Kathmandu, October 3

Most of the disgruntled groups engaged in conflict with the state have conveyed to the high-level political dialogue team their willingness to dissolve provided the government releases their jailed leaders and cadres and revokes arrest warrants.

Of the total 32 dissident groups which have come into contact with the talks team, around 12 have expressed such desire in formal and informal talks, according to the talks team coordinator Som Prasad Pandey.

He said the groups included those which were active in the past but had lost influence and groups whose leaders had either been jailed or were at large following issuance of arrest warrants.

“We are also holding talks to create a favourable environment for announcement of dissolution of such groups,” said Pandey, adding the number of such groups might rise as the team was still identifying them.

As far as formal talks are concerned, the team has so far held first-phase dialogue with 10 groups active in different parts of the country — from eastern hills to the southern plains. Pandey said the 10 groups were among the 19, which were formally invited for talks by dispatching letters, but he did not disclose the names of groups that had put up some condition for talks.

According to Pandey, most of the disgruntled groups — including those with whom previous governments have signed agreements which are yet to be implemented, those that are yet to hold talks, and new ones that have emerged after the promulgation of the constitution — have adopted flexibility for talks.

The groups have put forth demands such as declaring martyrs of cadres who died in jail; release of those who have been jailed; dropping all the charges; annulling arrest warrants issued against their cadres; compensation; and resettlement and rehabilitation.

The talks team, however, has not yet held dialogue with the group led by CK Raut, while informal talks have been held with Communist Party of Nepal headed by Netra Bikram Chand.

As far as the CK Raut-led group is concerned, the talks team is still studying whether the nature of the group’s demand is political. In informal talks with the Chand-led group, they have demanded release of their arrested leaders and standing committee members, including Spokesperson Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, said Pandey.

“We hope the government will also adopt flexibility in creating a conducive environment for talks,” he said.