Reintegration of Former Combatants

Ministry of Labour Needs To Be Involved in Reintegration of Former Combatants

By Krishna Hari Pushkar

The reintegration issue of ex-Maoist combatants has become one of the most confrontational issues of the ongoing Nepal peace process.

The ongoing Nepalese Peace Process (PP) has been virtually shelved. The basic deadline for constitution building has been ended with no result. The Peace Process is simply being destroyed due to the consensual derivatives between the Maoists and Nepal Government on reintegration issues.

Both parties have agreed to integrate the former Maoist guerrillas into the Nepalese security system but have always been undecided about the number of guerrillas. The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) is supposed to provide technical support in the peace process; however the role of UNMIN has not been very useful in this regard.

Surprisingly, the Internal and external stakeholders of the Nepalese Peace Process have remained silent on the turmoil. For this reason, the bilateral-multilateral confrontation on reintegration affairs has become one of the major hurdles in achieving sustainable peace through an agreed-upon comprehensive peace accord.

Both parties are sticking to the stance to forcefully push the ex-combatants into security forces ignoring the choice, voice and rights of the ex-Maoist guerrillas. Despite the huge scope, and the role and sources of the ministry, it is being completely undermined by so called peace leaders and their teams handling the issues.

According to the Government of Nepal's Work Division Regulation 2064, the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management has important and relevant responsibilities that include internal and external labour and employment affairs, social safety nets and security, vocational trainings, HRD/man power development and etc. Thus the assigned responsibilities and authority of the Ministry could be incredibly helpful to manage or reintegrate thousands of intended people or ex-Maoist combatants through direct/indirect, internal and external mechanisms of the ministry.

Frankly, the ministry is quite able to provide opportunities for internal and external employment, skill oriented vocational trainings, and many other courses and opportunities for reintegration and rehabilitation of former guerrillas.

Although, the role and potential resources of the Ministry has been forgotten while discussing the reintegration and rehabilitation issue of ex-combatants; it has been never been discussed or put forward by the Ministry itself/ the government nor by the Maoist party.

According to a survey report, the majority of cantonment-based Maoist guerrillas are considering their choices to go for other alternatives rather to enter into army. Also, both parties have realized that accommodating all (approximately 19,000) former guerrillas in the army is not possible, they all are still insisting and only sticking with employing them in the army sector.

It is not just a matter of realization of facts but also beyond the national need and capacity. It has been also observed that there are hundreds of ex-Maoist combatants who are not eligible (old, children, disabled, ill-sick etc.) to meet the minimum eligibility and condition to enter in national security system, so again, there are good alternatives to assigning the job to the labour ministry.

The top brass of government, ruling political parties, Maoists, and the technical committee, have all stopped moving forward on reintegration issues--including the previously constituted high-level political mechanism (HLPM).

Still dismissing the truth, both conflicting parties are digging ways either to integrate them into the army or in other national security systems leaving the other better options of rehabilitation and reintegration through the Ministry of Labour.

In accordance with eligibility and the rights, voices and choices of the former Maoist Guerrillas, the Ministry may create many options and modules of reintegration and rehabilitation, such as:

A. Choices to go in foreign employment in more than one hundred thirty destinations, under more than two hundred varieties of technical and non technical jobs.

B. Choices to settle into domestic employment. The ministry can easily help to develop preferential employment packages for the ex-combatants by developing strategic policy, programs and functional coordination of industrialists, private sector and trade union institutions.

C. The Ministry has capabilities to provide skill based short-term and long-term vocational trainings on a need basis that may help ex-combatants, whether they choose domestic and international jobs or prefer self-employment.

D. The ministry has enriched funding capabilities for pre to post employment phases and can introduce chain welfare investments for the potential candidates among the ex-combatant Maoist guerrillas.

E. In addition, the ministry have many contingency possibilities to rehabilitate ex-Maoist combatants through social safety net programs and also could include them into jobs such as in the transport management sector. However the government as well other related stakeholders must be careful to consider the integrated community-based reintegration approach rather than the ex-combatant based targeted approach of reintegration. The worlds experience has proved that most DDR programs have failed because the community and relevant stakeholders were ignored in pre to post phases of the entire process.

Therefore, the Ministry could be a principle means to deal and resolve the ongoing dilemmas of the peace process on the reintegration and rehabilitation issue of ex-Maoist combatants since it has a strong, and broader nationwide network and many collaborations with the respective community as well as to the stakeholders. Sometimes, it is judicious to resolve the problem from outside the horizon, especially if the given framework is unable to resolve the problem or adding more and more difficulties in the name of searching for solutions within a limited framework.

Furthermore, it has been observed through a survey report that they will be happier to jump inside the explored options of the Ministry. The illustrated options are financially, technically and legally viable and can also be quickly implemented to address the reintegration and rehabilitation crisis of cantonment-based guerillas, as well as for those deviated combatants who are running in search of socioeconomic reintegration and rehabilitation.

Except for the Maoist party, most of the stakeholders in the peace process want to minimize the number as much as possible of ex-combatants to integrate into the Nepal Army or any other national security system. Because the existing Maoist guerrillas neither meet any professional standard and norms of "State Security" nor is this possible after the merger as international factors and recognition are important for the state security system.

Secondly, Maoist Guerrillas are obvious political extremists, biased and infected with extreme Maoism and prachnadpath, and naturally deviate towards a specific political ideology of its party. Thirdly, similar questions might emerge when another existing insurgent group asks for a similar type of reintegration.

There are more than two dozen other rebellion groups who have also been fighting against the State in various parts of Nepal. It is my observation that the political reintegration model of the Nepalese peace process (accepting Maoists as lawmakers, giving enough places in parliament and directly appointing them into various senior policy level posts in the name of political integration) has become one of the major motivational factors for existing ethno-regional insurgent groups who have started fighting with a hope that they will also get chances to be member of parliaments or some other appointment while they enter in the peace process like the Maoist rebellion.

Of course, the nature and composition of existing insurgent groups are also similar to Maoist guerrillas, and some would say a majority are the splinter groups of Maoists--so what do we do in the future if such things are repeated? Other rebels could also ask for a similar model of political reintegration and also mass entry into the state security system as Maoists are claiming now, so can we really afford it?

Lastly, the existing performances and activities of Maoist guerrillas are still in a rebellious line; they are not even trying to stay in normality nor do they believe in peaceful political democratic philosophy, even after entering in the peace process under the supervision of UNMIN. Therefore it is difficult to stick on a path that pushes entire reintegration with the whole country in chaos.

