There is tremendous pressure public on MPs to bring about peace, security and stability in the country. The mobilisation of the army in the Maoist-affected areas has not been made official, and even MPs do not seem to know anything about the matter. An MP from one of the most affected areas, Salyan, Prakash Jwala, said that village development is now secondary to the issue of ensuring peace and security to the people. They want peace and security first, and are even prepared to hand back the Rs 500,000 granted to each village for its development. Development is seen as secondary to peace at the present moment. People are being tortured and are suffering immensely at the hands of the rebels, and this has got to be taken care of first.
Lekhnath Acharya, MP from Rolpa, said that the government can take back the development budget, but it should at the very least maintain peace and order in the country. He said the people are suffering, and have no other demand except that of law and order. The rebels are looting the people of their money and food, and the government should do something about this, urged the MP. MP Pari Thapa said that the people are being looted of their money and food grains, and this must be stopped. All that the people want is peace and order, and only then can development take place. The government has to create an atmosphere for this, said the MP. He further said the people at present are caught between the excesses of the rebels and the police.
For his part, MP Jwala said that the government must not deploy the army in haste. He stated that he did not know if the army was already deployed, and felt that this should have been the last resort.
MP Acharya thought the best way to stop this crisis should be through dialogue. He said that the Maoists were ready for a dialogue and the government should hold talks with them. The deployment of the army, according to him, was just a rumour.