Kathmandu, March 1, 2008

Ending the long political stand-off, the government and the agitating Federal Republican National Front (FRNF) today reached a five-point deal in the presence of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and leaders of the seven-party alliance at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar.

Following the agreement, the FRNF called off all its indefinite general strikes and PM Koirala expressed hope that the deal with the FRNF and Madhesi communities would pave the way for holding the Constituent Assembly election in a free, fair and peaceful manner.

The government talks team leader and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel and talks team members Dev Gurung, Shankar Pokharel, Ghanashyam Sharma Poudel, and Keshav Nepal signed the deal on behalf of the government and the seven-party alliance. DK Buddhist of Federal Democratic National Forum, Kumar Lingden of Federal Limbuwan State Council, Laxman Tharu of Joint Tharu National Front, Bisendra Paswan of Dalit Janajati Party and Singman Tamanag of Tamangsaling Autonomous State Council inked the deal on behalf of the respective organisations.

However, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum, Madhes led by Bhagyanath Prasad Sah, Madhesi Loktantrik Morcha and Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha boycotted the agreement. Following the signing ceremony, PM Koirala thanked all for joining hands with the government’s commitment to holding the election.

Aborting studies for war was a folly, say PLA fighters

Kathmandu, March 1, 2008

Hundreds of former personnel of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and other Maoist cadres, who dropped out of schools and colleges, now feel they should not have aborted ‘Bourgeois education’ to join the Maoist insurgency.

An estimated 6,000 former PLA personnel feel stranded after the Maoist leadership aborted the decade-old People’s War in 2006.

Their party plans to reduce the number of ‘whole-timers’, meaning many will be left to fend for themselves, albeit gradually. “Most of the former PLA personnel neither have necessary skills nor academic certificates to get a job once they are laid off,” some ex-combatants said. “As many have lost their arms and limbs during clashes with security forces, they do not have the physical strength to engage in manual labour.” Many former PLA personnel want to give continuity to their studies but they are not getting support.

Only a handful of these people have families and social networks to extend a helping hand. Neither the ANNISU-R nor the party seem to be taking any initiatives to aid their efforts to return to schools and colleges, many former PLA personnel and Maoist cadres lamented on condition of anonymity.