Therefore, it is clever for all peace process stakeholders to explore the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management as efficient options/alternatives for the reintegration and rehabilitation issue of Ex-Maoist Combatants. This option will bring plenty of benefits including resolving the political deadlock, and will be helpful to drive the entire peace process to its logical end, assisting to harmonize and socialize the ex-combatants in strategic manner.

One of the principle products of the approach is to help and restore the constitution building process in a timely and efficient manner. Additionally, this approach will also minimize the general and technical complexities of reintegration and rehabilitation of cantonment-based guerillas.

Of course, the described way, via the ministry, will increase and add additional value on the success of the ongoing process, and its productivity towards the similar concept and manner of DDR, SSR and RRR (which are crucial and indispensable in a post conflict scenario). Hence, the Ministry must be given the chance for active involvement while dealing with the reintegration and rehabilitation issue of ex-Maoist combatants.

It is a better way to achieve sustainable peace, security and harmony in the country and will mobilize and utilize the existing official sector, resources and approaches of the nation.

Mr. Krishnahari Pushkar writes about social issues, security and conflict management, often in relation to Nepal. An Under Secretary of Government in Nepal, he is well-honored as a Peace, Security and Conflict Management Professional, who contributes regularly to national and international nongovernmental organizations as a peace and conflict management expert.

Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20100623135945abha.nb/topstory.html

Nepal: Disappearing Security in Occlusion

Nepal: Fully responsible and accountable governance and government, both are the essential conditions to a successful security system. The national security leaders as well as high ranking officials must work hard to resolve the security lapses problem properly, otherwise they should quite immediately from their public posts in ethical and moral ground.

Please see detail,

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Nepal-Disappearing-Securi-by-Krishna-Hari-Pushk-100110-734.html

Monday, January 11, 2010
Nepal: Disappearing Security in Occlusion
Nepal: Fully responsible and accountable governance and government, both are the essential conditions to a successful security system. The national security leaders as well as high ranking officials must work hard to resolve the security lapses problem properly, otherwise they should quite immediately from their public posts in ethical and moral ground.

Friday, December 25, 2009
Security Sector Reform in Nepal:With reference to UNSCR 1325
The United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325 and Security Sector Reform is significantly relevance to each other. So, the meaningful incorporation of 1325 into national security and defense mechanism of Nepal may only bring expected impact in favor of women during conflict or post conflict situation as expected by UNSCR 1325.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Nepal:National Security System is under Threat
It is urgent need for Government of Nepal to find out immediately that how did NIDN's secret reports become public besides its sophisticated secret proceedings system. Please find out who is guilty and where is the fractures in our system?

Saturday, December 12, 2009
Nepal: Polity for Peace
The article deals with the political dilemmas of ongoing peace and constitution building process of Nepal and it provides possible ways out of the topsy-turvydom. It highlights the contemporary affairs of Nepalese political culture. Specially, it prescribes the proficient ways to end all types of political impunity, undemocratic practices, and finally discuss the ways to bring out the off-track politics into peoples' platform.

Monday, November 2, 2009
Nepal's Dual Citizenship: A Suicidal Decision?
Dual Napalese Citizenship will be a big threat to democracy, sovereignty, integration and harmony as well as to society too. Such a policy could push our nation towards serious problem, if the government introduces the policy without analyzing the potential impact. Therefore, the government should have an open referendum before approving the policy.

Sunday, November 1, 2009
Asking for a Rethink on US Immigration Diplomacy
The US must introduce and practice universally approved norms of immigration diplomacy that will help to know and identify the right of people in right manner. In the name of security the US should not boost the number of enemies.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Nepal's Tumbling Peace
It is unfortunate that some vested politicians' declares that re-insurgency or re-warfare is held in search of peace, however it has proved blunder to impel for “Breach Peace for Peace”.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Nepal's Special Security Plan: Political Stunt?
Nepal is a one of the most leading domicile of many ethno-political insurgents. Since longtime, the country has lost its normalcy of law and order, good governance, civil supremacy, and democratic practices due to fast growing ratio of institutional and private criminal and their rebellion activities. Sadly, the country is terrorized and under control of ochlocracy.

Monday, August 10, 2009
Diplomacy for Visa Lust?
The radical visa strategy which is imposed by the developed world over the developing countries helps spread conflict, discrimination, exploitation, segregation, terrorism, and also swells the gaps between the poor and rich world. It denies human rights and lessens the dignity, development and sovereignty of people.

Monday, December 8, 2008
Security
(2 comments) The developed nations must help developing countries to improve and enforce a better meaning and practice of efficient and effective security systems to cope with their emerging challenges.

Monday, November 3, 2008
Nepal: Non-Madhesis Occupied Madhesi Quota: An Open Challenge to Constitution
The concerned parties and affiliated authorities should be careful and need to work immediately on this issue; otherwise it could add another tension over the Madhes conflict.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Empower Home Administration in Nepal
Nepal is suffering with lawlessness, and even our Government presence is in crisis in entire rural areas. Therefore, immediate empowerment of Home Affairs through restructure, reengineering, and betterment in legal, structural, financial, physical, personnel, academic, and development areas are most essential.

Friday, September 12, 2008
Conflict Sensitive Strategy in Nepal
Nepal Government should immediately impose a rule or directive to adopt the conflict sensitive strategy into practice in entire development or possible administrative sectors of Nepal.

Saturday, August 30, 2008
The Prejudiced Nepalese Media and Anti-Khas Madhesis
(2 comments) The nationalization and mainstreaming of Hindi in Nepal is not well received among Nepalese citizens due to neocolonial grand design of India. Madhesis will not agree to lose their mother tongue and promote or accept Hindi as a means of common language of communication in Madhes region at any cost.

Sunday, July 13, 2008
Communalism Is Superior to Nationalism
Nepal Minister of Home Affairs: Communalism is superior to, and influences insurgency more than, nationalism. The higher degree or intensive influences of communalism are dangerous to sustainable peace and security. It can adversely affect social harmony in pluralistic society. But communalism can be managed by adequately addressing economic discrimination and political exclusion, and by preserving ethnic heritages.

