn about the peace accord and was optimistic that the country will now peacefully move forward.
lets see how much he could appease by the time his fate is decided.
Get on the peace bandwagon! There is no other way.
I wonder how other extremist groups will now respond — that Tarai Morcha group and the Nepal Janatantrik Group.
Look at this, even Gyanendra has stopped talking about monarchy: ceremonial or constitutional. I think he as seen the end is coming soon. Good for him, there is no way out. If he dares speaking for the continuity of the feudal institution, he will be chased away from Nepal.
Issuing a statement this evening, the Royal Palace Secretariat said that the king was pleased that a peace agreement had been concluded in keeping with the nation’s need and people’s aspirations.
“His Majesty appreciates the contributions of all those involved in bringing to an end bloodshed, violence and terrorism through the peace accord and hopes that, by ensuring sustainable peace, a prosperous Nepal can now be built with the collective efforts of all Nepalese people through multiparty democracy,” the statement said.
He also prayed for eternal peace of those who lost their lives, the statement said.
Peace at last but the important period is still to come. Now the implementation phase has to carried out carefully such that the long lasting peace can be acheived.
The paper writing must be materialized in actions.
Jai Nepal, and peace.
Well despite all the negatives I am very hopeful that things will turn out fine for us! We have all been waiting for this day, though the road is long and difficult, we are finally on it and moving.
It is indeed a very good news for all of us. We must still be vigilant, road ahead is rough. Let us hope for the best. And also for peaceful, harmonious and prosperous Neapl.
I am also happy with many others Nepali that a peace accord has been finally signed. It’s good that now onward I hope no Nepali will die from state terror and Maoist terror.
But, the peace accord signed Tuesday, is not a peace accord. It seems like a political document to fool Nepalese, because:
* The accord which is so lengthy, doesn’t says any word about “peace”. The word “peace” is missing in the document except in the heading.
* The accord is technically a document to end the ongoing war. There is a firm declaration to end the war started since 2052. That’s fine. But, I wonder, if both the warring factions declares to end the war, then why the Maoist Army is not liquidated ? Why it being kept in the cantonment with arms & ammunition. This, reflects that the war is not over, only a ceasefire is in place. If Maoist declares to end war then why they need Army when there is a 100,000 strong government army in place ?
* Thirdly, the accord is silence about trial of those who are directly or indirectly responsible for human genocide. If King is resposible for genocide in 19 days of People’s Movement, why is not Prachand responsible for killings of 13,000 people in socalled people’s war ?
* The accord doesn’t have support of all the segments of the society, why ? Even, three political parties in the Parliament were not involved in the peace process. The Tarai Jantantrik Morcha declared one day long ‘total strike’ in Tarai belt. It has been reported successful by BBC World. Why they refuted the accord ?
* All these, indicate that the accord is signed for fulfilment vested interests of GPs & Prachandas, open & disguise terrorist/perpetrators worlking under influence of foreign intelligence. Thanks.
I like the comments by Raghav. He has done the postmortem of the accord. Now, I also doubt the accord in it’s inner intention.
Last time Seven Parties Alliance & Maoist pact was signed by both parties, but this time I haven’t seen the covering page of the peace accord signed by both warring parties. I was told by a journalist at the spot that the preface of the accord- a separate piece of paper was signed by Girija & Prachand, but they took the two copies along with them. It was not made public. Why shouldn’t I doubt that this was the secret dealings between two leaders. I wonder, why Madhav Nepal, so-called top leader with little height & Hitler-like mostache doesn’t raise any question about that?
Just on the previous posts where the articles talked about Maoist recruitment of children, people were venting their frustrations and were so skeptical of the peace process. On that post that talked about Prachanda claiming the ISI wanted to help him people were bashing the hell out of the Maoists.
All of a sudden Girija and Prachanda sgin this agreement and everything is danady! Was this (the sgining ceremony) the bottleneck in the peace process. Were the Maoists continuing with the actions because an agreement wasn’t SGINED? So now I assume they will stop?
I will only celebrate the day the villagers and rural Nepalis can live without fear and intimidation. I will celebrate with Mr. Wagle’s grandfather can reap his fields and his mother can go back home. I will celebrate when the thousands of displaced people can safely go back to their homes.
During the mob movement around 20000 people were forced to take out the rallies and vandalization – that was turned out to be the voice of Nepal.
In the above pictures a few 10s are being seen and this is the voice of Nepal.
