Prachanda's Swiss watches

To the surprise of many proletariats, Maoist chairman Prachanda is said to be sporting expensive Swiss made Rolex and Rado watches. This has been noticed by eagle-eyed reporters at the frequent press meets organized by the rebel supremo. While there was much clamor over the king's lavish taste for tropical fruits from Thailand and misti curd from Bangladesh, much ink has not been spared to describe the exquisite tastes of the so-called leaders of the proletariats, the Maoists. Such lavish lifestyle is in stark contrast to the working class image, which the Maoists would like to project themselves. Just imagine life in one of the cantonments where lowly Maoist rank and file eat and sleep.

As this post is being written, Maoists are already designated to join the government (the executive branch). Some of the ministries are about to be handed over to the rebels. The announcement to be made in legislature on March 31, 2007 would mark the culmination of the ten year long armed struggle launched by the Maoists. This would be a landmark of their achievement after their entry into the interim legislature.

Maoists are yet to change their 'jungle' attitude and have failed to win the confidence of such segments like the businessmen and foreign powers. US Ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty is said to have cautioned PM and other some Seven Party Leaders to be careful in inducting Maoists into the Cabinet. Despite the suggestion, political scenario is such that Maoists would receive ministries whether anybody likes it or not. The Seven Party Alliance are compelled to share power with the Maoists as per their various agreements with the armed rebels. Analysts would be interested to monitor Maoist attitude after they become Nepal's rulers, albeit sharing power with other political forces.

Imbroglio for Maoists

The armed group which calls itself the CPN-Maoist party is in the process of joining the executive branch of Nepal government. Maoist cadres already have 83 seats in the interim legislature, which was formed through nominations after the old parliament was dissolved. Despite the signing of the historic peace agreement with the Seven Party Alliance led government, the Maoists have simply not given up violence and joined the political process. The recent misbehavior by a Maoist legislator where he flaunted of possessing arms inside the parliament building and his use of abusive language demonstrates that Maoists are very much ‘jungle dwellers’.

More disturbing is the arms registration issue. While registering 30,000 armed cadres, Maoists only presented 3,000 arms. The mismatch is simply unbelievable. This points to the fact that Maoists may be hiding a greater portion of their arms for future confrontation or just armed takeover. Armed Maoists mounted in jeeps were seen in some districts. The arms carried by them were apparently ‘registered with the UN’ as claimed by the Maoists. The UN had said it wasn’t sure whether all arms were duly registered. This leaves plenty of doubt, thanks to Maoists aggressive posture.

Maoist chairman Prachanda recently said his cadres would not call any strikes and would also prevent others from organizing such stoppages. This would surely lead to further clashes with the cadres of Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) and possibly the janajatis. The Maoists created the ethnic based movements to propel their own agenda. Now, they are facing the brunt of the problem.