Thursday, December 20, 2007
Seeds of Ethno-Civil War in Terai
There are many issues of concern in contemporary Nepali politics, including the stalled peace process. A new twist is visible now with the resignation of some Madhesi lawmakers. Some say that the senior leaders of seven-party alliance must be blamed for pushing Madheshi ethno political movement one-step forward to the separation of Nepal or the formation of a new nation in the South Asian periphery.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Guerrilla's Merger into Army? : Unfortunate!
It is about Nepal concerning the Guerrilla's Merger into Army issue. It is very research based strategic article with suitable solution, so it is very significant and worthy.

Nepal’s Special Security Plan: Political Stunt?

Krishna Hari Pushkar

Nepal is a one of the most leading domicile of many ethno-political insurgents. Since longtime, the country has lost its normalcy of law and order, good governance, civil supremacy, and democratic practices due to fast growing ratio of institutional and private criminal and their rebellion activities. Sadly, the country is terrorized and under control of ochlocracy. Neighboring countries both India and China are fed up, they consider Nepal as a transit hub of ethno-pharisaic terrorist and regressive elements who want their disintegration, and has nabbed the peace and prosperity of their nations. India accuses that Nepal is a center for anti-Indian terrorist and insurgents who use Nepal as it’s’ rehearsal center. Similarly, the China also believes that Nepal has become a nucleus for the anti-China forces, whose aims is to disintegrate China and separate the Tibet from China. Besides, Bhutan also accused Nepal, as a principle sources that generate Bhutan centric insurgents who have spread revolutions for massive sociopolitical change.

Sadly, a recently released index from Foreign Policy depicted Nepal as 25th most likely nation to become a failed state, out of the sixty most vulnerable countries. The group found that conditions in Nepal are more disturbing than in Lebanon, Burkina Faso and Colombia. Nepal has got bed image internationally and internally due to poor security management system, so the M. K. Nepal headed government wants to repair the security sector and willing to achieve its normalcy. People and international community too are keeping continuous pressure to the government to secure duly public lives, liberty, and properties. People want to live in peace, prosperity and harmonious environment. They are unable to see more violence, criminalities and abuses of human rights. They do not want to be again a victim of warfare and have no more stamina to suffer with crude humanitarian crisis. The public want full assurances of physical and psychological security from government in entire part of the nation; people seek to see quick improvement in existing security mechanism and asking government to come with effective special security plan and strategy. In this context, the UML led cabinet has recently designed and enforced a government-claimed strategic security plan called Special Security Plan (SSP) which is highly criticized by regional and ethnic political forces. However, the productivity of the SSP is yet to examine.

The government claims that special security plan aimed to improving the deteriorated law and order situation across country. It is said that the main objective of the plan is to control anarchy, promote human rights and end impunity. Basically, the Home Minister describes, the SSP focuses in five areas including controlling the road blockades besides curbing organized and serious types of crime. It will take up special security measures for Kathmandu Valley, tangible improvement in the security situation of the Tarai especially in the eastern and mid-western regions where scores of armed groups have posed a threat to law and order in the southern plains bordering India. It proposes to effectively mobilize the three security agencies - Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department- under a unified command. Moreover, ensuring essential service and nabbing criminals are the core tasks. The plan aims to strictly prohibit the closing of public offices and educational institutions. The plan claims that the government will deploy well-equipped security personnel with adequate arms and coordinate with security staff deployed in various areas of the border. The plan aims to provide security for those targeted by criminals. To take special care of the crime-prone and to massively mobilize security personnel are also strategies under the plan. To increase the productiveness of the plan, the security agencies will manage security forces with weapons to patrol on motorbikes, security picketing twenty four hours, no closure of offices, blockade of roads and traffic, emergency frisking and searches, cordon and search in suspect areas. The special security squad comprises at least twenty Nepal Police and thirty Armed Police Force personnel. The special security team has been given the authority to carry out raids in suspicious places, security checks in different parts of the district with the help of local police and can also hold suspicious persons in their custody for investigation purposes. The team would also arrange security for high-level government officials and political party leaders.

The above described plan is reader friendly and written in systematic order as also experienced during the regime of previous government. However, people do not see any new invention in recently introduced special security plan. There is nothing new. All the exaggerated provisions are made continuous in law since years, so it is not more than “Old wine in new Bottle”. The plan also sounds like the same provision which was introduced during the Gyanendra’s autocratic regime, where the King Gyanendra had imposed the special security plan to control the Maoist activities and democratic movement against his direct executive rule. Moreover, the experts illustrate that it is just a political stunt rather than a no-hit plan that provides an effective and efficient security system as developed security culture has. The plan is lacking the major characters that are supposed to be deal with the post-conflict situation and even during the ongoing insurgency.

Indeed, the country is passing through the fragile situation, law and order is limited in constabulary only. The criminalities and mutiny have reached at climax, though all governmental efforts of improvement have been found zilch. Since early years, all the government used their political stunt to win the heart and mind of people that, though it is poignant that public are being more victimized and situation is worsening more and more. People do not see any tangible improvement or positive changes, except the mounting news and speeches in Medias. The drawing and design of SSP is faulty and being enforced without needy homework. The SSP suffers with eleventh hour syndrome which is most unfortunate, so how can people expect a successful implementation of SSP. Actually, the plan has clearly shown that government has not yet understands the true nature of security needs. The Government should understand that security is not only a physical presence and beefed up activities of security personnel, rather it requires true self-build physical and psychological security assurances that people should feel secured in stress-free manner by their hearts and minds.

The security plan cannot be enforced effectively and efficiently till it gets broader public support, legitimacy and peoples’ participation. Further, most important part is enough research based “implementable technical preparation”. It demands essential reform and reengineering in legal, personnel, operational, organizational, physical, functional, resources and administrative areas are also essential before to enforce such plan, however the SSP lacks all these things except the verbal stunt and well written story. There are not yet any substantial changes and essential step found in restructuring in laws, resources, and technological enhancement related to local administration, police and security, Intelligence, public service delivery and other related approach of Insurgency management, crime control, market regulation, high way management, drug abuse control, smuggling and boarder security control, kidnapping and robbery control etc.

The Chief Districts Officers led district security committees are the principal mechanism at ground level to enforce the SSP, though the CDOs are popularized like a most superior powerful local authority, without having expertise, resources and controlling power. They are similar like a hand bended “Army Fighting in War without Arm and Weapons”. Also the existing defined security professional of unified command are incapable to deliver the SSP, if they are not empowered and updated properly accordance with the need of the national and strategy of the SSP. The huge lapses in coordination among the security agencies are found a major dearth of SSP. The SSP has assigned crucial role and responsibilities of Regional Administrators and CDOs, but most of the positions are either vacant or operated by juniors that create the issues of poor coordination, order disobeying, seniority complex, inter-intra organizational conflicts, responsibility shifting, and many more problems during implementation of pre to post phase of operation and management of the SSP.

