Features

Return of ‘Prachanda’ and lessons from Nepalese peace effort

Published

3 years ago

2022/12/29

Prachanda gestures as he leaves for the president’s office to claim majority for his appointment as the new prime minister, in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of capital Kathmandu (Pic courtesy Al Jazeera)

The importance of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as ‘Prachanda’ or ‘The Fierce’, head of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), in modern Nepalese politics, consists mainly in the fact that he was a hard core militant who waged an extremely bloody yet decisive 10-year-long guerrilla war against the country’s monarchy. However, he is set to come back to power as the Prime Minister of Nepal very soon, for the third time, and this is something that ought to provoke much thought in post-conflict countries, such as Sri Lanka.

Conservative opinion locally and internationally would consider Dahal a ‘terrorist’. However, the war conducted by him and his party against the then Nepalese monarchical administration witnessed the unleashing of atrocities by both sides to the conflict and one could be accused of simplistic thinking if one slaps the label of ‘terrorist’ on Dahal only.

As in the case of the majority of conflicts of this kind, ‘state terror’ too emerges as a factor to contend with in any assessment of who did right or wrong at the time of war. The observer comes up against the threadbare but relevant conundrum: One man’s ‘terrorist’ is another’s ‘freedom fighter’ and vice versa. Needless to say, given the notoriously unresolvable nature of this conundrum, apportioning blame in such potentially nation-breaking warfare is a well-nigh impossible and tortuous task.

Moreover, it is relevant to remember that ‘people’s power’ too played a significant role in bringing about a resolution to the long-running Nepalese conflict. In April 2006 when millions of ordinary Nepalese got on to the streets to decry the Nepalese monarchy which was seen as repressive, King Gyanendra, the then ruler, had no choice but to step down from power. In other words, the sovereignty of the people was honoured in Nepal. The present regime in Sri Lanka would need to take a hard look at this Nepalese triumph and draw the relevant inferences from it if it is to resolve the country’s present crises.

However, though the long and unrelenting war waged by the Maoists under ‘Prachanda’ did play an important role in altering the domestic power balance more in favour of the rebels, peace in Nepal was finally clinched through a political solution to which the state and relevant non-state actors acceded. What is more, the UN too played a crucial role in the final resolution.

The political solution that was thus clinched has, generally speaking, endured in Nepal to date and peace in the latter could also be described as a notable victory for the UN. Those sections in Sri Lanka in particular that habitually accuse the UN system of being partial and not even-handed in the relevant contexts need to take careful stock of the developments that led to peace in Nepal.

From the viewpoint of human and material costs, the Nepalese conflict was as devastating as the one in Sri Lanka. Political polarities and divisions were considerably daunting. Yet, the parties to the Nepalese conflict considered the UN suitable enough to help in evolving a political solution that was acceptable to them. However, although Sri Lanka is yet to work out a political solution to its conflict, many Sri Lankans regard the UN system as untrustworthy. Hence the persistence of the ethnic problem.

An important element in the 2007 Nepalese political solution was an agreement by the Maoists to confine their fighters to 28 cantonments or camps under the supervision of the United Nations Mission to Nepal (UNMIN). They also agreed to store away their weapons in containers, thereby ensuring the fool-proof nature of the accord. The responsibility for registering and verifying these arms and former fighters devolved on UNMIN. Thus, the role of the UN in the peace effort was substantial, constructive and positive.

Moreover, the ending of monarchical rule in Nepal and the ushering of a fully-fledged parliamentary system of government in the country enabled the Maoists to enter the political process and be a party to democratic politics. They have remained in parliamentary politics since then and have acceded to power sharing with other democratic parties, thus ensuring a degree of vibrancy in participatory, people-centred politics.

Herein we have the proof that solutions to internal political conflicts that feature power-sharing among the state and relevant rebel organizations could go a considerable distance in ensuring the effective management of crises of this kind.

In the case of Sri Lanka, it could be argued that the LTTE was given a few opportunities to enter the political process, which were bluntly spurned by them, thus making the evolution of a political solution difficult in the country. This may be so, but the Lankan state did not go any notable distance to bring about a political solution to the conflict by honestly, constructively and enduringly engaging democratically-oriented Tamil political parties. Nor are the latter receiving any assurances from the centre that such engagement would be worthwhile from the ordinary people’s viewpoint.

For example, power devolution in full to the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka is to date remaining unfulfilled. Building substantial trust between the political representatives of the Tamil people and the government is thus rendered difficult. Hopefully, the current regime would prove this columnist wrong on this score.

