Total Recorded Crime in Nepal Police

Total Recorded Crime in Nepal Police--Crime Recorded in BS (AD)

2027/28(mid July 1970/mid July 71) = 3243

2028/29(mid July 1971/mid July 72) = 3873

2029/30(mid July 1972/mid July 73) = 3830

2030/31(mid July 1973/mid July 74) = 4010

2031/32(mid July 1974/mid July 75) = 3429

2032/33(mid July 1975/mid July 76) = 2974

2033/34(mid July 1976/mid July 77) = 2719

2034/35(mid July 1977/mid July 78) = 2885

2035/36(mid July 1978/mid July 79) = 5084

2036/37(mid July 1979/mid July 80) = 5008

2037/38(mid July 1980/mid July 81) = 4645

2038/39(mid July 1981/mid July 82) = 4430

2039/40(mid July 1982/mid July 83) = 5032

2040/41(mid July 1983/mid July 84) = 4308

2041/42(mid July 1984/mid July 85) = 4103

2042/43(mid July 1985/mid July 86) = 3942

2043/44(mid July 1986/mid July 87) = 4042

2044/45(mid July 1987/mid July 88) = 4698

2045/46(mid July 1988/mid July 89) = 4963

2046/47(mid July 1989/mid July 90) = 4893

2047/48(mid July 1990/mid July 91) = 6130

2048/49(mid July 1991/mid July 92) = 7297

2049/50(mid July 1992/mid July 93) = 7854

2050/51(mid July 1993/mid July 94) = 8751

2051/52(mid July 1994/mid July 95) = 9100

2052/53(mid July 1995/mid July 96) = 9432

2053/54(mid July 1996/mid July 97) = 9326

2054/55(mid July 1997/mid July 98) = 10324

2055/56(mid July 1998/mid July 99) = 10504

2056/57(mid July 1999/mid July 00) = 10584

2057/58(mid July 2000/mid July 01) = 9897

2058/59(mid July 2001/mid July 02) = 9033

2059/60(mid July 2002/mid July 03) = 9507

2060/61(mid July 2003/mid July 04) = 8622

Maoism and Maoists of Nepal

Dear Jyotiji,

I do not posses knowledge on Communism and People’s Revolutionary War because ‘the only person who really understands communism is the communist who understands it too late’. Since I have not studied Mao-Tse-tung and Vo Nguyen Giap, my answers to your questions cannot be therefore conclusive. The communism received its impetus only in twenties in Southeast Asia from China. Mao’s Communist revolution is world famous, which was greatly influenced by Sun Tzu’s Art of War written sometime in 500 BC. But why does it still appeal to Maoists of Nepal?

The best source to find the answer would be to look into the Communist Party of Nepal’s (Maoist) manifesto. The Nepalese Communist Party was established in 1949 only. That party was established at a ‘time when the great Chinese revolution had been won and socialism was developing in the USSR.’ The adoption of Chinese style revolution, although today the Chinese diplomat denies of any relationship with Maoist except with the name of Mao, is based upon the principle of Mao’s successful revolution in China. Maoists consider ‘the victory of Chinese revolution as a big factor in the establishment of Communist Party in Nepal.’ Prachanda further justifies the need of ‘this war to break the shackles of thousands of years of slavery and to establish a New Democratic state’ which in understanding is ‘the path of people’s liberation and a great and bright future.’ The Maoist documents further reveal the goals of people’s war ‘to overthrow the bureaucrat-capitalist class and state system, which are dependent on and serve imperialism; uproot semi-feudalism; and drive out imperialism.’

The doctrines of insurgency are important factors in the sense that these are determinant in the successful sustainability of the insurgency. There are generally two doctrines--offensive and defensive. Maoists of Nepal are adopting the doctrine of offensive action or the emphasis on armed action rather than on the doctrine of mobilization of masses. Castro, Che Guevara, and Sendero Luminoso in Cuba and Peru also chose this course. In Nepal, the most notable development in the last one decade is--the populations at large condemn Maoists’ terrorism. The situation is slipping out of their hands. This is going to be fatal for Maoists, ultimately culminating into total stop of terrorism in the country.

The state designs and operates Counterinsurgency Operation to neutralize the insurgency. Many abortive insurgencies are defeated by military and police actions alone. But, if an insurgency has tapped into serious grievances and has mobilized a significant portion of the population, the task becomes more difficult. It becomes more cumbersome when there is political instability. The best and surest way of controlling the insurgency is to win the people’s heart and mind. Winning heart and mind would require taking serious actions to reform. Reforms are inevitable in order to avoid grievances, to isolate Maoists from mass population. Use of security forces are only one such alternatives. The State response must be multifaceted and coordinated. This the security forces cannot do alone. All political forces need to consolidate and stand fast against terrorism. The insurgency problem would not prolong if there is consensus among Nepali people and political forces.

