Exile or trial' for Nepal king
By Charles Haviland
BBC Nepal correspondent

Rebel leader Prachanda
Only one photo of Prachanda had been in circulation until now
Nepal's top Maoist rebel leader has said the only future he can envisage for King Gyanendra is exile or trial.

Prachanda made his remarks in a rare BBC interview to mark the 10th anniversary of the Maoist revolt.

He said a trial of the king might take place in a "people's court", leading to possible execution.

However, elsewhere in the interview Prachanda also said he could envisage Nepal remaining a monarchy if the people wanted it.

'People's verdict'

This was the first face-to-face broadcast interview given by the Maoist's reclusive chairman, Prachanda, who has been living an underground existence for 25 years.


Whatever decision the people should give, we will be ready to accept this
Maoist leader Prachanda

Meeting the Maoist
Interview: Full transcript

His rebels now control much of the countryside, but this is a conflict most observers believe neither side can win militarily. The Maoists are pressing for an elected assembly to write a new Nepalese constitution.

Prachanda said he believed such an assembly would make Nepal into a republic. But he said his party would accept "the people's verdict".

"Whatever decision the people should give, we will be ready to accept this," he told the BBC.

Asked if that meant he would theoretically be able to accept a people's verdict of keeping the monarchy, he said: "Yes, theoretically it is like that."

But asked later what place the king might have in Nepal five years from now, Prachanda said: "I think he'll either be executed by the people's court or maybe exiled."

A Nepalese Maoist guerrilla woman holds a rifle while watching an armed exercise in Bhojpur, eastern Nepal
The rebels are in effective control of large swathes of rural Nepal
He said the king, who took direct political power a year ago, had left no room for compromise.

Nepal does not allow capital punishment and Prachanda's comments will shock many Nepalis and probably cause discomfort to a group of opposition parties which recently signed a political agreement with the Maoists.

'Pragmatic'

Prachanda said he was "saddened" by the number of deaths in the conflict - some 13,000 - and by what he called accidents such as the death of children in bomb blasts.

But he was unrepentant about using violence against those he described as informers.

Asked if the Maoists aimed to conquer the capital, Kathmandu, militarily, he said that foreign help to the government had made that difficult, and that such an action would "cause a lot of harm to the Nepali people".

Analysts say the Maoists are nowadays a pragmatic party, and for much of this interview the 52-year-old Maoist reflected this.

But at other times he spoke with what seemed like rage against those he repeatedly described as feudalists.

guys check out prachanda's video interview @ www.bbc.com

Whats your major, if you do not internet dis-connect it.

Mero kam pani computer ma online garnu parhca, ani kata kata bata muso, sajha ko link ma click garna pugi halcha.

gosh!!!!! prajatantra...you are so much in love with politics...think you will be one day president....hmmmm.......

My major Environmental engineering.In my thesis I am dealing with numerical modelling of contaminant transport in Groundwater. and what about yours?

RUNDI KO BAAAN moooji peoples peoples peoples and peoples...

Computer science, thesis chahi sajha ma gali garne lai tara laune..

I do not think to take interest in politics is bad. One reason we are unable to produce good leaders are most of us let things go and do not care enought to analyze politically.

thats why people with money and power dominates out politics.

I think everyone should be interested in politics but manage their time accordingly to accomodate their carreer goal too.

Anfu ta duiso bhari lab ma basiyo, aba dinner khadai prachanda ko interview padddai.

See here in US politics is so much integrated in young generation, they participate in debates and show interest to learn.

Hamra desh ma ta bidhyarthi le rajniiti garne bhaneki gunda gardi jasto dhunga hanna ra tire balna thalchan

- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4707058.stm

Eager to soo how the nepali royalist government and the "supressed" nepali media responds to this interview.

Now can anyone convienence me that the current regime do not know about the whereabout of the maoist leaders. If they know and are instructed to turn a blind eye, is it not an indication that compromise, "tai gar malai garna de" working in Nepal. If it is so, why is all these "one say other do" functioning on part of the comrades in arm. What does military analysists and the theory of conflict settling experts smell.

It seems everybody is in shock with the wording of Prachanda about the KING. I believe that's what a true revolutinary does . It was a taboo to talk about Republic Nepal 2-3 years ago. After few months people in street will start to King should face trail for his KUKARMA.

