Here are points to be noted, Mr Prachanda. We know you are readying yourself for the next round of high level peace talks (Friday, July 21). Before that will you please read this news published in today’s Kathmandu Post? Artwork by Dewen via TKP
By Yuvraj Acharya
A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair, said Niccolo Machiavelli and warned his prince against seizing anyone’s property.
Maoist rebels take their lessons not from the Italian political philosopher but directly from the little red book of Mao Tse-Dong. They have captured the property of the “bourgeoisie” and chased them away from their villages to create a “safe” base for the revolution. Most of these “bourgeoisie” in the villages are however cadres of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) with whom they jointly launched a crusade against the king.
Capturing property was easy. But returning it, to honor the 12-point agreement signed with the SPA, has been a daunting task. As hundreds of party cadres and common citizens complain of continued capture of their property, the heat has been turned on against the Maoist leadership, pushing it on to the defensive.
The 5th point of the 12-point understanding signed between the rebels and SPA vows to ensure the safe and dignified return of party cadres and the return of seized property.
Land and other properties of more than half a dozen central committee members of the Nepali Congress including Binaya Dhoj Chand, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Ananda Dhungana, Kul Bahadur Gurung and Maheshwor Prasad Singh remain under the control of gun-toting rebel cadres. Interestingly, NC General Secretary Kul Bahadur Gurung’s property in Dnabari village of Ilam district was captured after the 12-point understanding was reached. “When my two sisters argued with the Maoists that seizure of property was against the spirit of the 12-point understanding and demanded that the property be returned, they threaten to kill them,” said Gurung. The RPP office has received complaints from over 150 cadres about their property being captured by rebels. Even the CPN-UML has not been spared. Politburo member Amrit Bohara is among the central leaders in the UML whose property has been seized by Maoists.
Gopal Pahadi, leader of the NC, doubts that the rebels will willingly return seized property. “They haven’t yet demonstrated the goodwill for that,” he said.
But the rebels finally seem to have realized the cost of such plunder for the party’s image in the long run. Only this week they agreed to form a joint committee with the parties at the central level and replicate this at the district level if necessary to address the issue. The rebels also returned a portion of the seized property belonging to Chand on Tuesday. Coincidently, Chand represents the NC in the joint committee.
Dina Nath Sharma, who represents his party in the joint committee, said that the problem would be gradually solved. But he argued that it was hyped up. “We have repeatedly requested the party cadres to go to the villages and reclaim their property.” He even charged that Chand was making speeches against his party instead of going to his village to reclaim his property.
Sharma said his party was committed to creating an atmosphere for the safe and dignified return of displaced people and restoration of their property.
However, he also said that the Maoist cadres should get justice. “Most of our leaders have also lost their private property. But no one is talking about compensation for them,” he complained. “About 1,000 of our cadres lost their lives after we signed the 12-point pact. Will the family members of the dead receive one million rupees like others did during the people’s movement?”
And this one:
Ceasefire fails to relieve displaced
By Madhav Ghimire in the Post
BIRATNAGAR- Tularam Khadka, 96, has been telling his nephew Ishwor about his “last wish” to return to his ancestral home in Sankhuwasabha once before he dies. Ishwor, who is also the Eastern region coordinator of the displaced coordination committee, says he is not only unable to fulfill his aged uncle’s “last wish”, but also helpless to fulfill the desires of hundreds of families displaced by Maoist conflict around the eastern districts.
“None of the agreements and understandings so far reached between Maoist leaders and seven parties’ has been implemented at the grassroots level,” says Ishwor. Ishwor’s ancestral property at Akhibhui, Sankhuwasabha, was seized by Maoists some five years ago. Only recently, he had sent his son Yogendra to the village to learn about the conditions there.
“We will rather go back to the jungle than return the properties. We don’t know what’s happening at the center but we are not going to give back the properties,” is what Maoist cadres in the villages have been saying, according to Ishwor.
The problem is not limited to the Khadka family alone. There are more than 10,000 displaced people scattered around eastern districts, who share similar grievances. Very few people have been able to return to their villages after the ceasefire.
