Side by side with the Maoist street protests, there has been an increase in the number of beatings, robberies, extortion cases and other acts of violence by the Maoists nationwide. In fact, all this is reminiscent of the war years. One example of this is the extortion of trekkers and security agencies in recent weeks. Last month, a group of trekkers who had just returned from the Manaslu and Annapurna circuits held a press conference to complain that they were all stopped and asked to pay Rs 2,000 each (see pic, trekker with Maoist receipts). TAAN chief Rajendra Bajgai says the Maoists have forcibly solicited 'donations' from many of the 15,000 trekkers who visited the Manaslu area this season.

He says: "This has not just spread terror along the trekking trails, but it has also put a damper on the trekking industry." The Maoist-affiliated All Nepa lSecurity Workers Union has been collecting a compulsory levy from all security guards. Union boss Ghanashyam Thakuri admits that his group collects Rs 425,000 a month from the estimated 17,000 security guards in the country.

Says former Maoist central committee member and the coordinator of the newly-formed Revolutionary Communist Party, Mani Thapa: "The Maoist strategy is to use violence and extortion to propel themselves into power." Union boss Thakuri says the levy from individual guards is not compulsory, but security guards working for Group Four Falk, Fishtail, Welfare, andother agencies say they are all forced to pay Rs 25 a month to the nationwide network of security guards set up by the Maoists. Says one guard with Kantipur Security: "Even if you don't agree with the Maoist ideology, you're required to pay the fee. We never get a receipt, and noone tells us where our money goes."