I am so happy political developmen in Nepal is leading in positive direction. I dying to be a proud citizen of a socially, politically and economically posporous Nepal.

the loser is down onhis knees to gain political support..he should be hanged for killing somany kids of Nepal ..all he wants is his ass up the throne..since none of his fighters will survive to see the day for themselves..

hat do Maoists really want? Or to put it aptly, what does Prachanda really want? His recent interview with BBC has erased any doubts people had about his existence and “Prachana” being a pseudo name. However, it has also brought in light about how elastic Prachand has become in his demand in nepali politics and society. It was only few years ago during Deuba’s government that the peace talk failed between them and the Maoists mainly due to the Maoists’ hard stance in turning Nepal into a communist state which is not feasible due to Nepal’s geographical location making it dependent on one side through terrain of rugged mountains to a country that is slowly becoming a free, capitalistic market economy and on three sides to a country that has for over five decades become a republic democratic society. And it was high time for the Maoists of Nepal to realize this fact or rather truth.
Though Prithivi Narayan Shah united Nepal firstly by getting rid of easier and smaller peripheral estates and moving slowly into core or Kathmandu, the same strategy did not seem promising for the Maoists. They realized that getting a hold of kathmandu was not as easy as gobbling down Rukum, or Jaggerkot. The King would fight until the end to save his neighborhood. And if the end was ever met, it would only be with exponential growth in the numbers of people killed in this conflict of power or ideologies that had engulfed Nepal and Nepalese. And thus, Maoists finally realized this bitter truth.
So after so much of realization they have shaken hands with the political parties who Prachanda claims scrapped their demands when they were in parliament and whose political activists Prachanda’s army frequently abducted, tortured, decapitated, and killed. It was the political parties that labeled Prachanda and his army as terrorists. It were these political parties that at first ignored the rising of Prachanda and are now turning a blind-eye or deaf-ear to the atrocities committed by Maoists. And now with the alliance with the parties, Maoists who were just a riff in rural areas have now become a major political force and have almost legitimized their stance.
But what makes one wonder is this sudden change in the ideology and approach that Maoists have adapted. Political, ideological beliefs are not like food cravings that one day you crave for something sweet and next day for something spicy. It is neither like changing underwear. And if such belief has already taken so many lives then changing or giving up on it almost seem redundant not unless you are a chameleon. So what guarantees that once this chameleon reaches a safe spot, it is not going to change to its desired or original color? More so if this chameleon can change from what it actually believed in while coming into existence?
So could it be right, now to say that Prachanda is nothing but a power hungry mongrel that would do anything absolutely anything to have it? If not then what does Prachanda really believe and what does he really want? And is he sure this time? May be not before seeing few thousands death.

While nepali King as Prachanda thinks should be exiled or executed I wonder what about Prachanda himself? For all the torture, murders, abduction and violation of childrens'/human rights, looting of govermental offices, banks, and peoples' property, destroying country's infrastructure? For all the deaths? Yes what about all that?
Could we all line up Gyane, Prachanda, Babu Ram and corrupt political leaders in toodhikhel and execute them together, huh?

Maoists are rocking in every way. Royalist are have sleepless nights! You losers better start to pack your luagges and leave Nepal for good. You have sucked enough blood of Nepali people - you devils.

Satya ko sadai jita hunchha - hoina ra? Chhito ra dilo ko kura huna ta hunchha hunchh.

प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन हामि ले कहिले भनेका थियनौ यो राम्रो हो तर हामि जब संसद मा थियौ हामि ले ४० वटा प्रस्ताब राख्यौ कहिले सुनिएन र हामि र हाम्रा कार्यकरता माथि अत्याचार र मिसबिहेभ गरियो तर माहासाय कुरा सहि हो भने किन त्यति खेर का संसद बादि हरु को पछि अहिले जुका टासिए जस्तै टासिएर जनता को समर्थन खोजि रहेको? किन आफ्नै युद्ध गलत छ भने यसकै बर्षगाठ को तयारि गर्ने?


