in the districts of Surkhet, Rukum, Kalikot, Kaski, Bhakvanpur, Sankhubasba,
Traplejung, and Khotang.
The attacks came just
two days after the Chairman of the CPN (M), Comrade Prachanda, announced the
breakdown of the ongoing talks with the government and the end of the
cease-fire. During the three rounds of talks, the government did not concede a
single of the three demands of the Maoists, and was, in fact, using the time to
prepare for a major military offensive. The three demands put forward by the
Maoists were: (i) the abolishment of the constitutional monarchy and the
establishment of a Republic, (ii) the convening of a constituent assembly, and
(iii) the formation of an interim government. While making sweet talks with the
Maoists, the two-timing Nepalese rulers were: purchasing massive quantities of
arms; taking secret counter-insurgency training from India; raising a new force
along the lines of India’s para-military to specifically fight the Maoists; and
was unleashing terror against Maoist students in the colleges and hostels of
Khatmandu. The Maoists saw through their tricks, and seized the initiative,
before the enemy could launch the attacks.
On the day of these
countrywide attacks, the CPN (M) announced the formation of a ‘People’s
Government’, with its headquarters at Rolpa. A 37-member United
Revolutionary’s People’s Council, headed by Com. Baburam Bhattarai, was
announced to run the new "People’s Revolutionary Government". On the very
next day the Party announced the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Battle of Dang
Dang is the largest
valley in Nepal, after Khatmandu. A day after the battle a reporter to the
region stated the district headquarters, Ghorahi, where the attack was
concentrated, was still up in smoke. Particularly the military barracks, where
the attack was focused, was still burning. According to eyewitness accounts,
over a thousand guerrillas stormed Ghorahi from all sides, and took the security
forces completely by surprise.
They briefly took
control of the township. From the military barracks and police lines they seized
some 400 weapons and huge stocks of ammunition. The weapons included 99 SLRs and
a few machine guns. They confiscated from the banks a total of Rs.6.5 crores, 59
packets of gold, 3 packets of silver and another 3 guns. Illegal wealth from
minister’s houses was also confiscated. Most of the district-level government
buildings were reduced to rubble by bomb explosions. These included the District
Administration Office, District Land Revenue Office, Bank Offices, District
Forest Office, District Police Offices, the SP Quarters, District jail premises
and the Quarters of the Chief District Officer. The 28-year old land records,
kept in the land record office, were burnt and littered on the streets. Banking
transactions have been suspended for a month.
An estimated 50
security personnel were killed, including 15 soldiers (of the 105 present) of
the RNA. 30 soldiers were injured, a dozen seriously. The rest surrendered.
Amongst those killed were the barrack’s commander, Major Naresh Upreti and a
captain of the army. In a simultaneous attack on the Dang District Police
Office, four policemen were killed. Another five policemen were gunned down at
the Narayanpur police post of the same district. Before retreating from the
town, the guerrillas attacked the local prison, setting free 37 prisoners.
Another 20-odd people held in the police station were also set free.
Curfew has been
imposed in Ghorahi.
Attacks Across the Country
The attacks in all
the 12 districts were launched between 9 pm on Friday night and 1 am on Saturday
morning. Besides Dang, the other major attack was in the Syangja district. In
raids on several police posts in the districts a minimum of 14 police were
killed including an inspector. Many more were injured. The rest surrendered.
Police reinforcements sent from Pokhara were ambushed on their way to Syangja.
The guerrillas freed the inmates of the prison and confiscated from banks
another Rs.20 crores in cash and other valuables. 33 rifles were seized together
with large quantities of ammunition. They destroyed most of the district offices
in the town. Curfew has been imposed in the district headquarters of Syangja.
In addition, the
guerrillas destroyed three private helicopters in Surkhet, blasted holes in
various roads, overran government offices around the country and seized more
arms from Morang district as well.
46 policemen with the
recently formed Armed Police Force Unit (the equivalent of India’s para-military)
fell under the trap of an ambush laid by Maoist guerrillas. While two escaped,
44 are reported missing. This took place near Kalidamar in Surkhet district. The
police were armed with SLRs, which are also reported to have fallen into the
hands of the guerrillas. The team comprised one inspector, one sub-inspector,
two assistant sub-inspectors three senior Head Constables, 6 constables and 33
policemen. Till late Saturday the Police had no information of their
whereabouts.
For four days after
the Friday attacks battles raged throughout Nepal. So for example in Darchula,
in far western Nepal, four of the 40 policemen on patrol duty were killed in an
ambush on Nov.26. Six were injured and another 17 were arrested and taken away
by the guerrillas. The Maoists seized all the weapons and blew up the police
station. They also confiscated the money from an Agricultural Bank in
Gokuleshwor. All schools, colleges and government offices closed down on Tuesday
Nov.27 as the situation remained tense throughout the day.
Daring attacks took
place in Salleri town, headquarters of Solukhumbu district on Sunday Nov.25. In
the heavy fighting a number of police and guerrillas are reported to have been
killed. 40 policemen and seven soldiers were killed in the nightlong gun battle.
Many more were seriously injured, with the number of causalities expecting to
rise. Army helicopters airdropped more forces in Salleri on Monday morning. A
number of Maoists are also reported to have been killed.
After the clamping of
Emergency on Monday Nov.26 and the strict censorship no reports of actions by
the guerrillas have come out. The only reports reaching the press are of the
massive army actions against the guerrillas. But even after the declaration of
Emergency a Coca Cola plant was blasted just 20 minute drive from the Royal
Palace. The plant was franchised to the King’s family. The CPN (M) gave a call
for a week long "people’s action", to culminate in a Nepal bandh on
Dec.7.