Are you Nepalis in your senses? Some of you people talk nonsensical always and always because you are being paid to do this and your tummy is filled with this anarchy money. The rest of the brains here have the analytical skills though.
I cant believe it we’ve come so far. I’ve never been so happy before. Now its time for us to forgive and forget and look forward to a new Nepal. The govt. has never been truly representative and powerful in the history of Nepal as this one this time. We must capitalize this and move forward to a new ear for Nepal.
Raghav Singh has summed up the feeling of most Nepalese. It is just a ceasefire not the end of war as the ignorant newspaper’s headline proclaims.
Where is the justice for 14000 Martyrs of this Maoists’genocide?
The king hails the peace-process. Is not he a laughing stock?
Budhai… you are right. Why did the Maoists have to wait till the signature was put on the dotted line and more importantly, will they actually stop their atrocities after they have signed the agreement. In any case, they have been living in a complete state of denial about the atrocities that were reproted– according to them, none of the incidents reported was their doing anyway. It was always done by forces that wanted to de-stabalize the so called peace process. And now that SPA and the Maists have worked out “you forget my corruption and I will forget your murders: deal, we can only hope that peace in its true sense will last. Peace is not just the absence of war– people– all people– have to get that inner sense of security of being able to live their lives with fear and coercion. That is that day we can all look forward to– but there is no denying that the signing of the accord can be a major step towards that day.
Guyfromktm:
I agree the sgining of the peace process can be a step this way But… What worries me is that the Maoists have not acknowledged that the autrocities they comitted were wrong (as you have pointed out.) They were justifying the recruitment of children, the exthortions etc. As if they had a right to do all these things. I mean it’s way too early for people to be celebrating and thinking peace is here.
Let Wagle’s mom be able to go back to her house and his gradfather be able to pick his harvest. That’s the real test of this peace process. The peace process isn’t only supposed to benefit KTM elites so that now they can parade around in pompous weddings with too much jewelry or go to parties at 5 star hotels!!
yeah Budhai, if SPA-M are true when they say they are doing this to fulfil “people’s aspirations” (some times I wonder which people are they representing), they have to make sure that this deal is more than “I forget your corruption, your forget my murders” deal.
I like your last line… it really does seem to be a forget the murders and we’ll forget the curruption deal. Hopefully the Nepali people will be able to see through this.
It’s always good to see people thinking after the initial excitement. The question I raised as soon as UWB came out celebrating the deal was – If we can at a whisk of a pen forgive someone for the death of 14000, then why are we going after the King for the death of 21?
This is not to mean that the King should be let loose, but he has to be if we over look the 14000 killed. Don’t we?
Peace deals are great, but peace deals are to end wars not to forgive past murders? Or are they?
finally some people are thinking!
Raghav (#16)
I am happy that you are happy because the peace accord has been signed. But you add a BUT to make further points. I would like to add another BUT to explain you on topics that you seems to have misunderstood:
* The accord which is so lengthy, doesn’t says any word about “peace”. The word “peace” is missing in the document except in the heading.
> Tell me how many words “peace” you wanted to see? 100? 1000? One million? Does that make any difference? Kabita taba po hunchha/ bhab bhaye po hunchha/ shabda thuparikana ke hunchha? [Just gathering words don’t make a poem, that needs to have feelings] The Peace Agreement clearly declares an end of the war. So what do you think comes after the end of a war?
* The accord is technically a document to end the ongoing war. There is a firm declaration to end the war started since 2052. That’s fine. But, I wonder, if both the warring factions declares to end the war, then why the Maoist Army is not liquidated ?
> Okay, so you know “accord is technically a document to end the ongoing war.” Good. Now understand this: we are heading for the CA election right? And it is mentioned in previous agreements and in the peace accord itself what are the agendas of CA. One of them is to restructure the National Army in keeping mind the PLA.
But when you ask why PLA “being kept in the cantonment with arms & ammunition” I want to respond with this question:
Foolish Maoist and Nepal government, why Gyanendra is still being kept in a bigger cantonment called Narayanhitti. Shouldn’t they have take him out and hung him for what he did after Oct 2002? But it’s not a time to be emotional and over ambitious. I am sure your and mine feelings and wishes will be fulfilled after the CA.
And you say, “If Maoist declares to end war then why they need Army when there is a 100,000 strong government army in place?” And I say, “If Nepal government declares end to war, why they need Army when there is a 35,000 strong Maoist army in place?”
