Nepal thumbs nose at Maoist blockade

Rebel Maoists, taking advantage of the difficult terrain along the two highways, both more than 200 km long, often resort to laying ambush targeting defiant vehicles, both private and those belonging to the government. The current phase of blockade is a mark of protest against the government for ‘‘disappearance’’ of their cadre during the past nine years of Maoist insurgency.

Home Secretary Chandi Prasad Shrestha said the government was determined to restore normalcy in the Capital and protection, aerial or any other, would be provided to the transporters. ‘‘The trucks moved in convoy under security cover,’’ he said.

This is the second such blockade launched by the Maoists in four months. Analysts say the rebels are targeting the Capital, with an intention to convince the people that their influence is spreading fast even towards the urban areas and the Capital as well. However, Maoists are also facing the wrath of the people for having put them into hardship. Vegetable prices have gone up, and the farmers, mainly vegetable-growers and milk suppliers, are the worst hit in the absence of storage facilities. The Maoists had withdrawn a similar blockade four months ago after it alienated ordinary people.