The bleeding civil war may have came to close a while ago, the peace process in Nepal is far from over, for today thousands of Maoists rebels after throwing the arms and being a part of the historic peace initiative are doomed to lead a poor and deprived life due to the lack of planning, funding and slow rehabilitation process.
After ten long struggling years of Nepalese Civil War (People’s War by the Maoists) between monarchist government and Maoist rebels in Nepal, which carried on from 1996 to 2006, and devoured above 12,700 lives and displaced about 150,000 people; the old good days are back when new Nepal’s government has assured better conditions in the shabby Maoist camps, where fighters were detained during the civil conflict.
The civil war finally came to a close on November 21, 2006, owing to a peace pact signed between the rebels and the new democratic government.
Without proper rehabilitation and employment, condition of Maoists continues to deteriorate in Nepal and they even struggle to fulfill their daily needs, and not to talk about other aspects, which forced hundreds of Maoists to leave weapons cantonments.
Finding the peace accords at risk, the United Nations raised their concerns over the move by the Maoists that eventually enforced the Nepalese government to keep the former rebels intact and unwavering.
Few days back, grieving poor lodging and foodstuff, above 500 unarmed ex-rebels, wearing military fatigues possibly to desert the famous peace deal attained last November, left a rehabilitation camp in, southern Chitwan, in search of suitable work and better living conditions in nearby towns and villages.
Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, after talks with the government and the Maoists and UN officials in Kathmandu, assured the ex-rebels of sufficient financial and supplementary support and also urged them to come back to the mainstream.
I urge the Maoist fighters to return to their camps immediately. Leaving the camps will send a wrong signal to the world and could hurt the peace process.
Few other former Maoist rebels left their camps in Kailali; and many, regretting inadequate funds and facilities, are planning to leave the cantonments in the eastern district of Ilam , responding to the call of a Maoist commander, Parwana.
