Ba-1-Ja-9268 is the licence plate number of the microbus which plies the Arubari-Ratna Park route. Its driver is Khadga Bahadur Shrestha, of Sallebhumlu Village, Kavre District. Shrestha started his driving career in BS 2047 (CE 1991) and joined the Maoist People's War in BS 2055. 'Sharan' became his alias. He was part of more than 25 fronts while in the military wing of the party.

When the Maoists joined the peace process, he was with leader Dev Gurung. However, when a need was felt for a reliable chauffeur for Prachanda, he started driving the Maoist chairman starting the last week of Asoj, BS 2063. On BS 2066, a deeply troubled Shrestha bid goodbye to the Prachanda mansion.

He was a fighter under the Third Division of the Maoist force. During the integration process, the combatants of the Kiran faction rejected outright the verification exercise, with Shrestha in the lead. Like the UCPN-Maoist has the Young Communist League, the CPN-Maoist has the Youth Organisation Volunteer Bureau, and Shrestha is its Kavre coordinator.

These days, he is driving a microbus for income. Since the microbus has its route and schedule, he used his lunch hour to talk to Jana Aastha. However, the time was too short, so 'Sharan' handed his microbus keys to a colleague and took the time to express his innermost feelings.

Jana Aastha: You have started driving a micro.
Khadga Bahadur Shrestha: Yes, since the month of Asar.

Do you own it or is it leased?
It's the owner's.

What is the difference from the driving you did before?
Before, gasoline and diesel were cheap. Now it has become difficult.

How was it that you joined the Maoists?
I used to drive vehicles. Around BS 2055, I had a friend named Prabhat in Kathmandu. It was he who suggested that I join the war. I was directly involved in at least 32-33 battles. The most memorable was the fight in Chainpur.

Why was that memorable?
We fought the Armed Police, and we did not even have adequate footwear. It was mountainous terrain, with leeches. There was also snow, and we went hungry. Very few friends are left from that front. Many became martyrs, but the majority left the force. We had been chosen from seven districts to fight in Chainpur. Parwana (Santu Darai) was our commander.

How do you feel, looking back?
The ideals that we fought have all been wasted. Obviously, we are not satisfied.

How did you get to work for Prachanda?
Among those who joined the eastern front from the driving sector, I was regarded the more seasoned. The job of driving the vehicles used during the fighting was mine. Ananta headed the eastern command, a friend named Parlok was also there. It is they who suggested to Prachanda that I would be appropriate. Krishna Bahadur Mahara agreed. At that time I was with Dev Gurung sir, who said, "If it is for the chairman then there is no need to think twice, you should go." I left after Prachanda gave up the government in 2066 and Madhav Kumar Nepal became prime minister.

Did you drive the official car when Prachanda was PM?
The job was that of chauffeur, but I did not drive. Even though we had governmental appointments, we did not take the benefits.

Surely you got a salary.
We did not take the money. If someone else pocketed it, I would not know.

So they did not even leave your salaries alone?
Dev Gurung had told me to stay with the chairman, but not to be excited by money. He used to say that money was only a means, nothing extraordinary. And so we never eyed the money. When the verification of combatants began, there too in the beginning we did not bother about the financial matters.

Where were you verified?
Though from the Third Division, we were kept in Kathmandu because of the nature of our work. That is why our verification was done here. When the agitation began in the cantonments regarding financial irregularities, we also made our demands. We demanded at least Rs 1,000 a month, and thereafter started receiving that amount. The government later put aside Rs 3,000, but even then we had to wait three months to receive what was our's. Later, when the sanctioned amount went up to Rs 5,000, they wanted to take out Rs 1,000. But we did not agree. Thereafter, those of us in Kathmandu were given the government allocation without any deduction. In the cantonments, they cut much more than Rs 1,000.

Many of your own friends have become leaders, ministers, and businessmen. They have built great mansions in the city. Others have lifestyles that match those of national and international industrialists. Meanwhile you have started and ended as driver. What happened?
I saw many people engaging in loot, but I was confident in my own skills. Plus I have the great experience of the battle. Even if I were to have to loot, I have both brawn and brain. If I were to engage in criminality, I have double the courage of your average thief or thug. However, I have followed the dictates of my schooling, and prefer to work as an ordinary, whole-timer party worker. I decided to drive this microbus until the party gave me a directive.

They say that many who worked in the Prachanda residence have become wealthy. What do you know?
In the beginning, we did not bother about such matters because we were dedicated to the revolution. But when it became unbearable, one day I said to Prachanda, "Listen comrade, the depravity and contradictions have crossed all bounds. We have begun to feel ashamed." He replied only to say, "The river brings with it a lot of stuff, which you have to clean." I know so much about Prachanda that if I were to expose it all, the people would chase him, beat him and... . That is why I am not telling you everything about him. But I will share this much: there is a cheat named Ajay Sumargi. After we saw him consorting with this character, we said, "Now this is going beyond limits, comrade!" Sumargi has made houses for those close to Prachanda. I will not name these friends, but their houses were built by Sumargi. I still get reports. Some would ask me, "Others have done so well, why have you not done anything?"

