JAGDISH BHATTARAI

The slight softening in tone of those in favour of an interventionist monarchy could, if one is an optimist, signal a course-change by the captain of the ship of state. There is a whiff in the spring air which gives us a hint of hope in these bleak and insecure times.

But having been disappointed so often in the past four years, we are under no illusions that these gestures will amount to much. There is a certain self-destructive obstinacy to the direction this country has been taken on by one-man rule. All this soft-talk could be a result of realisation that whatever was being tried isn't working, or it could be just another ruse and a familiar attempt to sow confusion. A perfunctory reshuffle of the cabinet would only be seen as a tactic to prolong the status quo, and the king's attempt to buy time to hold elections in his own terms.

In the long saga of blunders the regime has made, the biggest was to dismiss the Maoist unilateral ceasefire and allow the rebels to get away with public relations brownie points. By signing the 12-point agreement, the parties shared the kudos for having pinned the Maoists down in committing to rejoin mainstream politics.

However, by now making the self-defeating announcement of a 'final and decisive' offensive, the Maoists have squandered their gains. The campaign of blockades, strikes and a return to the senseless destruction of public property (like this symbolic ruin of an orphanage after the rebel attack on Tansen last month, below) threatens the MoU and casts strong doubts about whether the comrades can be trusted. Points that are being raised at a followup party-rebel meeting in Noida this week.

It may be true that the Maoist leadership needs to talk tough about a make-or-break offensive to keep its own rank and file in line but by escalating the violence the Maoists risk sidelining the political parties and wasting their own advantage.

They should call off the needless and counterproductive blockade of district capitals in the coming weeks, bring back the ceasefire and pledge to renounce violence. Such a move would mean they don't need the barrel of the gun to force Nepalis to support them anymore. But more importantly, it would give the war mongers among us no more excuse to crack down on democracy and prolong this meaningless conflict.