By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : The peace pact signed between Nepal’s ruling parties and the Maoists reached its first anniversary Wednesday, but there was little cause to cheer with mounting tales of atrocities by guerrillas, parties engaged in fighting for power and violence rearing its head in the Terai plains.
On Nov 21, 2006, after the fall of King Gyanendra’s 15-month regime and opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala coming to power at the head of a seven-party alliance, the Maoists signed a comprehensive peace agreement with the new government, agreeing to lay down arms, respect human rights and hold an election.
However, on the very day of the first anniversary, the image of the rebels took yet another blow with the news of their abduction and assault of six officials of a private medical college hitting the headlines.
Gyanendra Giri, chairperson of Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar town in southern Nepal, home of Prime Minister Koirala, told the media he and five other officials were abducted from the Tribhuvan International Airport Sunday, marched to Kavre district in central Nepal and severely assaulted.
Giri, who showed the bruises on his body, alleged the incident occurred after a fellow doctor at the hospital was sacked over a dispute and asked the Maoists to intercede on his behalf.
The dreaded youth wing of the Maoists, the Young Communist League, whom Koirala has dubbed the Young Criminal League, is alleged to be behind the attack.
The incident comes even as the Maoists have been under fire for the abduction and killing of a journalist in southern Nepal.
Despite the rebels admitting their involvement in the murder of Birendra Shah, the killers are still at large.
Police are also conducting a search for a second journalist, Prakash Singh Thakuri, who has been missing from Kanchanpur district in the far west for over four months.
Besides rising reports of assault, extortion and even murder by the Maoists, the rebels are also up in arms against Koirala and his Nepali Congress, the biggest party in parliament.
The rebels are asking for the immediate abolition of monarchy and a new election system. If the current winter session of parliament fails to implement their demands, they have threatened to start a new revolt, topple the government and prevent the polls, regarded as critical to the peace process.
Besides the Maoist threat, the government faces a new peril in the Terai plains that have been turbulent since January.
Himrights, a human rights organisation, Tuesday released a report saying various armed groups in the Terai had killed 82 people between mid-May and October.
Over 300 people have died in the plains since January, despite the truce called by the Maoists. The escalating lawlessness forced the government to call off the election in June.
This month, more than 600 civil servants have already resigned en masse in four Terai districts citing the growing insecurity.
Besides failing to ensure law and order in the Terai, the Koirala government has failed to keep its pledge to bring to justice human rights abusers, including ministers from King Gyanendra’s regime, Maoists and army officials.
Nor has it been able to disclose the fates of over 1,000 people missing during the decade-old insurgency, crack down on corruption and announce fresh dates for the election postponed twice.