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Ex-Maoists’ fear on identity

Nawalparasi (NEPAL): At a time when Nepal is debating whether or not to merge the former Maoist combatants with the Nepal Army, combatants of Jhyaltung Danda in Nawalparasi say they want their “identity retained”.

Home to around 1,000 combatants, it is one of the seven satellite cantonments (there are 21 sub camps).

Vice Commander Ram Lal Roka Magar “Madan” says if they are integrated with the Army, their identity of “People’s Liberation Army” would be wiped out.

“We don’t want assimilation; a merger will erase our identity,” he says. “We would rather want to go into the people.” And what does that mean? “We could do politics but we cannot lead normal life; we are trained people.”

Twenty-six-year-old Company Commander Nirmala Bantha Magar “Pratistha” says the same. “We cannot imagine our life beyond PLA; we spent most of our time in the revolution for the betterment of people,” she says. Pratistha has been with the party for the last 10 years and has fought 12 battles.

Ram Kumar Thapa “Mahan” who doesn’t have a hand and has a plastic eye says, “We are unqualified, the state should provide us right management.”

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