“Even today Maoist cadres are the ones controlling the villages. Travel restrictions, land taxes, forced labor, that the rebels had imposed are still intact,” according to victims.
Also, the much-hyped “open padlock” program of the Maoists, to return the displaced people back to their villages, has proved to be a failure in the eastern districts.
More than 400 displaced families of Surungkhimti-6, Taplejung, who were “invited” by the Maoists by announcing their program, have not returned home so far. “What’s the use of returning if we are not getting our property back,” said Manmaya Rai one of the victims from Surungkhimti.
Meanwhile reports from Salyan saying, even after the Maoist’s agreed with the government to return land and property to displaced people, the rebels are yet to honor the accord here in the district. According to our correspondent Biplab Maharjan , some three dozen families from rural areas of Salyan, displaced due to Maoist excesses, are still in the district headquarters, Dang, and Nepalgunj, among other places.
“Since December I visited my house several times, but I returned fruitless as it is being used by the Maoists,” said Dhan Bahadur from Marmaparikada. The Maoists displaced him during 1997 and they are using his house and land since 2001. “I have frequently urged the Maoists to return my property, but to no avail,” he added.
Maoists padlocked the house of Bir Bahadur Dagi from Kavra Rambazaar after he joined the Nepal Police. Dagi a Maoist cadre had surrendered to local administration prior to joining the police, said his father-in-law Chandra Lal Paudel.
Likewise, the rebels are yet to return the land and property of Dor Bahadur Thapa, according to Paudel. Similarly, Hari Prashad Shrestha and Mahendra Shrestha of Tribeni VDC, all displaced some four years ago and staying in Dang, are yet to recover their property.
Following the government-Maoist agreement, most of the displaced people often visit their home villages but they return unsuccessful having no arrangement to stay and survive there.
United We Blog 
Comments
42 responses to “Maoists Quibble Over Returning Seized Property”
Hypocritical basrtards. And the audacity to say who will compensate for the cadres loss of lives. It’s like saying who will compensate for the army personnells loss of lives. Bastards!!!!
The SPA have to now call their bluff and really put pressure on them.
Shameless bunch of sadists! No logic seems working on them, may be they only understand the language of gun!?
Dear buggerwugger: With what can the SPA “call the bluff” of the Maoists? Protest signs?
“No logic seems working on them, may be they only understand the language of gun!?”
You are finally catching on. Now if we can just find some leadership for the Nepal Army.
The irony is SPA use Maoist and Maoist use SPA-so they are partner in crime against Nepal. FYI- Indian is porviding 350 million IC to UML to publicize Republicanism in Nepal. The way the situation is in Nepal- nationalism means something that can be traded off. Just heard that if you want to registered a new company with name starting with NEPAL- then its not allowed. Go ask Company Registration office for the reason. It quite shocked me.
As for Maoist- unless you resist them now prepared to be their slave. SPA is nothing but a henchmen for India and cohorts of Maoist.
The Maoists used the SPA to bring down the king. The SPA were too focused on their own greed for personal wealth and power to see that they were just being a tool for Maoist victory.
Bideshi,
I think you have answered your own question, but calling the bluff will entail bringing them into the interim government then demanding they lay down their arms – if not then use the new Nepal army. Everyone will see that there was no other alternative left.
I think however bad it gets it still is better than using a gun. The Maoists are Nepalese too and they should be treated as one. At the same time if they are Nepalese means they are endemic to the same greed and corruptiveness of regular Nepalese. They will want their lives to better and we must use that to our benefit, an arms control is good but we need to give the disbanded Maoists some employment or purpose not to fight. Lets say Prachanda and the top brass join politics and neglect he low rung maoists, we are bound to see a worse crisis of decentralized violence. It is not a question of just or unjust, it is about what is best for th e country, even if that is rewarding the disbanded Maoists with temporary jobs. By the way the army does get compensation when injured or killed and so do serving politicians. The army also has to be much more modernised, at the same time ensuring it does not loose it’s morale, because the Maoists still haven’t disbanded.
If someone thinks that maoists will return all the looted and captured properties to their original owner then i will call that person a biggest fool of this world.
