The Maoists have adopted the same tactics that Mao tse Tung used to seize power in China before 1949. In the Sixties, President Sukarno of Indonesia also faced a similar situation, which ultimately led to the take-over by General Suharto. The rebels in Nepal are terrorising people in the rural areas which do not have adequate surveillance by the police. The five-day general strike called by the rebels, from April 23 to 27, was also part of the grand design.

Who are these so - called Maoists? Are they agents of the Chinese and the Pakistani ISI, funded by these two countries? After all, no agitation or subversion can be carried out without funds. The killing of policemen in remote villages show that the Nepalese police are not an organised force and do not have sufficient arms and ammunition.

They have yet to learn the art of tackling subversive elements, never having faced much a problem before. The illiterate masses in Nepal have always been fed anti-India propaganda. They are also not politically conscious. On the other hand, there is a long porous border in the south, giving the subversive elements easy access to a clandestine supply of arms and ammunition. The landlocked geography of Nepal has always been an irksome factor because of their need for an Indian gateway for supply of essential articles. The 1965 Indo-Pak war compelled them to shift their attention to India.

In the late Eighties Nepal was shaken by a violent pro-democracy movement. After a great deal of resistance, King Birendra conceded to the demand of the people for a democratic government. Democracy was thus introduced in 1990.

The Leftist parties formed the Unity Centre in November 1990. But it did not last long. In 1994, the Maoists broke away and formed the Communist Party of Nepal (CM-M) for fulfilment of their dream for a 'red' Nepal.

The Maoists drew up a new programme of radical socio-political reforms through violent means, They won the support of the rural population in western Nepal. On November 25, 2001. they broke up talks with the Deuba government for peaceful reforms. Finding them in a violent mood the government declared a national emergency the next day and asked the army to suppress the movement ruthlessly. But the Maoists did not look back and started killing policemen to terrorise the people. It was the culmination of their offensive against the government since 1996. So far they have covered 45 of the 75 districts of western Nepal. One of the main political demands of the Maoists is the snapping of ties with India.

The Nepali Congress government brought political stability to the country under the G. P. Koirala government in 1991. But the struggle for power within the Nepali Congress gave the Communists an opportunity to capture power and expand their influence in the rural areas. The political vacuum created by the weakening of the Nepali Congress suited the ISI and the Chinese. From 1990 onwards up to June 2001, ten governments have ruled the kingdom. The assassination of King Birendra and his Queen in June 2001 came as a windfall for the ISI and the Chinese. King Gyanendra who was hailed by them earlier is not so popular now. His desire to see his son Paras on the throne is yet to find favour with the people. The administration is too weak to suppress the subversive elements.