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Maoist ministers view the guards with skepticism and suspicion that the government's intentions are to "contain" them. Mahara told reporters, "We are seriously considering whether to stay in the government or not." If the Maoists pull out of the government, escalating violence can surely be expected in the days to come.
This is bad news for the Nepali people, who desperately want peace and an end to the decade-long civil war that has killed over 10,000 civilians and torn the country apart with sectarian violence. The average Nepali wants the government to put top priority on ending violence.
"The man on the street does not necessarily share the views of those portrayed on TV channels," says Nepali social worker Bhagwati Thapa. "The people have stated time and again that their greatest concern is law and order." Comparing Kathmandu to the Wild West and claiming that gun culture is on the rise, she says, "If one group can carry guns why not others? This route to power through terrorism is like a baton passed to different groups, spreading violence, though most groups justify it as a fight for a cause."
The security situation, especially in the Kathmandu Valley, has not improved since the Maoists joined the government. Political instability and violent protests have increased, as have the number of strikes ordered by various parties, which involve the closure of businesses, transport systems and educational institutions. These actions not only disrupt the economy but paralyze normal life. Highway blockades, appalling traffic conditions, spiraling queues for fuel, price inflation, the loss of school time for students and other financial woes due to business shut-downs, is the hefty price that Nepali people are paying as political parties manipulate the people and vie for power.
A sense of surrealism surrounds Nepali politics, as gun-toting criminal elements roam city streets as well as the countryside. Rebel Maoists and other renegade gangs in the southern Terai plains and elsewhere use force of arms to resist political parties' peace initiatives and community-building programs.
Last week the Janatantric Terai Mukti Morcha, a Maoist splinter group headed by Jwala Singh, issued an ultimatum to the Pahadis, or hill people, to leave the Terai plains within a week. Accusing the Pahadis of not tolerating the Madhesis, or people from the plains, the group warned of violent attacks if they did not adhere to the deadline. The Pahadis have panicked over this latest demand.
The threat of violence has already displaced thousands of common people, while their lands have been grabbed and illegally occupied. Groups like the JTMM are now doing exactly what the Maoists were doing in the recent past.
The new security guards posted at the Maoist ministers' residences have since returned to their barracks. An army spokesperson denied that they were from an elite battalion and maintained that the change of guards at the ministers' residence was a routine process. That said, mistrust and suspicion also seem to be routine within political factions, which eventually lead to violent acts. Until confidence is restored, the Nepali people will continue to pay a hefty price while the parties continue their power plays.
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(Nepali journalist Kamala Sarup writes for mediaforfreedom.com. She reports and writes on issues related to peace, women's issues, terrorism, democracy and development. She is the author of several works on women's issues as well as two story collections.)
