We went looking for the Nepali People\'s Army in the forests, a five-hour walk from Khalanga, and when we met up with them, the Commander agreed to talk to us informally and as long as he was not named.

"We do not attack anyone unnecessarily just because that person is a police officer. Action is taken against keeping in mind his performance in the past," he said. The Commander said his group had now decided to scale down the killings, and concentrate on development work.

There are three types of Maobadi fighters: the People\'s Army soldiers, the security force and the militia. The soldiers wear army-type camouflage fatigues, while the security force (the Maoist policemen) is clad in olive green.
The Maoist fighting force has grown in strength from squad to platoon to temporary company. Every Maoist guerilla receives a monthly stipend of Rs 150 to buy toiletries. They are allowed a month-long leave every year. That is when they meet up with family and friends. Some of them even take the overnight bus to spend time in Kathmandu.

The Maoists seem to make the most of everything. They ended up interviewing us, the interviewers. They wanted to know what we thought of the People\'s War, if we viewed it as politics or terrorism. While taking leave, the commander shook hands firmly and said in his soft voice:"l don\'t know when I will die. So maybe we will not meet again. But don\'t worry our party will now meet with journalists regularly."