प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन १३हजार मान्छे मर्दा हामि खुसि छैनौ र यसको रेसपोनसिबिलिटि हामि मा जादैन पनि यदि हो भने कसमा जान्छ त माहासाय सबे सरकार मा अनि माढि बसकाण्ड सरकार ले गरेन त्यो चाहि बोकिदिनुहुन्छ कि काँध मा।

प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन अमेरिका , यु के जस्ता देसहरु ले हाम्रा बिरुद्ध लडे त्यसैले गर्दा अब अर्मि ले काठमान्डौ क्यापचर गर्न सकिन्न पोलटिकल फोर्स बिना , माहासाय तपाइ ले नेपालि जनता ले तपाइ बिरुद्ध लडेको भुल्नु भएछ दुख लाग्यो यदि अहिले सात दल ले तपाइ हरु सँग छोडने अनि तपाइ हरु को पहिला को जस्तै अत्यचार रहने हो भने तपाइ हरु को उद्गम स्थल बाट पनि हात झिक्न पर्छ ।

प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन म सैनिक युद्ध बाट काठमान्ढौ लिन पनि चहान्न किन कि यसले धेरै मान्छे मर्न सक्छन , माहासाय तपाइ ले भुल्नु भयो १३ हजार नेपालि जनता ले त ज्यान गुमाइ सकेक छन यहि सैनिक युद्धमा र त्यति खेर के सबै दिमाख फ्रोजन थिए कि के त?

प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन जनता को निर्णय मान्न तयर छौ, तर त्यहि भन्नु भएको छ जनता ले उहाको निर्णय बिरु्द्ध जाने छैनन् तर माहासाय यहा गए बने के गर्ने के फेरि जङ्गल पस्ने ?


प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन डेभलपमेन्ट अफ डेमोक्रेसि इज नेसेसरि इन २१ सेनेचुरि तर माहासय यदि हो बने किन निमुखा जनता मार्न बन्द भएको छैन र जनता लाइ खुलमखुला बोल्न किन रोक लगाइएको छ , माओबादि को साभा मा बाध्य बनाएर किन लगिन्छ ?

प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन हामि बहुदलिय ब्यबस्था मा बिश्वास गर्छौ तर माहासाय यो हो भने अरु पार्टि लाइ गाऊ जान किन निशेध थियो सम्झौता भन्दा अगाडि , जनता को नजर बाट गिरिन्छ भनेर कि एक्लो पार्टि ठिक भनेर त?


प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन यो युद्ध म राष्ट्रपति वा प्रमुख बन्नको लागि होइन यो युद्ध तर माहासाय तपाइ ले भुल्नु बयो होला तर जनता ले भुलेका छैनन् तपाइ को बिरुद्ध मा आवाज उटाएकै कारण ले बाबुराम भट्टराइ माथि पार्टि कार्बाहि भएको थियो?

प्रचन्ड ले भनेका छन बच्चा हरु लाइ प्रयो गरिएको छैन तर माहासाय स्कुल बाट बच्चा हरु अपहरण गर्न बन्द भएको छैन।

........................continueeeeeeeeee

Whatever the "hidden agenda" of the maoists maybe, or whatever is being speculated about them after this interview, I think it is important to realize that this is a step taken forward, towards perhaps a peaceful resolution. The desire to pursue a constituent assembly and build a democratic republic has to have a pre-requisite for PEACE. Should the King come forward and negotiate, be willing to relinquish power and reconstruct the constitution, does that guarantee Peace for the coming future? What about the angry and still powerful feudal lords and other people in Nepal who are seeking to avenge deaths in their family caused by maoists? Is it safe to say or accurate to feel that no retaliation will occur once the maoists come out of their barbaric camouflage and to the political arena? At least one thing is for sure. The seeds for some sort of discussion or compromise have been thrown, how the King responds to this will go a long way in revealing his interests and intentions, which I must add are just as nebulous as the Maoists themselves.

Somehow I tend to believe that Maoists are the one who have been greatly benefitted by the Feb 1st movement of the King. The fact that the King cornered himself after his move of Feb 1st has made it possible for the Maoists to come upfront and talk to the media. Their so called "People's war" was/is going to take them nowhere and who else know about it better than they themselves but they were not in a position to come to the media and talk openly since they were/are referred to as "terrorists" by many. But now since the King is segregating himself from the parties, people, maoists and perhaps from international support, Maoists are on a role.

interview... with bbc