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Journalism of Courage
Some 55 vehicles entered the Kathmandu valley today. But this was more a sign of panic than a breakthrough.
As Maoist rebels continued their siege of Nepal’s capital for the fourth day, it became painfully obvious that none of the vehicles entering Kathmandu was a supplies truck. Sources said Indian drivers have flatly refused to load their vehicles and travel down Tribhuvan Raj Marg.
Instead, the vehicles entering the city were filled with tourists who are being rounded up from the rest of the country and escorted into Kathmandu by the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA). Yes, even the backpackers are going home.
So dire is the situation that there are reports that tourists from the Far East are returning home from Bangkok itself. Indian Airlines flights into Kathmandu are almost empty while those leaving the city are packed.
Far from attracting four lakh visitors, as it did last year, Nepal may have to be content with half that number. The fear of the Maoists is starting to spread.
Even India has realised the seriousness of the situation. Yesterday, the Indian Army headquarters got in touch with Lt Gen Pyar Jung Thapa, the RNA chief, to offer all help to counter the threat that Nepal now faces. Sources said Thapa refused assistance as RNA seems to think the blockade will fizzle out. But the Maoists continue to target multinationals and they have apparently told DHL couriers to provide them details of the company’s ownership.
The threats have become so widespread that the Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry has been forced to write an open letter to the insurgents, trying to broker peace.
As prices of commodities climb, Kathmandu’s residents and industrialists are getting restive. Shashi Agarwal, owner of Pashupati Spinning Mills saw his factory attacked last Dussehra and the Maoists have now ordered him to shut it down. ‘‘Forget MNCs,’’ he said, ‘‘even Nepali businessmen don’t feel safe.’’
While Agarwal felt that the government should make its peace with the insurgents, Harish Sharma, principal secretary to former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, said it was time for India to step into the picture.
‘‘The fire has reached India’s doorsteps as its own Left wing extremist groups have linkages with the Nepal Maoists,’’ he said. New Delhi’s problems could be getting more serious than that. The Maoists have started inciting Bhutanese refugees to target the Thimpu Royal Palace. The unrest could spread wider.
In Kathmandu, the signs are ominous. The Sher Bahadur Deuba Government has completely failed in its handling of the Maoist blockade. The RNA does not seem keen to take on the insurgents. The Palace is silent. Meanwhile, two bomb blasts in the Valley on Friday evening signalled that time was running out.