It could be presumed that peace would hold in Nepal as long as the former rebels partake of power in the central administration of the country. However, the Maoists and other formerly disaffected sections that are currently in power would need to work earnestly towards the wellbeing of the people if they are to keep the trust of the people and thereby remain in office.

The Nepalese experience and other exercises in power sharing, such as the one that is in place in Northern Ireland, for instance, demonstrate that a spirit of mutual accommodation and a willingness to give-and-take among key stakeholders hold the key to managing divisive internal political conflicts that threaten to tear countries apart. All that it takes, in fact, is a measure of magnanimity.

Those crisis-hit states that could measure-up to these standards are likely to resolve their problems with a degree of consensus and remain intact. Those that cannot do so will remain strife-torn indefinitely and be a happy hunting ground for interventionist powers.

All News Advertisement

Features

Acid test emerges for US-EU ties

Published

6 hours ago

2026/01/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday put forward the EU’s viewpoint on current questions in international politics with a clarity, coherence and eloquence that was noteworthy. Essentially, she aimed to leave no one in doubt that a ‘new form of European independence’ had emerged and that European solidarity was at a peak.

These comments emerge against the backdrop of speculation in some international quarters that the Post-World War Two global political and economic order is unraveling. For example, if there was a general tacit presumption that US- Western European ties in particular were more or less rock-solid, that proposition apparently could no longer be taken for granted.

For instance, while US President Donald Trump is on record that he would bring Greenland under US administrative control even by using force against any opposition, if necessary, the EU Commission President was forthright that the EU stood for Greenland’s continued sovereignty and independence.

In fact at the time of writing, small military contingents from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands are reportedly already in Greenland’s capital of Nook for what are described as limited reconnaissance operations. Such moves acquire added importance in view of a further comment by von der Leyen to the effect that the EU would be acting ‘in full solidarity with Greenland and Denmark’; the latter being the current governing entity of Greenland.

It is also of note that the EU Commission President went on to say that the ‘EU has an unwavering commitment to UK’s independence.’ The immediate backdrop to this observation was a UK decision to hand over administrative control over the strategically important Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to Mauritius in the face of opposition by the Trump administration. That is, European unity in the face of present controversial moves by the US with regard to Greenland and other matters of contention is an unshakable ‘given’.

It is probably the fact that some prominent EU members, who also hold membership of NATO, are firmly behind the EU in its current stand-offs with the US that is prompting the view that the Post-World War Two order is beginning to unravel. This is, however, a matter for the future. It will be in the interests of the contending quarters concerned and probably the world to ensure that the present tensions do not degenerate into an armed confrontation which would have implications for world peace.

However, it is quite some time since the Post-World War Two order began to face challenges. Observers need to take their minds back to the Balkan crisis and the subsequent US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the immediate Post-Cold War years, for example, to trace the basic historic contours of how the challenges emerged. In the above developments the seeds of global ‘disorder’ were sown.

Such ‘disorder’ was further aggravated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. Now it may seem that the world is reaping the proverbial whirlwind. It is relevant to also note that the EU Commission President was on record as pledging to extend material and financial support to Ukraine in its travails.

Currently, the international law and order situation is such that sections of the world cannot be faulted for seeing the Post World War Two international order as relentlessly unraveling, as it were. It will be in the interests of all concerned for negotiated solutions to be found to these global tangles. In fact von der Leyen has committed the EU to finding diplomatic solutions to the issues at hand, including the US-inspired tariff-related squabbles.

Given the apparent helplessness of the UN system, a pre-World War Two situation seems to be unfolding, with those states wielding the most armed might trying to mould international power relations in their favour. In the lead-up to the Second World War, the Hitlerian regime in Germany invaded unopposed one Eastern European country after another as the League of Nations stood idly by. World War Two was the result of the Allied Powers finally jerking themselves out of their complacency and taking on Germany and its allies in a full-blown world war.

However, unlike in the late thirties of the last century, the seeming number one aggressor, which is the US this time around, is not going unchallenged. The EU which has within its fold the foremost of Western democracies has done well to indicate to the US that its power games in Europe are not going unmonitored and unchecked. If the US’ designs to take control of Greenland and Denmark, for instance, are not defeated the world could very well be having on its hands, sooner rather than later, a pre-World War Two type situation.

Ironically, it is the ‘World’s Mightiest Democracy’ which is today allowing itself to be seen as the prime aggressor in the present round of global tensions. In the current confrontations, democratic opinion the world over is obliged to back the EU, since it has emerged as the principal opponent of the US, which is allowing itself to be seen as a fascist power.