Furthermore, the SSP has no any technical foundation. It has absence of the proper involvement of security management experts. Most of security related planners and professional are untrained, generalist and suffering with traditional mentalities. The performances of such officials are really questionable. There is no any special mechanism and indicators that could figure out the capabilities of their doings. The existing introduced pathetic ruling cultural concept is like “Our People is good People” not “Good People is Our People”, whether whatever the consequences comes, it does not matter for our policy makers and politicians. Thus the pre to post operations e.g. appointment, transfer and promotion of security related officers are being on the basis of chakri-chaplusi, and bhan-sun, that how government can expects a good productivity from the SSP without hammering the vicious problem of exiting security system.

Most of the security agencies are in crisis of resources, physical facilities and technological access. However the so-called SSP didn’t address the issue in practical matter. Furthermore, the provisions of career development, morale and motivation enhancement of security personnel’s are too low. Grievances, frustration and unwanted pressures, interferences and disturbances are too high in field, but the SSP has not analyzed the issue during the preparation of its concept, which has become now a blunder and felt as limit of the SSP into paper and verbal speech. Writing honestly, people do not feel any changes and improvement in ground level. The liveliest proofs are that even the president, prime minister, senior political leaders and ministers are not being able to walk freely or to attend any public program in free and fair manner. Most of them are getting often disturbed and has to face rebellion reaction, even after the enforcement of the SSP. The plan is not being implemented in Tarai as well as in many ethnic dominated regions including Madhes, Limbuban, Tharuban etc. because it has no any public legitimacy. The program does not govern any schemes for public participation, so it will become totally failure in the ethnic and communal regions. Minor and disadvantages ethnic people have accused that the SSP enforced by elite-ethnic dominated government just because to encounter and suppress to the minor-ethnic activists who are fighting for their ethnic rights, freedoms and inclusive representations against the continuous hegemony.

The free and independent movement and operation of national highway is also a part of the target which seems bit successful because the road blockage, robbery and dacoit’s influence in public transpiration seen somehow controlled after implementation of the SSP, it is because the arm police forces are deployed throughout the highway and also making individual patrolling guard inside the each public transportation, but the way seems not sustainable since the cost of such stagey is huge which cannot be continuous affordable by our nation. In addition, the market regulation is also a major target of the plan but black marketing, irregular price hiking, and artificial shortage of public goods and services, qualities degrading activities are observed continuous and has seen no any upbeat affect of SSP. One of the weakest points is coordination among intra and inter-agencies; the SSP does not offer any specific approaches, tools and techniques that help authorities to build intra organizational coordination for synergy effort.

A study found that Nepalese security system cannot be improved without restructuring and democratizing the security mechanism in professional way. Basically, the district level security system is ineffective because they do not have even minimum access and facilities for minimum resources, technologies, trained and skilled personnel’s and strong enough approaches for horizontal and vertical coordination that requires for any well organized security management functions. Besides, public trust over the government and local security mechanism is a most essential phenomenon which can be developed through civic engagement and justifiable inclusive participation approaches. The success of any security related special plan requires at least minimum common consensus in central as well as in local level among the all stake holders, before to enforce into practice since a nominal dissatisfaction or frustration by a stake holder may cause to failure or infectivity of plan. Particularly, in the SSP case, Regional Administrator and CDO requires more justifiable role, authority and resources and controlling power over the entire related agencies accordance with the spirit of civil supremacy. The effective management and mutual cooperation of track 1 (governmental agencies), track 2(NGOs CBOs, Civil Society etc) and track 3 actors (respective people, society, ethnic groups, community people) requires to administer properly the SSP.

The government also needs to work in identifying the special justifiable indicators that can clearly distinct between the political and criminal activities. The local security systems are in saver confusion to know political activities and criminal activities. It is because most of the Nepalese political leaders define the criminal and political activities in their own way. The funny thing is if “A” group or party halt highways and burn few vehicles that means for the party or group as democratic practices but if the “B” group or party does the same thing than others including government meant it as terrorist or a part of criminal activities. So, there is clear distinction required by laws & legitimate consensus to identify that how the security forces need to deal with such activity. The dual standard needs to be end instantly.

The market regulation has become a huge headache for nation, so the government requires immediate action to constitute a powerful joint (Track-1-2 & 3 actors) supervisory mechanism in local, regional and central level that should be handled and operated by a constitutional commission, otherwise the issues of market regulation may limit in political stunt and people will have to victimize continuously. Additionally, the passiveness, silence and infectivity of central level authorities including the Cabinet, Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance Ministry, and Ministry of Local Administration etc are also added extra burden to defeat the SSP, because they are not serious and sincere even to consider the urgent and sensitive reports and requests that comes day by day through the channel of district security committees. Therefore, the National Security Council or a constitutional committee should play a crucial role to evaluate, monitor and correct the passiveness, silences, ignorance, and ineffectiveness of the respective central agencies. The national as well as local level authorities are suffering with serious “Responsibility Shifting Syndrome”. In Nepalese scenario “Responsibility Shifting” a long-rooted amusement found continues in the central level authority who often accused to the local level and vice-versa for any wrong things and doings in security affairs. It is pity to mention that there is no culture of candid accountability bearing in entire governmental agencies and authorities of Nepal. One agency accused to other for deteriorating security situation. All concerned agencies are equally responsible but it is never accepted by any responsible authorities. Therefore, the honest and practical commitment along with well managed timely strategic action in ground level required for successful implementation of the SSP, otherwise it will be proved similar pirates version of the SSP that was also previously experienced during the past regimes.

