Nepal in crisis, Maoists take control of capital

Dec. 16: Maoists on Wednesday announced that they had seized Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and declared it an autonomous region. The declaration came after Maoist cadres stormed the heavily guarded Durbar Square in a development that is likely to trigger a fresh political confrontation.

Waving red flags, 5,000 militants forced their way into Durbar Square city centre where their chief Prachanda announced that the Kathmandu valley would be called Newa Autonomous State. The Maoists have already proclaimed the formation of parallel governments in nine districts in the country and paid little heed to warnings by the Nepali Congress to desist from such tactics as they may lead to “political and social confrontation”.

The Maoist takeover of the capital city sent shock waves through the ruling CPN-UML-led 22 party alliance. Prachanda lit a traditional lamp to declare Kathmandu an autonomous state and unfurled a banner that read ‘Newa Autonomous State’ as hundreds of balloons were released.

“Our move is not intended to disrupt the peace process,” Prachanda said. “It is to make people aware about federalism and strengthen the republican system.”

The Maoist supremo claimed that “regressive forces were hatching a conspiracy against the republican system”. Other Maoist leaders defended their move to declare various areas as autonomous regions.