When a person doesn’t have to work hard to arrange wealth, property, house etc by just threatning all those things can be done then why bother to work. Working is very hard and to be rich by working is toooo hard. Why maoists will let go easy money?
May the better judgement prevail but I still cannot accept the fact that if might is the key to achieving power then what is the rational for us debating. Maoist through Might have done the unthinkable. The question that begs to be answered is, is it alright?
It is not the question of just or unjust or all of us being a Nepali. How can a nation bear unslaught of rebel after rebel, chaka jams, and strikes after strikes. Rather than unifying, seams of what Nepal is being torn apart in the name of political righteousness, vendetta, and ethnic divide. There is a call by Maoist to all the ethnic groups, a shortsightedness in their part, to rise and demand for injust with reference to history and social class. May be a political tool now but with a danger of unimaginable proportion in its aftermath.
Maoist may profess all the right things now and chart a course of action for SPA to demolish all the institutions, offices and departments in order for them to come to power without any hinderence. The actions of SPA does point to that- all 8 points, 12 points agreement clearly illustrates that with many hidden and diferent agreements between each and every party with the Maoist. So in reality, it is not all what it seems.
I for one would like to give peace a chance but not at the cost of civil liberties, freedoms and right to vote. Amen
More than 80 percent of whose properties were siezed by the Maoists really do not have enough moral strength to return to their village primarily because of their involvement as spies in the killings of the innocent unarmed Maoists caders and symphetizers by the security forces. It is not the Maoists whom they should blame but their leaders who were in Singha Durbar at the time they committed this kind of heinous acts and fled to the headquarters and the capital.
Sorry for the harsh words. But its not only about the question of ‘seized property”, what about the lives of thousands that can never be returned to their dear ones!!!!!!!???????
Well MHZ,
Then try them for the crime, seizing property is not the answer. Similarly, try the maoists who are as responsible if not more for all their crimes as well which includes seizing property.
Well MHZ,
Then try them for the crime, seizing property is not the answer. Similarly, try the maoists who are as responsible if not more for all their crimes (murder, extortion, torture, human rights abuse including the denial of education, illegal arms trade, bombings, genocide, infanticide amongst other numerous crimes) as well, which includes seizing property.
91.5MHz,
You write “Sorry for the harsh words. But its not only about the question of ’seized property”, what about the lives of thousands that can never be returned to their dear ones!!!!!!!???????”
Who are you asking this question to? You should first and foremost address this to your thug of a boss Dahal alias Prachanda.
Oh I forget his (Dahal’s) reply was ” 13000 lives is nothing compared to what lives people have lost in other coutries blah blah blah”.
In the same line as
” I am not a murderer and should not be punished because I just killed one chap, look at the other murderers they killed many more”
OR
“I am not a smoker, I only smoke one ciggarette a day”
OR
” I don’t abuse my wife, I only give her a thrashing once a year, look at my neighbour he thrashes her every week”
OR
“I am not a willfull defaulter, I only owe the banks one crore, look at that chap, catch him he owes the bank 13 crores”
OR
“I am not a corrupt crook of a politician I have only whammoed 50 lakhs, look the King and the PM have looted crores”
I guess you get the point!
A Salute to the Spirit of Mumbai – An Open letter from Mumbai to the Terrorist
Dear Terrorist,
Even if you are not reading this we don’t care. Time and again you tried to disturb us and disrupt our life – killing innocent civilians by planting bombs in trains, buses and cars. You have tried hard to bring death and destruction, cause panic and fear and create communal disharmony but every time you were disgustingly unsuccessful. Do you know how we pass our life in Mumbai? How much it takes for us to earn that single rupee? If you wanted to give us a shock then we are sorry to say that you failed miserably in your ulterior motives. Better look elsewhere, not here.