(An independent commentary on recently introduced the Special Security Plan (SSP) of Nepal. It is written by Mr. Pushkar, who is a former DAAD fellow and studied research master in peace and conflict studies in Germany. In addition, he holds an internationally honored first class master degree in public administration. He has participated in dozens of national and international trainings, seminar, and workshops programs related to peace, security and conflict management in US, Europe and Asian countries. Mr. Pushkar often writes opinion articles, reports, conduct researches and publish commentary notes on the various contemporary issues related to peace, conflict, human rights, diplomacy, security and governance affairs of Nepal. He has been working under the Ministry of Home Affairs/Government of Nepal and well honored as a Peace, Security and Conflict Management Professional, E-mail; khpushkar@gmail.com)

Democracy and Terrorism

COMMENT: Democracy and terrorism —Rafia Zakaria

Pakistan in 2008 is a nation maimed; its institutions destroyed, its leaders assassinated and its people dejected and ruled by fear. To restore the nation to a whole that can enable democratic governance the cruel and unthinking enemy that has unleashed its wrath must first be tamed

The year 2007 has come to a bloody and traumatic close in Pakistan. Its last days saw the incredible cost borne by those who chose to fight for democracy even amid dark fears and chilling threats. While Benazir Bhutto may have sacrificed her life in the valiant quest for democracy, the question Pakistanis must confront in 2008 is whether our country can truly bear the burden of a democratic system of governance?

In questioning this possibility, I am not asserting that democracy is not a valuable goal or that Pakistanis are in some way ill-suited or unworthy of a government that recognises and reflects the popular will. Far from it. Democracy is undoubtedly a venerable system of governance which could well flourish in Pakistan, if it is not routinely overturned by the military. My concern is based on the circumstantial challenges faced by Pakistan today. Consider.

In the year 2007, nearly a thousand Pakistanis died in suicide bombings. Several hundreds more were injured. Scores of shops were burned by religious extremists and young women and girls leaving their homes were increasingly subjected to acts of religious vigilantism.

In July of this year, two itinerant religious leaders held hundreds of students and a traumatised nation hostage to their particular breed of religious obscurantism while military forces laid siege to their mosque complex in the country’s capital. As I write this, military forces continue their operations in the Waziristan agency of the North West Frontier Province and the Taliban have given them two days to leave their territory. As any Pakistani knows, terror justified in the name of religion has imposed a deep and exacting cost on Pakistanis regardless of their ethnicity or economic status. .

In his book “How Democracies Lose Small Wars?” Gil Merom unravels the logic of democratic governance during wartime. Merom’s thesis is a simple one: strong democracies, where power is divided into sub-branches of government and governance is carried out through consensus and compromise, are often unable to make quick decisions required to win small wars. In other words, the basics of democratic governance such as debate over legislation, the requirement of several branches of government to supervise military spending as well as other safeguards built into the system to prevent unilateral decisions all become obstacles when it comes to quick and effective decision-making during wartime.

Merom’s intent is avowedly not to advocate recourse to military dictatorship in times of war, but rather to emphasise the weaknesses of a democratic system of governance when it is required to achieve limited objectives such as victory against terrorist groups.

Appraising the realities of Pakistan, and the grim conclusions of Merom’s thesis with regard to the capacities of democracy places a unique burden on Pakistanis fighting for democracy.

First, it forces us to consider whether democracy in its quest for consensus can truly be sustained in an environment devoid not simply of institutions that would nurture it, but also beset with an enemy which cannot be defeated roundly during the quest for democratic consensus.

Second, democratic politics with its attendant contestation, opposition and unavoidable chaos cannot be carried out in an environment where participating in any form of public political activity amounts to risking one’s life.

Finally, when the life of one of the most prominent political leaders in the country is unceremoniously extinguished in a blatant act of violence by an unabashed perpetrator, little hope exists for a meaningful expansion of political space that would truly result in representatives of the people being afforded the chance of governing the country.

Given this set of circumstances, and without falling prey to the normative prescriptions such as an independent judiciary, a venerated Constitution etc that we all agree “should” exist but are not in reality found in Pakistan, the time has come to reconsider the ubiquitous quest for democracy as the perfect solution to all our problems. Such an assessment, while it should not in turn justify dictatorship or provide a case for the imposition of martial law, would allow for the achievement of several other immediate goals.

First, it would allow a necessary and smooth transition of power from the current beleaguered executive to a national consensus government that while not democratically elected could achieve the crucial task of developing a strategy that could secure the environment of the country. This suggestion, also proffered in the latest report issued by the International Crisis Group on the current situation in Pakistan would prevent further deterioration of the political situation in Pakistan and allow resources and energies to be focused on dealing with the security threats emerging from military operations being carried out in NWFP and the tribal areas.

Second, it would permit the development of political space in Pakistan such that when elections are held following a stabilisation of the situation, the consequent contenders are not handpicked or “permitted” by executive order but rather truly representative of the population.

Finally, it would deflect national attention from its singular focus on elections and the pro-democracy movement to acknowledging and taking seriously the threat posed to the Pakistani federation by terrorism.

Pakistan in 2008 is a nation maimed; its institutions destroyed, its leaders assassinated and its people dejected and ruled by fear. To restore the nation to a whole that can enable democratic governance the cruel and unthinking enemy that has unleashed its wrath must first be tamed.

The quest for democracy thus must not be a blind and unthinking mantra that does not recognise the imperatives posed by the threat of terror or the necessity of defeating an enemy that has wreaked such havoc on our nation.

Rafia Zakaria is an attorney living in the United States where she teaches courses on Constitutional Law and Political Philosophy. She can be contacted at rafia.zakaria@gmail.com

Source

DANCING WITH THE FOX

BY: Prem Raj

PRELUDE

Dancing with the Fox & playing on its tune would mean the Fox to turn her in to Lion that has been the policy of India to rule the Asia, as well to govern her own subjects. But this can only be possible when there is supremacy of Jungle's laws prevailing all over. For the Fox it is quite vibrant to change the circumstances by uprooting the values, destroying the systems and injecting own theories to dole out the faith and constitutional norms. Not to let others live in peace, keeps her in a self illusion and gives her an impression of an inflated ruler of a super power.

CLASSICAL DANCING

NEPAL

India fully understands the next world war if erupts this will be basing on capturing the water resources of any country. This may not happen even but yet the same concept has been materialized by the Fox arresting the water sources of Nepal, Pakistan, Bangla Desh & Bhutan to turn their land arid & create energy crisis. This in Nepal is being done on behest of the multi party rule which has already foregone its rights in favour of the Fox to rule its silver wealth (handing over of remaining rivers to India) and it is being done solely on the basis of petty gains of sticking on to the government chairs, that too at the cost of national interests. It has also been learnt through reliable sources that the eight party government is all set to gift the Arun-3, Upper Karnali & Tamakoshi hydropower projects to India, how enslaved the leadership of Nepal is which is always ready to sell its motherland.