“If King is responsible for genocide in 19 days of People’s Movement, why is not Prachand responsible for killings of 13,000 people in so called people’s war?”
>>Right but go and see the previous agreement between Nepal government and the Maoist, my kid, you will find something about commitments to form Truth and Reconciliation Commission. That will probe all such alleged atrocities. By the way, don’t try to save you beloved king by saying “if king is responsible for genocide in 19 day” movement. He is, that’s true. He is also responsible for killings of a few thousands of Nepalis from those 13000. He is the one who actually intensified the war against Maoists after Feb 1, 2005. So both Prachanda and Gyanendra and all previous governments should be probed.
* The accord doesn’t have support of all the segments of the society, why ? Even, three political parties in the Parliament were not involved in the peace process. The Tarai Jantantrik Morcha declared one day long ‘total strike’ in Tarai belt. It has been reported successful by BBC World. Why they refuted the accord?
>> Because there are still some incurable cynics like you in Nepal who always try to find fault in almost everything. Don’t talk about who were not involved in the peace process. Were you involved? And also I wasn’t involved. There are 25 million Nepalis in Nepal. How can all of them be involved in the talks?
TJM is a Maoist breakaway faction and they are there to protest anything CPN Maoist does. That’s not a surprise. Government should also invited them for talks. That’s the solution.
* All these, indicate that the accord is signed for fulfilment vested interests of GPs & Prachandas, open & disguise terrorist/perpetrators worlking under influence of foreign intelligence. Thanks.
>>Of course, it’s in the vested interest of GP and Prachanda. You are right. Girija himself has repeated its in his interest to bring peace in Nepal. But it seems you are really in difficult position because of the peace agreement. It seems from the way you talk that you would be more than happy if war had continued. I know where exactly you belong to: Satchhit Shumsher and company. But you know what, your days are numbered!
If we assume the Flip Flop will adhere to accord then fine, Peace is here. The question of giving Peace a chance is a good thing but equally to be aware of pitfalls and shortcomings in the accord is of paramount concern. To be a historical figure- Girja may be compromised more than necessary and Maoist may have shown their soft side to win over sentiments BUT the crux is- its not that simple. To simply accept what’s been spoken in the name of peace is foolhardy but also should not be discredited. So vigilance is a key.
Maoist and their sister organization are still actively collecting donations, recruiting children and they openly state that “if things do not go their way, then they will unlock the lock.” So take your pick.
I do commend his HMG sagacity and spirit in sending best wishes for peace accord. This gesture illustrates magnanimity.
Bhudai Pandit
I thought you to be a moderate royalist but you turned to be a stunch one. You find faults and doubts every where and in every one except in monarchy and monarch. All the time you were casting doubt on Maoists in signing a peace treaty. Lo! There is a peace treaty albeit of your scepticism and doubts. I think you are a wise and learned person but using your wisedom and learning to ill purpose under some compulsion.No bloggers here, except few Maoists ones, took Maoists to be the saint but they all wished to let the Maoists give a chance to come to peace irrespective of their blunders, mistakes or crimes because the Maoists had raised issues that no body could deny and defy. At present, maoist leaders have to let down their cadres from dreamy euphoria to present reality and have to wait for a few days to let to settle their emotions. The course is changed -‘war has gone to peace’ – and it is more than enough at present.
You always find faults and flaws in political parties generally, in SPA and Maoists particularly, in SPA especially and in SPA leaders personally. Yes, in the parties there may be some corrupt people or some may be unapt and may be some bad too but that does not make multi-party political system bad and monarchy good. If you have no very very personal reasons to vilify and hate them, why do not you try to correct them as a good well-wisher of this country?
You talk like an old Mukhiya of remote village who could not believe the fall of Rana ruler under the arm of few rebels of that area in BS 2007 and scolded and cursed the rebels and advised common folks to wait for the return of Rana regime. But, alas!
Bhudai Pandit
Monarcy is dead and nobody reaches nowhere on a dead horse.
although it is a big sigh of relief….there are many things hanging in line….wat will maoists do if they do not get enuff seats in the assembly?? wat will happen to the armies that will be in cantonments..? Hope every leader is optimistic and will not pick up arms again and will think for Nepal’s rapid development….
All those who stole from the nation must be punished and the money and property recovered. Koirala and the other corrupt politicians, officers and officials must not be allowed to use the king as a sacrificial offering to escape prosecution for their own crimes.