We are not Hindus and Muslims or Gujaratis or Marathis or Punjabis or Bengalis or South Indians. Nor do we distinguish ourselves as owners or workers, govt. employees or private employees. WE ARE MUMBAIKERS (Bombay-ites, if you like). We will not allow you to disrupt our life like this. On the last few occasions when you struck (including the 7 deadly blasts in a single day killing over 250 people and injuring 500+ in 1993), we went to work next day in full strength. This time we cleared everything within a few hours and were back to normal – the vendors placing their next order, businessmen finalizing the next deals and the office workers rushing to catch the next train. (Yes the same train you targeted)
Fathom this: Within 3 hours of the blasts, long queues of blood donating volunteers were seen outside various hospital, where most of the injured were admitted. By 12 midnight, the hospital had to issue a notification that blood banks were full and they didn’t require any more blood. The next day, attendance at schools and office was close to 100%, trains & buses were packed to the brim, the crowds were back. The city has simply dusted itself off and moved one – perhaps with greater vigor.
We are Mumbaikers and we live like brothers in times like this. So, do not dare to threaten us with your crackers. The spirit of Mumbai is very strong and can not be harmed.
Please forward this to others. U never know, by chance it may come to hands of a terrorist anywhere in the world, and he can then read this message which is specially meant for him!!!
With Love,
Sanjoy Gupta and from other fellow Mumbaikars, India
dear MHZ,
Did we tell that prachanda Basta*d to start the war.If u start a war u die.Plain and simple and once u die your loved ones wont see u.Cant u even figure that much out.How can u blame other people for that.
I am pretty sure that if the Maoist completely submit their arms, they actually might be the most popular force in Nepal. First of all they started a fight because due to so called unjust situation, granted they were just power hungry they did raise a lot of issues that were always hushed up in Nepal. Now going to full out peace will should that they are amicable and pragmatic enough to change their ways for the better of the people, which they claim to do all the time. The only problems are that 1. The political parties are waiting for the maoist millitary power to wean so that they can spread their political cadres, 2. The maoist leaders also came in to the fight not only for the good but also the glory and they would like it, 3. We still have a powerful monarchy, believe it or not the NA or RNA is still the strongest force one the table and the maoist know they can defend a measured attack but a full scale war would be too costly and 4. The mood in nepal can turn from progressive to complacent in a matter of seconds so a little bit of headway is enough in nepal to calm the people down.
Many people think Maoist is political party. Maoist is claiming they are state not a party. Maoist was started from small villages of rolpha. At the beginning, all other parties were assuming it is just small violent group which can only terrorise the villagers and would disappear after certain time. Instead, their organization gets bigger and bigger and they are now in stage where they can claim themselves as state not party.
I just want you guys ask yourself questions how they turn into such a big organization. If I look back the history of development of Maoist of Nepal, I don’t see any kind of political awareness they have provided to people. Since the beginning they have always followed the step of terrorizing the people, looting, forcefully collection of donation, brutally killing of people (I have seen the pictures of people who have been killed by Maoist. Even the Iraqi terrorist is not that cruel when they kill people) looting of bank, destroying our infrastructure (any Maoist supporter can explain me why they destroyed the infrastructure during the people’s war. Can they calculate the cost to rebuild those infrastructure), abduction, force people to join the people liberation army (in one occasion I even heard they force to join 80 years old harjurama in their army.)Last but not least the arms with which no one speak against them and their activity.
Most of the cadres of Maoist are illiterate, poor, unemployed and young people who are age between 14 and 26.These are the people who have been neglect by government since the restoration of democracy in Nepal and Maoist take real advantage of situation and use them as their cadres. I once asked young maoist why you are in maoist party. Answer was this “once our party makes government, we will be rich. We will get land and money”. This is what they been teaching to those innocent nepali people. Even today after signing the 12 point agreement and 8 point agreement their activity still same outside KTM. Nine people have been killed by Maoist since they sign the agreement. Who take the moral responsibility of those killings? Shouldn’t we lay criminal charge against prachanda? Or we should exempt him because he is going to rebuild new Nepal.
Collection of donation outside the KTM is still same. They are sending a letter for volunteer donation with particular amount. Why amount been written in receipt when it is volunteer donation. If it is volunteer donation why don’t they put donation box in each and every street where people can voluntarily donate the money whatever they can. Abduction is still continued. They are asking 50% money from tax from every VDC to feed their army. How much ethical it is to ask 50% of tax from VDC to utilize to maintain their liberation army which is not been officially authorized.