The people of Nepal are seriously facing the crisis of petro-products due to the non payment of billion of rupees to IOC (Indian Oil Corporation) which has cut down the supply of products to Nepal. India compels Nepal to purchase the products only from her so the government of Nepal acting like a slaved nation bow before her acceding to its dictates thus not even allowing its private sector to import the petro-products from any other country on a much cheaper rates to break the hegemony of India. The leadership of Nepal is fully involved in the kick-backs & is now bent upon inviting the private sector of India to provide petro-products to Nepal. The very precious assets of Nepal are being hijacked by India like the Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory is under the feet of Indian ownership & the tragic part is the story of a Royal Nepal Air Corporation which is withering due to the cold weapon (commission accrued) used by the governmental instruments of Nepal.

It is very strange with all the miseries having faced by Nepal lashed out by the Fox is still harbouring the Indians to accord them the rights of citizenship. Tomorrow these Indians will mount on the back of Nepal to act like a parasite thus eating the total economy of the country.

Madhav Kumar & Ram Chandra Poudel's daughters are becoming doctors by the kind courtesy of Lainchour Durbar without spending a penny of their own. Many political leaders are running behind the Indian Diplomats for want of the bone to be thrown by them. The RAW has gone so deep in to the secret files of Nepalese ministries like Home, Defence, Water Resources, Commerce,

Communication & the Foreign Affairs, which have been presented in a plate by the respective heads of the ministries, how pitiable it is & how tragic it is! These Nepalese officials are receiving additional pay from the Lainchour Durbar and lead an aristocratic life style. This also applies to the journalists in Nepal who work for the Fox to get money in reward.

In 1989, the Indians came up with the idea of bringing Nepal in to the security umbrella which was strongly opposed by the King Birendra. But now the mess has been created in the name of democracy to safeguard the interests of India. Now the Indian embassy has provided 3 million rupees in aid of forming a Madhesh Brigade being launched in Terai by the Rajendra Mahoto group of Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) as logistics support. More over India is preparing to take and organize training of 200 fighters that too on its own soil.

In any direction the fox likes Nepal to dance that has to go on and on until meeting death or there is still time to pave its own path to liberate from the shackles & touch the morning star to illuminate the lost beauty of Nepal.

SRI LANKA

Why are you making the water dirty, inquired the wolf, Well am at down stream how can I make it dirty, replied the little lamb, Oh, your father might have made it so last year, hence I have to eat you up, roared the wolf angrily.

This has all along been the philosophy of the Fox to grind the axe. To reach up to Sri Lanka has been its dream thus came with the idea to build a bridge across the Indian Ocean exactly at a place where Lord Ram had built it from the eastern coast of India to Sri Lanka. Thanks to the religious clerics of India which filed the petition in the august Supreme Court while challenging the project on the ground of faith, stating the pursuing of the project by the government would mean destroying a historical bridge that was built by the monkeys' army of Lord Ram. Otherwise it would have been difficult for any one to stop the Fox from building a bridge from the eastern coast of India up to Sri Lanka. Thus in the garb of friendship it would have captured the trade routes while dominating the waters of Sri Lanka & construction of bridge would have meant an intrusion on Sri Lanka.

This is a well known fact that the mother of LTTE is no one else except India who is always ready to give a moral & material support to this rebellious group while at the same time acclaims its sincerity for Sri Lanka. But this was dawned on Sri Lanka that LTTE could launch a successful air raid while covering a distance of 600 Km without being detected by the Indian version radars installed all along the route in Sri Lanka. Instead of being ashamed of its act of cheating the Fox started dictating a sovereign state of Sri Lanka that she can not buy the weapons from Pakistan or China except India. This bossing attitude is a self illusion having intoxicated in the realm of being super power demonstrated by the Fox, which has no force when an independent sovereign state stands on its feet to defend its integrity.

Dancing with the Fox on its tune is nothing but getting entangled in the ropes soaked in cheating, baffling & hoaxing.

PAKISTAN

Muslims have always been the victim of traitors like Jafar of Deccan, Sadiq of Bengal & most recent name which stands out prominently is Ayesha Siddiqa an author of the book 'Military Inc' who performs Kathak Dance on the tunes of Fox against Pakistan. When the whole country was in a state of gloom and despair on 16th of December she went on writing against the Army to commemorate the fall of Dacca. She passes the compliments to herself, while writing in the same article, "the bulk of the military and its intelligence agencies are geared towards the external threat and perceive India as the most important, in fact the only, enemy. Anyone not favoured by the military is still touted as an Indian agent". There is no doubt about it being an agent of India, Ayesha's writings speak for itself that she has nothing to write but to strike on the back bone of her country. She writes more in the same article, "for the army, every thing that is wrong with Pakistan today is due to India. The conflicts in Swat, Waziristan and Balochistan are attributed to India's intelligence agency, RAW, which is said to be funding and supporting the militants. What is also necessary to understand is if India were supporting all insurgents the Pakistan military would have bled more than it has……….!" And on 28th Dec in the DAWN news paper once again she comments instead of appreciating upon the statement of Pakistan Army Chief who is quite optimistic of the view of calling the year of 2008 as the year of the Pakistani soldier so to be looked after and confidant of awarding more facilities. But this remains indigestible to Ayesha as she can not see the soldiers of Pakistan army prospering or hailing in their life time.

This is also a fact that India after bluffing America has inducted herself in to Afghanistan and rolling on the path of subversive activities. Abdullah Mahsud a Pakistani Taliban fighter kept confined for 5 years in Guantanamo Bay, and then handed over to Afghan government, only returned home to kidnap Chinese with the sole purpose of creating a dent in the strong relationships enjoyed by the two friendly countries. Saboteurs are continuously being trained by the RAW & CIA in Afghanistan to destabilize Pakistan.

As writes Mr.Ahmed Qureshi, in his recent article, "The Plan To Topple Pakistan Military" (Nov 29, 2007), "that book named 'Military Inc' authored by Ayesha Siddiqa was launched with a perfect timings when grounds against the Pakistan Army were softened being gunned down by some of the Pakistani & foreign media to exploit the situation in Pakistan. The book portrays the Pakistani military as an institution that is eating up whatever little resources Pakistan has. Pakistan military's successful financial management, creating alternate financial sources to spend on a vast military machine and build a conventional and nuclear near-match with a neighbouring adversary five times larger - an impressive record for any nation by any standard - was distorted in the book."

In the same article it has been dawned that the author Ayesha developed friendship with the lady Indian diplomat, made frequent visits to India & also stayed in London at a place owned by an individual linked to the Indian diplomat, while leaving her car in the house of the diplomat located in Islamabad. The point here is this: Who assigned her to investigate the Pakistani Armed Forces and present a distorted image of a proud Pakistani nation?"