Okay well…Ram’s point of any arguments end here…”King is responsible for intensifying war against Maoists”…
1) The Maoists were given birth by Political Parties and various other factors.
2) The war against Maoists was started by Politicial parties – so first according to Ram’s own illogical arguments, Political parties need to go through a system of justice.
3) So if Point 2 holds true then I would happily agree that your HM King should go through a system of justice along with Mao terrorists, political parties!
4) If point 2 and 3 hold true then we must punish the Indian Government, the American Governments and many many more for starting wars against terrorists.
Some of you Nepalis just talk big and lengthy and never think! Come out of your circle of blindedness.
Looks good now all diaspora people can we come home and stopped the brain-drain?
Can we even say something in favour of Prachandra within the country?
Dialogue for peace
LOL. Something in favour of Prachanda terrorist? LOL. Just because he came to power with the help of terrorism and all.
To uncloud some confusion, as it seems some of our comrades are in right now, let me rephrase my comment # 27.
The question was – “If we can at a whisk of a pen forgive someone for the death of 14000, then why are we going after the King for the death of 21?
This is not to mean that the King should be let loose, but he has to be if we over look the 14000 killed. Don’t we?
Peace deals are great, but peace deals are to end wars not to forgive past murders? Or are they? ”
The rephrasing for comrades who believe that mass murder is a sacrifice for greater good and small scale murder is well – murder, (so that they do not get carried away with slippery slope arguments going on to blame the Americans as well) is – “If the King is to be punished for the 21 killed then so too must Prachanda for the 40 in Chitwan (let’s forget about the 14000, for a second) and of course there must be a more specific example during the kilo sera 2 operations where we can get GPK on as well.”
Or is justice geared towards losing political rivals and victors walk free in the eyes of the law?
First, don’t compare between the deaths of 1300 and 21. The atrocities done during the Maoist movement from both sides must be investigated by the Truth And Reconciliation Commission.
Maoist movement was a political movement. It was done for the political purpose though some activities were not political in nature. For example, Madi massacre. That is why I talked in the above para about TRC.
But Gyanendra’s was purely an autocratic ambition and what he did was purely unconstitutional. That is why Gyanendra is directly responsible to those deaths. Not only that, he is also responsible of playing with out basic human rights and freedom. I don’t think his father Mahendra gave him that right to cut off phone lines and detain people and impose censorship.
I am glad that people have not forgotton the 14000 Martyrs of Maoists’ murder campaign for POWER (and that’s all it is).
See how quickly these murderers avoid the issue of their brutal murder (many of them after severe torture ???? ?????? ???? ??????) to people like Mukti Nath Adhikari and many others.
We will never forget. No amount of truth and reconcilliation committee is going to forgive that.
Nepal has changed forever .. it is not Nepali for Nepali anymore .. these murderers are more brutal than Iraqi terrorists who murdered 12 Nepalese two years ago by cutting the throat of one of them on camera.
hey you #38,
“First, don’t compare between the deaths of 1300 and 21.”
>> Death caused by maoist are to be forgottten coz they have come to power? (or they got the loose gun)
do you know how mukti nath adhikari was killed? or do you know how 2 persons (forgot their names) were killed while they were on “kriya” of their slain father (that too was killed by maoist?)
“Maoist movement was a political movement. It was done for the political purpose… ”
>> If some hard-core royalist start killing, since it is also political leave them as it is??
“But Gyanendra’s was purely an autocratic ambition and what he did was purely unconstitutional.”
>>Moaoist voilence was constitutional? Jana-andolan constitutional? Which constitution are you talking about? that which is comming after 10-20 years??
“I don’t think his father Mahendra gave him that right to cut off phone lines and detain people and impose censorship.”
>> DID maoist had right to blow off the bus? kill taxi driver near B&B Hospital just because he was driving taxi a day before election alled by royal govt?
or did maoist had rights to shoot in the moving bus in maina pokhari killing civilians?? can u answer just one instance?
DID then govts kill or took under control Mr. Prachanda’s Father just because his son was head of terrorist? then why maoist killed and burnt down the homes of poor villagers, just because their son/daughter was serving in polic and army??