Why this high level peace talks and the 8 and 12 point agreement they have signed hasn’t been implemented. We are looking solution in between maoist who has label as terrorist in past and democratic forces. Virtually, we are looking coalition between democratic and undemocratic forces to solve the problem of Nepal. After removing the tag of terrorist from Maoist face they still using the method of terrorism to conduct their political activities and they are willing to make interim government. How can we trust the people in government who actually have been labeled as terrorist by world and still carry the guns which they used to follow the terrorist method?
All I want to say is that they were terrorist and they are still terrorist and criminal even the government remove the tag of terrorism. Government fulfilled all the demands they had made, they havent fulfilled any demand except cease fire.
To All Nepalis,
We a group of Nepalis have been trying to create an armed force to wipe out communist terrorism for once and for all.Interested people please send emails to public_relations@naf.org
people have still suffered from the maoists and losting their property. people are facing so many threatens from the maoists in the village still now.they have not getting captured property and fled to the city.
rosan, you are probably well intentioned but if you think the solution is merely military you will just add to the mayhem. Instead why not focus on doing something like helping the Kamaiyas so that the injustices they suffer are not taken advantage of by cunning politicians like Prachanda, Baburam and Badal? They are our Nepali brothers and sisters too. It would set a great example.
what if,
Ur write up is good.But if ur post is that long nobody will read it man.Make it short and sweet.I wish more ppl would read it.
count me as one of u roshan.
Its the hypocricy of India and the indian fed nepali human rights organisations that lead nepal to this state.How can they have ‘salwa julum’ the civillians trained by the gov and armed to fight maoists in jharkhand and when the same was tried by our gov.everyone jumped up and down and blocked it.It resulted in Maoists being the sole power in the villages and could do anything with them.
Pathetic double stardard being implied on us poor nepalis,enough is enough,marnalai nai janmeka hun maobadi haru.If not us,the army or the tarai janamukti… or the vigilantes or one of the victims of maoist terror will finish them.
If anyone thinks that with these bastards around there is any hope of peace then wake up frns.They will only be silent after they kick out the king and the parties and they take over singhdarbar,their commanders control the army and they nationalise all industries and impose a brutal regime on poor nepalis.Lets rise against the maoists and all hardcore communists in our country.
Jay Nepal.
Rosan,
I feel for ur cause man but the better of Nepal I probably would vote for making your disappear. I still prefer the army, not some right wing militia.
they were labelled as teroroist so that gov could get weapons, training, technology n war equipment from india, america n UK, which really worked. if u calim them to be trorist form the way they killed, tortured people, it was done by the gov army as well in a same n brutal way. so why aren’t they also terorist. we all r brothers, we can live together in peace n harmony no matter wat party, ideology, religion they follow. if u guys still want to divide people n say they r maoist, theyr communist, they royalist, bring on the damn WAR,there r guns still in the hands of everyone maoist, royalist, army. finish all ur terorist, like bush, n american policy, casuing war everywhere….
Roshan, I sympathize with your frustration at how things are going, but supporting our existing Nepal Army is the only practical approach. With all it’s faults it is the only force capable of countering the united Maoist/SPA alliance. The SPA just agreed to finance the Maoist Army from the people’s money! A change in NA leadership is needed but can be done more readily than raising a private militia by email.
Hey Bedeshi please kindly read my comment on “Nepal Budget: Few Numbers and Maoist Disagreement” it was really mean for you and I think you should read it.
Thanks.
OK, I read it. I agree that the Maoist leadership will soon sell out to greed when they get power but I fail to see how that will help Nepal. Party bosses have always preached one thing and done another. But if Nepal has a communist government, even if progressive, it will be an international pariah and the best that can be hoped for is an Asian Cuba. You may be a Maoist yourself for all I know and that’s fine for the purposes of discussion. The core issues are land ownership and distribution, representation in government for women and minorities, elimination of corruption from government and business. Gyanendra’s dream of a Nepal ‘Switzerland’ is absurd given the worldwide knowledge of Nepal’s corruption. Hydropower is a tantalizing prospect but must be diplomaticaly pursued. We can’t get away with shutting off water to India. Tell me what will bring peace and prosperity to Nepal and I will listen. Just tell me what will bring peace alone and I will listen.
