Thousands of youths across Nepal found a new vocation last week — training for another ‘peoples war’.
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Heeding a call by the opposition Maoists, they are busy learning the art of warfare —self-defence as some UCPN (Maoist) leaders call it — at camps spread all over the Himalayan nation.
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Young girls and boys are pouring into the camps and getting trained on how to wield a stick, do target practice with wooden rifles and handle the khukri, a traditional dagger used in warfare.
Their leaders have told them to prepare for a ‘decisive war’ with the ‘enemy’. It’s almost certain that these trained cadres would start their war in Kathmandu from May 1 but there is no clear clue yet on who the enemy is. Many believe it is the ruling coalition government.
Frustrated at having remained out of power since May last year and its many demonstrations failing to catapult it back to power, this is the latest attempt by Nepal’s largest party to regain lost glory and keep its dissatisfied cadres together.
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The stated reason, however, for this ‘peaceful’ war is to force the government out of power, lead a national unity government, ensure the peace process doesn’t derail further and the new constitution gets drafted within the May 28 deadline.
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The stated reason, however, for this ‘peaceful’ war is to force the government out of power, lead a national unity government, ensure the peace process doesn’t derail further and the new constitution gets drafted within the May 28 deadline.
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The latest venture by the former guerrillas that waged a 10-year civil war before returning to mainstream politics in 2006 is bound to affect Nepal. The economy that is bound to go further downhill and the government’s plan to attract a million tourists as part of its Visit Nepal 2011 celebrations is bound to take a hit.
On its part, the government has asked the Nepal Army and other security agencies to be on alert and also asked the main opposition party to desist from ‘war’ or face the consequences.
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But these haven’t had the desired effect. Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has asked his cadres to be ready for a “strong confrontation with the enemy”.
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
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