Dr. Govind Prasad Thapa, 18 June 2005

Passenger bus ambushed and bombed

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has again undraped its real face by electronically ambushing a commuters’ bus and bombing more than hundred passengers. Thirty nine people, including several children, died; more than seventy severely injured. This incident took place in Bandrekhola-Madi of Chitwan district on 6 June 2005. It shows their real face behind the coat of a political party. It is a most inhuman and barbarous act of terrorism in which innocent people were targeted. Maoists have committed such crimes many times before. The folly is that they have been claiming to fight for the cause of people. The party has shed crocodile tears for the gross mistake.

Community policing

The government can not accomplish everything single-handedly. Community mobilization is one of the most effective ways of achieving goals. With this theory, the government is gradually transferring the responsibilities to the community accordingly making them powerful. Community forests and schools are some of its examples. The management of some forests and schools are transferred to the community. And things have improved with the participation of community in these sectors. The conflict in between the community and forest officials are no more heard; the affiliation has altered into pleasant and beneficial.

Crime is a complex issue. With the advancement of science and technology, and the growth of population, it has become more untamable. Law making is not the ultimate solution; rather it is the beginning of our efforts. The real success lies in the proper enforcement of laws. The police can not do all the jobs without help. And for this purpose, we must be able to congregate community cooperation. For that reason community policing is one choice; because it means policing crimes by the help of citizens. Community approach of policing is a policy of people, for the people, and by the people. Therefore, we can say that citizens are police without uniforms.

The core idea behind community mobilization is to build an environment for sustainable development and/or service programs. People’s consultation, consent, cooperation, and participation make the tasks of the government much easier. It also harnesses local resources for meaningful purposes. There grows a feeling of ownership among the people. Today, 4 June 2005, I had the opportunity to address, as a guest, one of the annual functions of Community Services and Development Society of Koteswor, Kathmandu. It is a society formed jointly, in cooperation of local people and local police, which aims to build up the locality into an idyllic residential area. Up-to-day there are more than one hundred such centers all over the country with the aims and objectives of liberating the locality from crimes, rendering social services, and initiating development works at local level. Some of them are really good; while some are trying hard to uphold. I believe the government must help refurbishing these types of centers which eventually make the government’s job easier.

Consolidation for peace and prosperity

The terrorism germinates and grows in the environment of unequal opportunities, acute poverty, gross marginalization, illiteracy, unemployment, rampant corruption, criminalization of politics, unresponsive executive and judiciary, and easy access to means of terrorism. For many frustrated youths, violence is the sure means of quick solutions; there are thousands such youths vulnerable for exploitation. If we continue fighting and killing each others; one day there will be no Nepali left, for this reason no Nepal. It will be lose- lose state of affairs. No one will win. Terrorism does not pay. It does not win hearts and minds. There are other better alternatives to politics than terrorism. We have already wasted valuable lives and times in the past. Now there is no time to waste. No resources left. If we really are dedicated to people then let us all be clear that people want peace and prosperity. My understanding is that we are all traveling in the same boat. So no one can keep him/herself aloof. Terrorism spares none. Let us all row the boat to safety first; not fight with each other. National interests come first always and everywhere, then the group and individual interests. Surely we would not like our country to become another Sierra Leone, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Peru, Sri Lanka etc.Let our conscience rule over our ego.

Fighting terrorism is not a matter of interest, not a matter of choice, but a matter of utmost necessity, a matter of high importance, and a matter of urgency. What is required is action--not just sit satisfied in tacit connivance only. Watching others facing the brunt of terrorism, waiting for one’s turn, shutting doors to the gross scene of violence, murders, rape, and closing nostrils to the rotten smell of dead bodies are acts of cowardice. We must have courage to stand against these. If we do not, then we simply wait in the queue for our turn; and it is destined to come sooner or later - because terrorism spares none. Raising awareness and education among the leaders, cadres, and communities against the futility of such terrorism to attain political solution or usher social change, and providing economic activities for many jobless young people, and create good political environment which is more conducive and inclusive than conservative are sure steps towards ending violence. An effective response to the Maoist threat should therefore encompass larger issues of development, leadership, and good governance.

Anyone can be a very good guru and preacher of modern democracy and good governance. One should respect their knowledge. But at the same time we should also not forget the ground realities of our land. Westerners have already gone through the phases of learning by mistakes. We are only entering into it now. It is always easy to demand than give. It is easy to preach than practice. For the successful practice of democracy we need to have discipline; without it, democracy will turn into lawlessness, mobocracy, chhadatantra, autocracy, and mockery. Democracy can survive when the rights and duties of citizen are properly balanced. There is no place in the world where there are no laws, where there are no restrictions to criminal acts, where there are no punishments for corruptions. Democracy means respecting the law of the country. In our case, Grouchi Marx’s saying “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies” perfectly matches. In the name of democracy the social norms and values have been dismantled. Therefore let us all consolidate for peace and prosperity.