Long live Maoist Nepal !!
New Twist in on-going saga of Nepal’s road to Ruin:
Chinese Arms to Nepal’s Maoists?
By John Child in Kathmandu
The Chinese government may have supplied arms to the Maoists and begun engaging in direct talks with them. The reports have a lot of people worried.
In what would be a dramatic reversal of course for the Chinese government, Nepali and Indian media are reporting that China has dispatched arms to the Maoists. Member of Parliament and former home minister Govinda Raj Joshi last week demanded that the government “clarify” the matter after Nepali newspapers reported a shipment of Chinese small arms had crossed from Tibet to the northern Nepali district of Jumla.
China has maintained for many years that Nepal’s rebels were not “Maoists” and that their actions disgraced the name and image of Mao. During King Gyanendra’s absolute reign, India and western nations cut off military aid to Nepal: Only China continued to supply arms to the Nepal Army, reportedly at a huge profit. Speculations are rife in Kathmandu that the Chinese are rapidly backtracking from their old position, having realized that the Maoists are likely to participate in – and may indeed control – the next Nepal government.
Feeding that speculation, an Indian online news portal, IndiaeNews.com, has reported that a former Chinese consular official in the Kathmandu embassy and two Chinese intelligence officers made a secret trip to Nepal earlier this month to meet with top Maoist leaders in Dhulikhel, a tourist resort town outside of Kathmandu. The story says that after meeting Prachanda, his deputy Baburam Bhattarai, and Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the Chinese officers then went with the Maoist leaders to observe maneuvers of Maoist forces a few kilometers away.
The reports have sparked concerns inside Nepal and among international governments that Chinese arms supplies to and direct contacts with the Maoists could destabilize a peace process that is deadlocked on management of Maoist arms.
Nepal is becoming a black hole where all the nefarious activities of other nation and people are seen bright but a plight of a common man is sucked into inaction in the name of Maoist and SPA power sharing agenda. When you gonna wake up?
Lets not make Nepal a dance floor for other (neo-colonist) countries, its ambassdors, MPs and generals. Time is to rise up and own up our responsibilities, duties, and nationalism for the better good of this Mother, though she might be defenseless, poverty-stricken, and condition of destitute.
Bedeshi:
I can certainly tell you what won’t bring peace. This constant suspicious pessimestic attitude, this subtle support for the NA and the King etc.
The most these Maoist will do is implement some sort of land redistribution scheme. Beyond that they are not going to do anything more ‘communist’. Baburam and Prachanda are two big hypocitical leaders with double standards. I mean just think about how much theur rethoric has changed since the begining of this conflict. They are just Indian puppets at the end of day.
Besides I am not even so sure that if there were free and fair elections the Maoists would even win.
Bideshi, diehard and shanti- Your blog names will never give you away. Mind answering a personal question? How old are you guys? I am 35 myself.
“Besides I am not even so sure that if there were free and fair elections the Maoists would even win.” They would not! But people in the villages fear their guns and there would be reprisals. Who will you vote for if there is a gun at your head?
To Kirat: I am 62.
What the heck, Kirat. What age gotta do with my comments or your perception thereafter? You act and comment like 16 while you are 35. Or your intention is to slot people according to their age and ask for quota, automonous region or plain and simple Hand-outs. Like the trend is in Nepal- state within a state. You puzzle me to no end, what gives.
diehard, from your overly prickly repsonse to the question of age I think you need to go in for some medication!
Looks like Nepal is going to be flooded with Yatras after Yatras- How about Chetna Yatra by the faded and jaded politicians of India in Nepal? Looks like they are the “Hero” of andolan, can’t wait to garland them with shoes, anyone want to join me? Or gonna stand accused of being Indiaphobic?
It is always easier to point to India or America as the source of our trouble instead of admitting to our own corruption and incompetence.
Nice design!
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