The Maoist insurgency placed Nepal at a crossroad. A member of the present cabinet went so far as to say that the Maoists are responsible for the country's "statelessness". In the present context a number of domestic and external reasons behind the Maoist agreement to a ceasefire can be seen. A major one was the realisation that India was using them to further their own interests. They helped the Maoists reach where they are today. It is obvious that India saw the growing US-UK military assistance to Nepal as a threat and forced the Maoists to opt for peace talks with the Nepali government. The Maoists should have learnt their lesson from history when India forced the late B P Koirala, who launched the pro-democracy movement from Indian soil, out of the country in the 70s. Koirala returned home mouthing "national reconciliation", just like the Maoists who came to the negotiation table declaring "ceasefire".