We Congratulate Nepali Peace Accord

We Congratulate Nepali Peace Accord

Nepal, the impoverished Himalayan state, woke on November 22, 2006 to the promise of peace and an end to a decade of civil war which gave rise to kidnappings, murders, coercion, forced recruitment, standstill of normal lives and works and above all serious political turmoil in the country. The sign was accorded on November 28, 2006..“We have signed a 12-page agreement on disarmament. There are many issues covered in the agreement including verification of the Maoists army and weapons and the role we would like the UNO to take in monitoring” Pradip Gyawali, a government negotiator told the journalists. The former rebels have also welcomed this accord. “We have shown our strong commitment and sincerity to end the armed conflict” Maoists spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told journalists.” This agreement has opened the door for political transformation , but we are aware of the challenges as well that lie ahead .”
The landmark peace deal will see the Maoists join the government after placing their army and weapons in camps under UN monitoring. “What until recently was an improbable peace has become a reality---the Katmandu Post commented in an editorial.”:

Ian Martin, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s personal representative to Nepal’s peace process said, “It sends a very positive signal about the momentum of the peace process in Nepal.”

Indrajit Rai, a conflict expert who teaches military science at Nepal’s army college told AFP,” The Maoists promise to lock up weapons under UN monitoring will be a relief for thousands of Nepalese who have been living under a constant fear of guns and violence.”
The former insurgents control large swaths of the countryside and claim to have 35000 fighters. In recent weeks they have faced fresh accusation of forcibly recruiting new cadres to swell their numbers. These phenomena talk about the optimistic sides of the peace accord. As a citizen of Bangladesh which is plagued by political irregularities and turmoil, we sincerely wait to see better days of Nepal which has also experienced poverty coupled with serious political setback more than one decade. The agreement is one of the biggest breakthroughs in the history of Nepali Polices.



The spontaneous response of Nepalese people reminds us their unconditional and long awaited peace deal. The residents lit candles, danced and cheered in the streets of towns and cities after the peace deal between the government and Maoists was signed. It has unfolded the opportunity of being optimistic but the challenges that lie ahead of promises and deals must be dealt with compromising and patriotic point of view. Leaders from both sides should play commendable roles in this regard otherwise it will remain only a paper based material. Observers and political analysts have already commented “The signing on piece of paper will have no meaning in itself if the stakeholders concerned fail to abide by the accord in its true spirit.”

The deal signed by Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala and rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal clears the way for the Maoists soldiers to lock up their arms and be confined to camps. Maoist’s leaders will take seats alongside the elected politicians in parliament and join an interim government to oversee election for an assembly that will draft a new constitution and decide the fate of the monarchy. “ I hope no mother will lose her children to conflict and no children will become orphans any more due to violence.’ an old man said.

The government declared a public holiday on Wednesday and asked residents to illuminate their homes and officials to light up public buildings in celebration. “We are on the threshold of peace and a new history, said Yubarj Ghimire, editor of the widely read news magazine Samay. The Maoists cadres are fully disciplined and obey the leadership, he said.


The peace process got under way shortly after king Gyanendra surrendered power to political parties in April after weeks of often bloody street protests. Since then the Maoists and the government have observed a ceasefire, although this has not stopped the rebels recruiting thousands of new fighters or demanding money from the businessmen and ordinary people across the country. “The critical test of this agreement will be its implementation on the ground.”-influential neighhour India said, “Violence must be dealt with under the laws of the land.’ the people’s mandate and their trust must not be betrayed.” The USA which still considers the Maoists a terrorist organization. It demanded an end to violence, extortion and the forced recruitment of rebels. Through this peace accord this demand is going to be implemented.

This peace deal has further weakened the Nepali monarchy which experienced a serious jolt in February 2005. With the virtual weakening of monarchy the Nepali democracy is going to be further strengthened? It has happened in he wake of mass street protests overturning the royal rule in February 2005. Now Nepal god-king Gyanendra is sitting on a shaky throne after fiercely republican Maoists and the central government signed a peace deal that involves a fundamental review of the monarchy. King Gynendra’s Shah dynasty has a 238-year history in Nepal and while the rebel Maoists insist they want a democratic republic, others still see the monarchy as important for the country wedged between India and China.Nepal’s kings have for centuries been revered as incarnations of the Hindu Lord Bishnu , the god of protection. But republican sentiment has climbed sharply since Gynendra sacked the government and seized direct power in February 2005 in what he said was a bid to crush the Maoist rebellion that has claimed over 13000 lives. To matter worse for the monarch on Monday an official panel said he should be punished for ordering a bloody crackdown against pro-democracy protesters. But even if Gynendra remains on his throne, he has already been striped of his political power and job as head of the army.

Government has also passed legislation turning what was once the world’s only Hindu kingdom into a secular state. The Pact says the fate of Nepal’s monarchy is to be decided at the first merit after elections to a body to rewrite Nepal’s constitution that is to be staged next year. For Maoist leader Prachanda said, “ There is no room for any form of monarchy in Nepal.” This moment marks the end of the 238 year old feudal system.”
Since Gynendra handed back power to parliament, the once high-profile monarch has virtually disappeared from public view. Gynendra’s isolation was apparent in June when he marked his 59th birthday without the usual crowds of school children at the event. Government ministers also skipped the ceremony. Nepal’s current national song/anthem lauds the monarchy with the lines. “ May glory crown you, courageous sovereign-----------His Majesty the king, our glorious ruler, may he live for many years to “ It is going to be replaced by a new national anthem which will represent national glory and people’s aspiration without praising any individual and institution. The lyrics were written by Pradeep Kumar Rai ,a 30 year old lawyer.

The magnanimity of Nepal’s politicians was obvious in their willingness to provide the Maoists a presence in the interim government and interim legislature equal to that of the two large parliamentary partiesPrime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala and radical leftist leader Pushpa Kumar Dayal singed the peade accord amidst great hopes.

The Maoists were due to join a new interim government on , but that was on how the Maoists should lock up the guns. The government also wants Maoists soldiers are granted 73 seats in a new 330-seat Parliament. According to the condition of the Pact, the former rebel army will be confined to camps in seven areas across the country. Soldiers have already started gathering at the sites and the government has pledged a further 1.3 million dollars------on top of an initial grant of 9.45 dollars to the Maoists for their camps.

Nepal holds the glaring example that a country can be crippled by political problems. It also holds the proof that the will of people can change even the deep stuck monarchy a country. People’s will protest can win insurmountable problems of a country. Bangladesh also has a lot of learning from the changing political landscape of Nepal. Let us hope for the best of Nepal and its impoverished people. We want to see the better days in Nepal soon and congratulate both the government and the Maoists leaders who have risen to the occasion in the greater interest of the nation.


Md. Masum Billah
The writer works for PACE Programme, BRAC Head Office.
Phone: 9355253 (res), 01714-091431(cell)