It is the joint venture of CIA & the RAW, who provided funding for the book and brought her on to the status of writing with an authority on the subject of blackmailing the Pakistan Army every week on the sacred day of Friday for Muslims in the DAWN news paper.
The most disturbing point in the same article is, as he writes, "Another worrying thing is how American officials are publicly signaling to the Pakistanis that Mrs. Benazir Bhutto has their backing as the next leader of the country. Such signals from Washington are not only a kiss of death for any public leader in Pakistan, but Americans also know that their actions are inviting potential assassins to target Mrs. Bhutto." And that's how Mrs. Bhutto was trapped & laid to rest in peace.
The traitors of Asia who are always ready to sell their mother land for their petty gains must remember that the Oxygen of a country will still remain a debt on you even if the country has given you nothing but few ounce of dust in your fist to bury your luck lines.

FOX'S INTERIOR

Fox has a chicken pox face due to its malice running in its blood, this not only speaks of its inner self but has been proved from its acts as well. It is terribly involved in the ethnic, sectarian, linguistic and moreover in the caste ism. The higher class dominating the lower and the rich grumbling on poor is the mass tragedy. Dalits are being treated like dogs and so are they killed in the same manner to be cut in to pieces by all the villagers. Raping a Dalit girl is considered to be an act of valour & virtue. Rather any one belonging to a minority class has to face the dilemma of class discrimination. Such like heinous offences have become a routine in the Hindu dominated society. The story of a young hood days when the Fox praises the voice of a crow to sing a song that held a loaf of bread in its beak, thus loosing the same in favour of the Fox is a constant character of a Fox, which has always tried to snatch the bread from the poor of her country as well as from its neighbours, sometimes by praising & at times by giving threats.

Double standards & inequalities by the Indian Government are the standard norms of India. Atrocities on dalits are on rise. In Khairlanji of Maharashatra a dalit family was paraded naked. In M.P., heads of dalit women were shaven, paraded naked in Kanpur & made to sit on donkeys. The tragic part of the story is the oppressors represent the higher class of Hindu society & are occupying the vantage positions of government, public service & are said to be the big shots.

In the year 2005, there were a total of 967 cases of atrocities against Dalits in Gujarat alone where many were murdered, raped, burnt and seriously injured. In many of these cases FIRs against the criminals, were not registered by the police.

And the fact is that after every four hours, one Indian woman ends her life over dowry. India on record had 218,000 people who committed suicide since 2005 & more than 15 million rural household are landless.

Echoing an ordinary dream of 58 million poor people of India, who are ruled by 15 million corrupt, impotent, and mentally sick feudal, Brahmins & caste maniacs is a sole interior of the Fox. Dalits dancing with the death angel is a favourite prey of the Brahmins.

Few lines from the poem written by Varavara Rao (b. 1940) on "The Caste Ism in India" are unique in its form which describes how the Fox compels Dalits to dance in their lives.

You are born rich
Your agitation sounds creative
Our agony looks violent

You are meritorious
You can break the glass of buses
In a shape
As symmetric as sun's rays

The beautiful roads
Are all yours

We are bare footed
Sweat stinking road rollers
What if we built the roads?
The merit of plan is yours
The credit of contract is yours

We sweep, we clean, our hands are broom
Our sweat is water
Our blood phenyl
Our bones are washing powder

Is menial labor
What merit it has?
What skill?

We are the desolate mothers
Who can give no milk
To the child who bites with hunger

Our births & deaths
Except for census statistics,
What use they have
For the national progress?

But
You are lucky
You are meritorious

EPILOGUE PRANCE

To quote some of the lines of Allama Iqbal, a great philosopher & a poet of the East:

Cut your path with an axe of
Your own,

It is sin to tread the beaten path
Of others,

If you achieve something original
And unique,

Even a sin becomes a virtue

Email: premlaliguras@hotmail.com

Source

What Nepal needs to learn from Lanka

Alok Bansal is a security analyst currently working as research fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), one of the oldest and largest Indian think tanks working on security issues. He has published books on 'Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.' His book on Balochistan is currently under publication.

The elections for the Constituent Assembly in Nepal scheduled for November 22 were postponed again as the Maoists insist that the state be declared a Republic and the elections be held on fully Proportional Representation (PR) system.

The interim parliament of Nepal recently passed these two resolutions, which were facilitated by Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML), a constituent of the Seven Party Alliance, joining hand with the Maoists. The elections had earlier been postponed in June, and the renewed demands from Maoists and their threat to take to the streets to disrupt the elections if their demands were not met have forced yet another postponement.

While an overwhelming majority of Nepal’s population reportedly believes that the monarchy does not have any future in Nepal, there is disagreement over whether it should be abolished before or after the elections.

But the implementation of PR for the elections is a far much more complex issue, which has split in the Seven Parties Alliance. The elections were earlier scheduled to be held partially on the basis of PR and partly on first past the post constituency system like in India. The CPN (UML) has joined hands with the Maoists and threatened to seek a change in government if the resolutions are not implemented.

But according to the prime minister, the proposals require constitutional amendment and therefore a two third majority, which is only possible with the support of the largest political party in the parliament - Prime Minister Koirala’s Nepali Congress.

The genesis of the demand for PR lies in the fact that the parliamentary democracy that has existed in Nepal for last decade and a half has been highly flawed. By way of ‘gerrymandering’ (a form of redistricting in which electoral districts or constituency boundaries are manipulated for an electoral advantage) it gave disproportionately high representation to certain regions of the state while denying the people living in Terai Region their rightful share in governance.

Also Read: India must make Sri Lanka see reason

As a result the governments that were constituted did not adequately represent the Madhesis or the Hindi speaking residents of Terai, who constitute close to half the population of Nepal. Besides Madhesis, the people from lower end of the social spectrum in the hills as well as in Kathmandu valley, including Janjaatis also did not get adequate representation in parliament. By seeking proportionate representation, the Maoists are hoping to regain their lost vote bank in the Terai.

Of late, a number of Maoists from the Terai region led by Jay Krishna Goit and Jwala Singh broke ranks with the Maoists to form the Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, and have been indulging in acts of violence to ostensibly espouse the cause of the Terai region. This led to considerable erosion of the Maoist influence in the Terai, which besides being the economic hub is also the granary of Nepal. Proportional representation will ensure that not only Madhesis but also other deprived sections of the society who are not in majority in any particular region will gain representation in the Constituent Assembly. This will ensure that in any future constitution, the rights of these hitherto deprived sections of the society are protected.

