If the Maoists want to be a part of national politics, they have to realise their past wrongs, renounce violence and try to win the acceptance of the people. It's dangerous for the Maoists to forget this reality in the flush of a momentary victory. It is criminal of them to think that they have to kill as many people as possible to create an environment for talks.

But recent incidents indicate that it's been difficult for the Maoists to let go of this belief. It is evident that the Maoists' goal is to get the emergency extended so that Nepal can become a heaven for arms imports. It is the duty and the responsibility of constitutional parties to defeat the Maoists' objective. It is equally important for the Maoist leadership to analyse the situation, otherwise there is a danger to their very existence.

The increasing number of bodies, despite the nine-month emergency, is a message and a warning to Sher Bahadur Deuba's government, too, to renounce violence.