Kathmandu, August 31:

Senior political party leaders of India have urged the Maoists to lay down arms and join the political mainstream to strengthen democracy by fighting against autocracy. The leaders, who have come here to observe the NC general convention, also appealed to the King to initiate talks with parties and restore multiparty democracy in Nepal, at an interaction at the Reporters’ Club in the capital today.

Stating there was no alternative to dialogue for achieving an “amicable solution” to the crisis, they condemned the moves aimed at curtailing the freedom of the Press. A senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, DP Tripathi, called on the King and Maoists to learn from history. “For the greater interests of Nepal, Maoists should look into history of insurrection of any movement in the world.”

Stating that India was witnessing insurgencies in seven of its states, Tripathi, said: “The Indian government never supports Maoists.” Accepting mistakes made by leaders in 14 years of democracy in Nepal, he said: “But, during those years, media developed like nowhere else in South Asia.”

Anil Shastri, a central working committee member of the Indian National Congress, said Maoists’ method of using weapons for achieving their goals was wrong. “The monarchy is not an immediate issue as the Constituent Assembly or amendment to the Constitution will decide its role. The focus should be on the restoration of democracy and parliament.” Ramesh Dixit of the Nationalist Congress Party urged the King to talk to parties and Maoists. Terming the government’s move of barring the visiting leaders from meeting a former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, an inhumane gesture, he said: “The government is trying to hide something.”

Stating the Maoists would be fighting aimlessly if they continued to arm themselves, senior communist leader, Basudev Acharya, questioned: “How would peace be restored in the absence of democracy?” He said monarchy’s role should be “ceremonial”.