But while there may be some merit in seeking the PR system for the elections to the Constituent Assembly, its provision in perpetuity for parliamentary elections is fraught with dangers.

First, this will generally result in fractured mandate, as none of the political parties enjoys or is likely to enjoy over 50 per cent popular support, and consequently the governments are likely to be unstable. Second, in ethnically divided societies PR generally works much like a separate electorate. Hardline parties representing specific ethnic groups or communities invariably espouse extremist views and seek votes from the members of their own community. These political parties do not expect or seek any votes from across the ethnic or communal divide and as a result propagate hatred against other communities.

It might be relevant to examine the implications of PR in the case of Sri Lanka, the only South Asian country to have adopted it. In the ‘land of serendipity’, the promulgation of PR by President Jayawardhane in late seventies led to the aggravation of the ethnic divide and ultimately resulted in a full fledged ethnic strife. The PR ensured representation for hardline Sinhala political parties like Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), which led to the hardening of Sinhala position. These parties which propagate Sinhala chauvinism would have been wiped off in a first past the post constituency based electoral system but as they are seeking votes from their community alone they tend to take as hardline a stance as possible and manage to get some votes across the country.

On the other end of the ethnic divide, the moderate Tamil political parties like Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) were slowly eliminated after PR was introduced and the hardline Tamil groups which were propped up by various militant groups emerged stronger.

Not only this, all genuine multi-ethnic political parties which had support bases cutting across the ethnic divide, like Sri Lanka Sam Samaja Party, were totally marginalised. As a result, three decades of PR has given Sri Lanka a totally divided polity where barring a miniscule elite there are absolutely no links between the two main ethnic groups and there is total absence of trust between the two communities. In every election the fringe parties on the extreme ends of the ethnic divide propagate and seek votes on a highly communal agenda and after the elections these parties hold mainstream political parties hostage to their own ideology. As a result despite an overwhelming majority of moderates, the state has not been able to bridge the ethnic divide.

Nepal has been facing violence in the Terai region since January and Madhesis have been protesting in thousands against perceived oppression by the Kathmandu elite. The intensity of their movement has caught the Nepali government off guard, with a number of militant groups emerging to espouse the Madhesi cause.

Since January, the ethnic divide between the hill people and Madhesis has been growing and the introduction of PR would make it permanent, as extremist Madhesi groups would gain at the cost of moderate leaders. Besides this, even communal as well as divisions along caste lines will get accentuated if PR is accepted as the norm for future parliamentary elections.

At the moment there is strong support for PR amongst the deprived sections of population but institutionalising it will make Nepal a den of instability. As it is years of conflict and turbulence have weakened all the institutions of state including the Army, and prolonged instability may be suicidal for the Himalayan State.

Alok Bansal is a Research Fellow at IDSA, New Delhi

Source: Sify.com

Madheshi Insurgent Group of Nepal

Nepal Peace Process, CA Election’s Environment, JTMM: UN Responsibility?

Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha – Jwala Singh (JTMM-J)

Formation

The Jwala Singh faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) was formed by Nagendra Kumar Paswan a.k.a. Jwala Singh in August 2006 after he broke away from the Jaya Krishna Goit led JTMM. Jwala Singh is a former CPN-Maoist cadre and had joined Goit when he floated the JTMM. Later, he developed differences with Goit over the strategies to be adopted for the liberation of the Terai and establishment of an independent Terai state.

Objective

Jwala Singh demands complete secession from Nepal and to form a new independent state of Terai. In fact, he has already declared Terai as an independent state and says that any talks with the Government will be to demarcate the border only.

Demands

• The Terai should be declared an independent state.

• There should be proportionate participation by determining constituencies on the basis of population.

• All the police, army and administration in the Terai should be evacuated and Madhesi people should be posted there.

• Population census should be conducted in Terai under the supervision of Madhesis.

• All the revenue collected from Terai should be spent for the development of Terai.

• All the Madhesi killed by the state and Maoists should be declared martyrs and NPR 1.5 million should be provided as compensation.

• Citizenship should be issued from the central to district level in coordination with the Madhesis.

• The land of Madhesis captured by Maoists should be given back.

• Maoists should end their ‘donation drive’ and tax collection in Terai.

Leadership and Structure

Jwala Singh is the leader of the organisation. The group claims to have formed an armed militia in 12 of the Terai’s 20 districts. With a cadre strength of a few hundreds, this group has an organisation modeled on the CPN-Maoist, with a central committee, central and district level governments, a Terai Liberation Army and district committees across the districts.

Area of Activity

It is primarily active in the Terai region bordering India in the districts of Siraha, Dhanusha, Morang, Sarlahi, Bara, Saptari, Mohattari, Birgunj and Rautahat.

Incidents involving JTMM-J:..... (It will come soon)

Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha – Jaya Krishna Goit (JTMM-G)

The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) was formed in July 2004 by Jaya Krishna Goit after splitting from the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maois). Goit, formerly a leader of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), was also co-ordinator of the Madhesi National Liberation Front of the CPN-Maoist. Gradually, as he came to believe that the Maoists were not serious about the development of the Terai region, he floated a separate outfit charging the Maoist leadership of betraying the Madhesi people.

Objective

JTMMM-G demands an independent state for the Madhesis in the Terai region. He believes that Terai was never a part of Nepal; rather it was annexed by the Nepali pahade (hill people) rulers and then parts of it were ceded to them by the British through treaties. Thus, he says that, his armed struggle is meant to correct the historical wrong committed by the Nepali rulers.

Leadership and Command Structure

JTMM-G is led by its founder Jaya Krishna Goit. The cadre strength of the JTMM-G remains difficult to estimate, though unconfirmed reports suggest a support base of a thousand, including hard-core cadres and sympathisers. The Goit faction functions with a central committee, East and West Terai Regional Bureaus, village, ward and cell committees and a parallel military organisation.

Areas of Activity

The JTMM-G is mainly active in the Terai region bordering India, particularly, in the districts of Siraha, Dhanusha, Morang, Sarlahi, Bara, Saptari, Mohattari, Lalitpur and Rautahat.

Incidents involving JTMM-G:..... (It will come soon)

Please be in touch to see their rebellion updated activities report(info fromwww.satp.org)