Hopefully sane counsel would prevail among the chief antagonists in the present standoff growing, once again, out of uncontainable territorial ambitions. The EU is obliged to lead from the front in resolving the current crisis by diplomatic means since a region-wide armed conflict, for instance, could lead to unbearable ill-consequences for the world.

It does not follow that the UN has no role to play currently. Given the existing power realities within the UN Security Council, the UN cannot be faulted for coming to be seen as helpless in the face of the present tensions. However, it will need to continue with and build on its worldwide development activities since the global South in particular needs them very badly.

The UN needs to strive in the latter directions more than ever before since multi-billionaires are now in the seats of power in the principle state of the global North, the US. As the charity Oxfam has pointed out, such financially all-powerful persons and allied institutions are multiplying virtually incalculably. It follows from these realities that the poor of the world would suffer continuous neglect. The UN would need to redouble its efforts to help these needy sections before widespread poverty leads to hemispheric discontent.

Features

Brighten up your skin …

Published

6 hours ago

2026/01/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hi! This week I’ve come up with tips to brighten up your skin.

* Turmeric and Yoghurt Face Pack:

You will need 01 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 02 tablespoons of fresh yoghurt.

Mix the turmeric and yoghurt into a smooth paste and apply evenly on clean skin. Leave it for 15–20 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water

Benefits:

Reduces pigmentation, brightens dull skin and fights acne-causing bacteria.

* Lemon and Honey Glow Pack:

Mix 01teaspoon lemon juice and 01 tablespoon honey and apply it gently to the face. Leave for 10–15 minutes and then wash off with cool water.

Benefits:

Lightens dark spots, improves skin tone and deeply moisturises. By the way, use only 01–02 times a week and avoid sun exposure after use.

* Aloe Vera Gel Treatment:

All you need is fresh aloe vera gel which you can extract from an aloe leaf. Apply a thin layer, before bedtime, leave it overnight, and then wash face in the morning.

Benefits:

Repairs damaged skin, lightens pigmentation and adds natural glow.

* Rice Flour and Milk Scrub:

You will need 01 tablespoon rice flour and 02 tablespoons fresh milk.

Mix the rice flour and milk into a thick paste and then massage gently in circular motions. Leave for 10 minutes and then rinse with water.

Benefits:

Removes dead skin cells, improves complexion, and smoothens skin.

* Tomato Pulp Mask:

Apply the tomato pulp directly, leave for 15 minutes, and then rinse with cool water

Benefits:

Controls excess oil, reduces tan, and brightens skin naturally.

Features

Shooting for the stars …

Published

6 hours ago

2026/01/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

That’s precisely what 25-year-old Hansana Balasuriya has in mind – shooting for the stars – when she was selected to represent Sri Lanka on the international stage at Miss Intercontinental 2025, in Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt.

The grand finale is next Thursday, 29th January, and Hansana is all geared up to make her presence felt in a big way.

Her journey is a testament to her fearless spirit and multifaceted talents … yes, her life is a whirlwind of passion, purpose, and pageantry.

Raised in a family of water babies (Director of The Deep End and Glory Swim Shop), Hansana’s love affair with swimming began in childhood and then she branched out to master the “art of 8 limbs” as a Muay Thai fighter, nailed Karate and Kickboxing (3-time black belt holder), and even threw herself into athletics (literally!), especially throwing events, and netball, as well.

A proud Bishop’s College alumna, Hansana’s leadership skills also shone bright as Senior Choir Leader.

She earned a BA (Hons) in Business Administration from Esoft Metropolitan University, and then the world became her playground.

Before long, modelling and pageantry also came into her scene.

She says she took to part-time modelling, as a hobby, and that led to pageants, grabbing 2nd Runner-up titles at Miss Nature Queen and Miss World Sri Lanka 2025.

When she’s not ruling the stage, or pool, Hansana’s belting tunes with Soul Sounds, Sri Lanka’s largest female ensemble.

What’s more, her artistry extends to drawing, and she loves hitting the open road for long drives, she says.

This water warrior is also on a mission – as Founder of Wave of Safety,

Hansana happens to be the youngest Executive Committee Member of the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) and, as founder of Wave of Safety, she’s spreading water safety awareness and saving lives.

Today is Hansana’s ninth day in Egypt and the itinerary for today, says National Director for Sri Lanka, Brian Kerkoven, is ‘Jeep Safari and Sunset at the Desert.’

And … the all-important day at Miss Intercontinental 2025 is next Thursday, 29th January.

Well, good luck to Hansana.