TAMGHAS-There is new hustle and bustle these days in Gulmi as political party representatives who had fled their home district start to return. The seven-party alliance, especially the NC, UML and NC-D have been rebuilding their networks in the villages here. UML district leader Kamal Shrestha says the people have always believed in democracy but the party leaders had been afraid of going back to their constituencies. "We may have made some mistakes but the February First move has reinvigorated the people's trust in a democratic polity," he says. Party leaders say the Maoists have not tried to stop the return of party workers and even the villagers admit that the power of the rebels has waned. Intellectuals here are critical of the government which they say is using the insurgency as an excuse to crush democracy.