Says Maoist victory means nod for NA-PLA integration agenda

Kathmandu, April 21:

Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ has said that the victory of his party in the Constituent Assembly election means the popular endorsement of the agenda of the integration of the two armies — Nepal Army and the People’s Liberation Army. The CA can sort out the issue of deployment of personnel, he said.

“The integration of the two armies is necessary. The onus is on the CA to decide where to deploy how many personnel and for what purpose, namely for national, industrial security and development works,” Badal said in an exclusive interview with this daily.

Asked if the integration of the Maoist army into the Nepal Army will politicise the national army, he said the Nepal Army had been politicised in the past as it defended the ‘Hindu monarch’. The integration of the Maoist army will be a departure from that policy, he said, adding that this move will democratise the army in the interest of the whole country.

“The army should not promote wrong policies,” Badal said, adding that the country needs not more than 30,000 army personnel. In the long run, all adult citizens should be given compulsory army training, he said. “Once the two armies are integrated and the army brought to size, we will have to deal with the question of adjustment of remaining army personnel. The CA will decide where to deploy these army personnel. As we are a poor nation, we cannot afford a huge army,” Badal said.

Asked what immediate relief the citizens will get from the soon-to-be formed Maoist-led government, Badal said the citizens will have “Peace and prosperity.” He maintained that the immediate change like the establishment of a federal republic will pave the way for short and long-term development of the country.

“In two years, we will try to control inflation, corruption and problem of unemployment,” he said. Badal said his party would mobilise a large number of volunteers in development works. As per the short-term relief programmes, the Maoist-led government will provide relief to the families of martyrs and those injured during the people’s war. “We may not fully waive the loan of the downtrodden, but will try to fully exempt the loan of those who are on the verge of losing property because of bad debt,” he said.

In two years, he said, the Maoist government will strive to bridge the gap between the public and private schools.

“The CA will decide whether or not to go for the closure of private schools,” Badal said. President of the Consumers’ Forum Harendra Bahadur Shrestha said people could heave a sigh of relief if the Maoists controlled rising market prices.