The March 2 overnight attacks of the Maoists on several government targets, including an army barrack, police post and a repeater station, in the headquarters of Bhojpur district in eastern hills raise serious questions about what the government has been saying during the past six months. It is the fiercest attack the rebels have launched since they unilaterally withdrew from the peace talks last August. The fighting has resulted in a number of casualties on the side of the government forces: at least 30 security personnel, including 11 armymen, killed, 23 wounded, and 13 abducted, including 11 security personnel. Eleven rebels have been confirmed dead by security sources. According to an army claim, the government forces had to bear heavy losses because the fighting in the midst of the town had tied their hands down for fear of civilian casualties as well as because of poor army intelligence. On the other hand, a report says that the army had an inkling of the attack.

Whatever the cause, the fact remains that the rebels’s vicious assault leaves no doubt that they have not become, as claimed, too weak to mount a major attack. It is sad that such claims had been made in the past too, only to be proved hollow. This is sad because working on wrong premises does not lead one to a correct solution. Whichever side may suffer greater casualties, the sons and daughters of Nepal will be killed. Even if the weapons may be foreign, the losers will be the Nepalis alone. Both sides must, therefore, realise that foreigners may supply arms and ammunition, but they will not be killed, maimed or wounded. And they will not have to live with the consequences of the war. A US diplomat, who completed his Nepal visit on Wednesday, has assured more US aid to help the government combat the Maoists and described the government’s approach to dealing with them as “impressive.” This was confirmed by Christina Rocca, the US assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs, in a prepared statement to members of the Senate foreign relations committee on March 2.

Militaristic approach alone, in the eyes of many, including foreign insurgency experts, will only aggravate matters. This will not provide a long-term solution, which has to address properly, among other things, the country’s deep-rooted social and economic malaise. The main concern should, therefore, be how to win peace, so necessary for holding elections. The Bhojpur assault also puts a question mark over the government’s ability to hold free and fair elections for which it has promised announcement of a date soon. To make a lasting peace possible, the warring sides should learn to be less rigid in their stances and try to find a common ground and make compromises.