Look since most of you guys have not suffered personally from the Maoists insurgency/Army abuse why don’t you guys get a grip and a proper sense of balance? To call for Prchanda’s or KGs head is impractical. Let the elections to the CA decide what is to be done. In an ideal world both those guys should at least be behind bars for life. But hey we don’t live in wonderland! There is plenty to look forward to and there is now an opportunity for a lot of good things to come-an opportunity that seemed like a dream just a couple of years ago. Let’s be a little positive and try and come out of our little, selfish positions.
Raj:
What the hell is wrong with you? Why the hell are you going off in a rant? You are begining to really piss me off. I am skeptical of the Maoists and I don’t trust them one bit. Nor do I think they are capable of being a democratic political party. BUT I HAVE ALWAYS said they should be given a chance. Why does that make me a stunch royalist? Man that’s all you ever think in terms of… YOU are obsessed with the Monarchy. Ask ‘noname’ if I am a royalists. Go to the article ‘inspecting a maoist cantonment site’ and read my arguments (#59 – #67) and come back here and tell me that I am a royalist!
I’ll tell you what I am not – I am not a overly optimist, escapist who floats in the clouds and pretends everything is okay. What has been achieved so far uh? The sgining of that documents means JACK s*hit. I want to see some results. The Maoists are all about talk. And my position has always been the the only quantifyable results of that peace agreeement is how much better the lives of rural Nepalis are. Other it doesn’t mean anything.
If that makes me a Royalist, I guess that’s fine with me.
And people here who still piss in their pants and fear the Monarchy will do something are just plain insecure. The Monarchy is out of the picture! Get over it and try to deal with real problems!
Even if the King has welcomed the accord it does not mean that the killing of 13000 by Prachanda can be condoned…..This is no Peace..it is only a lull in the battle….Prachanda will not be satisfied with less than full power and his goons have hidden enough weapons to terrorise voters and capture voting booths..His masters in India surely would have taught him these tricks…
shantikumar:
don’t be silly. India doesn’t want to see the Maoists come to power. what kind of logic did you use to come to the conclusion?
Bhudai-I can vouch that you are no royalist, but you do seem to have gotten a little one sided of late. Sure the Maoists started it but you seem to have forgotten why. Nepal with all the poverty, inequality, govt. inefficieny, corrpution, ineptness, inequality, over-centralization etc, etc was always ripe for something like the Maoists to come along. During summer leave a bucket of water in your garden for a week and surely you will find mosquito larves swimming in it. That’s how Nepal was/is. A breeding ground for a violent revolt.
Sure we should condemn the Maoists for their violence and brutality but I have lived here in Nepal since 1994 and have followed the Maoists rebellion closely ever since they attracted media attention since 1996. As violent/brutal as the Maoists have been so have the security forces. People blame the Maoists for 13000 deaths but more than half of that figure was committed by the security forces. Nepal has conditions close/equal to some of the poorer countries in Africa-we are not in the US or Western Europe where standards have developed into, for a lack of a better word, a ‘higher’ level.
Eversince the Maoists and the SPA started talking from May this year incidences of violence have substantially decreased. Sure the Maoists are still killing, maiming and abducting but these incidents are becoming more and more isolated. What else do you expect. Everything to be hunky dory overnight? You are more intelligent than that. I’m sure that there will be a lot more problems to come in the near and mid-term future. The Maoists might even split into factions with one side carrying on with the violence. Who knows? However the point is that the bulk of the Maoists have agreed to give up on violence, to come into the democractic mainstream without their arms-with the world as their witness and the UN officially the referee. So instead of just looking at the relatively small negatives isn’t it time to look at the overwhelming positives too?
UWB-am I target for your moderation today?
UWB: Kirat ji, please blame it on this [icd] wordpress!
(Hum, was so angry with the wordpress that I too had to use the word that, as you can see, has been replaced by ICD!!)
shantikumar-is that the same Indian master who re-installed King Tribhvan to end the Rana rule?
Kirat,
Can you really blame me for being one-sided of late?
I hope all the things you said come true. I have insisted that we give the Maoists a chance. But not at any cost! They must be serious and adhere to the code of conduct. This shouldn’t be a one-sided deal. I guess time will tell if they are indeed serious about the peace process. But Kirat you yourself were getting very frustrated and angry in the previous threads – both at the SPA and the Maoists. Did the sgining ceremony change your mind?
And …
On an ideological level the Maoist maybe justified. But every action of theirs there on out has been dispicable and wrong. Who has suffered the MOST from the conflict?? It sure as hell isn’t the KTM elites.