The crisis in Nepal is now so knotted up it's hard to figure out head or tail of what's going on.

Nepal's Maoists always said they were following Mao Zedong by the book. Now, it looks like they are even trying to copy the Cultural Revolution. The Gang of Two, Rabindra Shrestha and Mani Thapa (Anukul), came out on Wednesday with an unprecedented and scathing criticism of the party to set up their 'New Cultural Revolution Group'. This brought an immediate counter-salvo from The Fierce One himself, accusing the two of being 'traitors and slaves of counter-revolutionaries'. But what is of interest is that both accuse each other of selling out to the royalists.

Other contradictions abound. Peace activist Krishna Pahadi who has probably been the most critical among our human rights wallahs about Maoist atrocities is in detention for 'inciting violence'. Civil society activist and anti-corruption campaigner Devendra Raj Pandey who has consistently campaigned for restoration of peace and democracy is still locked up. Meanwhile, this country's greatest war-mongers are in positions of power.

And what of Ram Chandra Poudel of the NC, one of the most vocal proponents of reconciliation between the king, parties and the Maoists? He has been behind bars now for nearly two months. Meanwhile, those who have vowed never to allow the parties and the king to come together are senior flunkies in the royal regime. In fact, the biggest paradox of all is that both Vice-chairman Tulsi Giri and Prachanda see completely eye to eye on one thing: never allow the constitutional forces to patch up.

What's going on here? Who is on whose side?

Ironically, the people most worried by the present slide into absolute anarchy and prolonged conflict are this country's staunchest monarchists. If even they have come to the conclusion that the mandales are taking the country down with them, then that must be what is happening.

The regime's strategy is to sow confusion to buy time. But the palace is lost in a maze of its own creation and the generals are in the same labyrinth. How can we leap this maze? By supporting a return to democracy as a path to sustainable peace-building. And if the warmongers can't help slaughtering each other, to force them to leave civilians out of it.