Nepali Maoist: Ignorant or Arrogant?

Armed Maoist guerillas in a marketplace in Gaighat yesterday. Displaying arms in public like this is against the peace agreement they signed. Plus, the vehicle they were using didn’t have license plate. Pic by Rameshchandra Adhikari

Sometime these Maoists really make me wonder about them. It feels like they are a confused lot or ignorant about the area they are trying to venture into. Of course, there are many good things about them. They are the driving force behind the change Nepal is currently experiencing albeit the chaotic situation. The other day a Maoist “lawmaker”, who carried weapons in the parliament, challenged the speaker to take action against him. The next day, his boss in the party, apologized to the House for his brat cadre MPs remarks and behavior. They are trying to learn thing but at the same time doing foolish mistakes. Another example of their ignorance (or probably arrogance) comes from Udayapur on the front page of today’s Kantipur daily. The title of the news is: “Guerillas With Arms In Marketplace”. The photo, posted along with this article, shows guerillas on a pick up van without a license plate roaming around Udayapur Bazaar, Ghaighat district. -UWB

A report by Rameshchandra Adhikari:

Residents became fearful when a group of armed Maoist guerillas of the Bishalkumar Memorial Brigade under the second division of the Maoist Party came to the market area of Udayapur on Thursday (1 March). The guerillas, who came at around 8 AM, carried weapons like AK 47, SLR Insas and AMG, all registered to the UN according to a source. The guerillas went towards a place called Murkuchi in the evening. A district level leader, Deputy In-charge Deepak, said that the guerilla were there to provide security to the Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal). But Badal had gone to Sunsari a day before. “We brought the weapons with permission from the UN for the security of comrade Badal,” he said. “Don’t take it otherwise.” Political parties and the administration have criticized the Maoists for displaying the arms in public even after signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that bars them from doing so.

Badal the Cloud

Meanwhile Badal, who reached the headquarter of Gaighat on Tuesday evening, warned media persons not to publish the photos of armed guerillas. When I tried to take a photo of the armed guerilla, Badal came forward, blocked the camera and warned me not to publish the photo. The weapons had the UN sticker and the guerilla who was carrying the weapon had agreed to pose for a photo. But Badal (a Nepali word for cloud) hurriedly came in between, tried to cover the weapon with his hand. And he said: “Don’t do mediabazi (publicize) with this photo. That might be challenging to you as well.”