The Emergency
On Nov.26 king
Gyanendra, on the advice of the cabinet declared a State of Emergency, thereby,
de facto, reverting to the pre-1990 position of a monarchy. The Emergency once
again concentrates all powers with the King and the army, with the parliament
becoming even more nominal than what it was previously. The CPN (M) and all
organizations affiliated to it have been banned and they have been declared as
‘terrorists’. The government immediately passed the Terrorist and Disruptive
Activities (control and punishment) Ordinance. This suspended all
constitutional rights, including freedom of speech, the right to assembly, the
right to move throughout the kingdom, press and publication rights, right to
preventive detention, right to information, right to property, right to privacy,
and the right to constitutional remedy. In a separate ordinance the government
branded the Maoists as ‘terrorists’ and made persons linked to them as
punishable. Any ‘terrorist’ can be awarded a life sentence.
The government
immediately clamped down on the press and arrested numerous mass leaders. The
offices of the newspapers Jandisha and Janadesh, which are stated
to be linked to the Maoists were raided and all the staff arrested. The editor
of Janadesh, Govind Acharya and its executive editor, Om Sharma, were
taken into custody. So also were a number of other journalists associated with
left publications. The government also prevented the distribution of one day’s
edition of the mainstream Khatmandu Post, Nepal’s largest selling English
daily, for carrying several photos of Maoists. All the press were warned not to
carry anything that may raise sympathy for the Maoists.
Simultaneous to the
declaration of Emergency the army began massive operations utilizing helicopters
and heavy weapons. Helicopter gunships scanned the forests, firing at guerrillas
that were spotted. On the very next day itself the Army killed a large number of
Maoists. According to the army, on that day itself, 22 Maoists wee killed on the
border of Pyuthan and Rolpa districts, 13 in Salyan and numerous more in Dolakha
and Jajarkot districts. Since the promulgation of Emergency the RNA has launched
relentless attacks on the Maoist strongholds of Rolpa, Syangja and Salyan.
Besides, the army has also been targeting the Gorkha regions where the Maoists
have been the first communists to have gained a foothold. The government is
panicky, as some of these tribes form the biggest ethnic Nepalese group in the
armies of Nepal, India and Britain. In Pokhara, the army arrested about five
dozen students from the hostel of the Mid-western Regional Engineering College,
Lamachour, on the suspicion of being affiliated to the Maoists.
Syangja after the attack
To step up the attack
on the Maoists the government is embarking on the largest ever weapons purchase
programme. It plans 50,000 assault rifles over the next five years, two Russian
Mi-17 helicopters to be delivered in January 2002,other Russian Mi-24s, a Super
Puma helicopter, and new German guns already ordered. The total cost comes to a
massive $70 million. Added to this is the cost of raising the new para-military
force — the Armed Police Force (APF). In addition the USA is gifting 10
transport helicopters to the APF.
Besides India, the
Nepalese government has got the support of not only the US and EU in it campaign
against the Maoists, but also China. A statement issued by the US government
calls upon the Maoists to abide by the constitution, and to lay down arms. The
EU called on the Maoists to return to the negotiating table. In the Nepalese
parliament, the revisionist parties, have taken an ambiguous position vis-à-vis
the emergency, and have concentrated their attacks against the violence of the
Maoists. But, it has been the Indian government that has been the most
vociferous in attacking the Maoists and in backing the Nepalese government in
the use of force against them.
The Bloody Indian Hand
Even as the talks
were on with the Maoists, it was Jaswant Singh who first branded the Maoists of
Nepal as terrorists, and it was he who egged on the Nepal rulers to take a "tough"
stand. After the Nov.23 events, the Indian government immediately offered all
aid to the Nepalese rulers to crush the Maoists. Vajpayee immediately got in
touch with the Nepalese Prime Minister offering not only weapons but also even
helicopters. He also contacted the king saying that Delhi was prepared to extend
"whatever assistance" Nepal requires. India assured Nepal of speeding up
defence supplies such as automatic rifles, ammunition, light mountain guns and
other military equipment. It was also reported that India immediately lent Nepal
helicopters for low flying operations in Maoist strongholds.
The foreign office
refuses to answer whether Indian troops have already been involved, raising
doubts of Indian army involvement. Besides, they claim that the BSF routinely
crossed the border into Nepal "in hot pursuit of insurgents, without
permission of the Nepalese government". If this is so, this amounts to
nothing but aggression on a sovereign country, and legitimises the use of Indian
troops in Nepal. In fact Vajpayee stated that the BSF would extend full
cooperation to its Nepalese counterparts. Strong evidence indicates that Indian
military equipment (including helicopter gun-ships) and troops have already made
a clandestine entry into Nepal. The lackey Home minister of Nepal openly called
for servility to India, saying that " no government in Nepal can run without
co-operating with India".
On the very day of
the declaration of emergency the Nepalese chief of the army was in Delhi,
meeting his Indian counterpart and planning action against the Maoists. They
agreed to coordinate their actions on the border and that India would supply
Nepal with military equipment "to quell the terrorists". India also
agreed to sell Nepal two helicopters and other equipment for the exclusive use
of the APF.
The Indian rulers are
playing a leading role in the military operations against the Nepalese people,
led by the CPN (M). This amounts to nothing but aggression on a neighbouring
country. What is more India has postponed the finalisation of the trade
agreement by three months, which was due to be renewed on Dec.5. India has been
pressurizing Nepal to change the agreement in the interests of India’s comprador
bourgeoisie. Afraid to force those changes in the present environment, as
anti-India sentiments could get further enflamed, it will now use its military
leverage to push through humiliating changes in the trade agreement once it
comes up three months later.