On the day that Prachanda signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord and shook hands with Girija, I was driving his vehicle. I was concerned by the decision to close down the people's courts and to send the People's Liberation Army to the cantonments. It seemed like the start of surrender to the old establishment. We had made such sacrifices on the battlefield, but now it seemed they were going to measure our chests and make us do parade. I told Santu Darai, "These leaders are going to betray us."

What were the discussions with Sumargi?
Everything good and bad that you can imagine. There will be no end to it if I start telling you. When a leader forgets that he is accountable to the people and to the party workers and the martyrs, when he starts consorting with smugglers and cheats, he becomes capable of anything.

Did Sumargi visit Prachanda with foreign-brand whisky?
The whisky used to flow freely like river water. That man used to bring imported fish and meats.

So Prachanda is a great drinker?
He would always drink with Ajay Sumargi, and reek of liquor when I drove him. According to my understanding, the communist movement seeks equal status for all without exception. I am the son of a poor peasant who started work as a driver to make ends meet. I did not join the People's War for the fun of it. Today, I see some comrades zipping about in their Pajeros while there are those who do not have even Rs 50 in their pockets. This is not the communist spirit. That is why I decided to disassociate from Prachanda's racket.

What did you say to Prachanda before you left him?
Nothing to him, but I told his hangers on, "I have come to realise your insincerity. Better for me to go home and work my fields than get stuck in this quicksand of contradictions." However, Dev Gurung sir learned of my departure and said, "Don't go home, stay here."

What event made you finally give up on Prachanda?
I lost faith in the way he left government even as he was prime minister. I had already suspected that betrayal was in the cards. I was concerned about the kind of language that was used at the time. He was always changing his position on important matters. I had told him repeatedly, "It does not do to assemble the corrupt and cheats from all over."

What is the name of that bird named Narayan Kaji (Shrestha)? The people say till this day, "Narayan Kaji is hardly a leader, he is a 'bird'." Why was he foisted on us as our leader, this same Narayan Kaji who supported those who had put a price on our heads? I never greeted or saluted that man, neither did my other comrades. However, he would try to get close to us. That's because we are the PLA. We did send a couple of friends for Narayan Kaji's security, but they were disheartened when they saw his proclivities.

How much did Prachanda mingle?
Whatever he does, whatever he says, it's all an act. He is capable of practically anything. He can cry, he can laugh, like an actor. Once, in BS 2063 he visited my home in the village. At first, I was flattered, but then people started asking, "What came out of Prachanda visit to your house? He too is a trickster." Later, I understood that it was no different from the Army chief Rukmangud Katawal making a show of eating with his hands in the soldier's mess. That visit to my house was a momentary act put up by Prachanda. He is an expert at deception.

How do you see the future of Prachanda-Baburam?
Khum Bahadur Khadka and Govinda Raj Joshi have been declared corrupt and are in jail. Prachanda and Baburam are corrupt on a wholly different scale. Their situation is much worse than even that of Gyanendra. One day the people are going to hound them. You can take it from me, a hundred per cent, they will be hounded. Who conspired in the royal palace massacre? Do you believe Gyane had that kind of courage? It was done by the army-police from within. Therefore, no one needs to feel protected just because they have a handful of guards. No one is protected with that kind of security. If that were the case, Birendra's clan would not have been wiped out.

You took voluntary retirement from the PLA. What did you do with your weapon?
We handed our's over to Parwana (Santu Darai). I would not know what they did with the weapons. I believe Parwana has handed our weapons to the Special Committee on integration. Later we heard grumbling that our Baidya faction had not handed in its arms. We too would like to ask, "Where are the arms that we handed in so conscientiously?"

How long did you spend in the cantonments?
Just a few days. When they began to eye us with suspicion, we decided it was not appropriate to remain there. Thereafter, we applied for re-verification, and from which I too received Rs 3 lakh.

What did you do with the money?
I was in debt, and I paid back with that money. I had spent a lot for the care of my brother when he was ill.

What salary do you get from the microbus owner?
The owner is a friend. I do not plan to drive for long, which is why I have not taken a salary as such. When I need money, he is always there to provide. The people around Prachanda like to beg for money without doing any work. But we work, and ask for money only when we need it.

How is your household doing?
I married when young. My wife, son, and two daughters stay back in the village. The son is studying in Class 10, one daughter is in Class 9, and the other in Class 6. My father and mother are also at home.

What are your plans for the future?
If we are abused, we will respond. We are making plans for action against frauds and cheats, not physical but moral action. We were not afraid to die yesterday. If we become scared, why, that will be no different than Prachanda.