ROLPA: “Is that Prachanda-jee speaking? Please tell me where you are.”

“Hello Girijababu, Namaskar! I am in Liwang, Rolpa. We need to forge a new agreement among the political parties.”“I am of the same opinion. You and me need to forge an agreement in a new way.”

“Hello, it’s me, Ishwor Pokharel, speaking from Dang. I can hear your talk. Yeah, I do agree there is no alternative to a new agreement. CPN-UML is ever ready for that.”

This is how GP Koirala, Prachanda and Ishwor Pokharel presented themselves at a live conference call. Thanks to Nepal Satellite Telecom Private Limited, which made available such a state-of-the-art technology across the length and breadth of the country. By any measure, Dang and Rolpa are not only geographically diverse and disparately located, but also hard to reach from Kathmandu by any means of transport.

Maoist stalwart Prachanda was in Rolpa, NC president Koirala was in Kathmandu and UML general secretary Pokharel was in Dang. They jointly inaugurated the launch of the hone service via the conference call which was heard live by listeners across the nation. Local residents of Rolpa who curiously listened to the live conversation

of their leaders — said they were hopeful of a political solution after the festive season.

In the half-an-hour conference, the three leaders shared their concerns to break the ongoing deadlock among parties and liberate the country from the long-drawn-out political imbroglio. They also underscored the need to transform the country into a prosperous nation by taking the peace process to a logical conclusion.

Girijababu showed his readiness for agreement and said, “Prachanda-jee, I urge you to return to the capital, as early as possible.”

In response, Prachanda said, “Girijababu, I have not forgotten the points you have raised. I will surely meet you after I return from Rolpa.”

Koirala insisted saying, “We, Nepalis, have to solve our problems by ourselves. There’s nobody else to do that, Prachanda jee.”

Meantime, Pokharel intervened and said, “We’ve to forge agreement as per the norms and spirit of the

12-point agreement, comprehensive peace accord and the interim

constitution.”

“The present situation occurred as there are some problems in the interim constitution,” Pokhrel continued.

Prachanda turned nostalgic inaugurating the Hello Nepal’s service in Rolpa and said, “Inaugurating the service, I am reminded of the Inaugural of the People’s War back in 1995.”

Ajayraj Sumargi, managing director of Hello Nepal, said the company will provide its service to the people at an affordable price. The services will go commercial after Tihar, he added.