Candles for peace: Nepalis mourn their over 11,000 dead since the Maoist launched their war

Hundreds of concerned citizens from various walks of life lit thousands of candles at Mandala of the Maitighar - Thapathali cross-section in the capital, Kathmandu, Monday evening in memory of nearly eleven thousand Nepalis killed in the nine-year-old conflict.

They also observed silence in memory of departed souls.

The programme was organized under the banner "Campaign against violence." Hundreds of people prayed for peace at the same venue early Tuesday - the
International Day for Peace.

"Violence no more is an incident in our country. It is gradually becoming a culture. Hence, to protest against the culture and exhibit our commitment towards peace we have organised this solemn ceremony," Kedar Sharma, a journalist and one of the organizers of the event, told Nepalnews.

According to various estimates, over 11,000 Nepalis have lost their lives in the deadly conflict after the CPN (Maoist) launched 'people's war' in February 1996. Of them, more than 6,500 were killed over the last one year alone, after the second round of peace talks broke off in August 2003.

"We don't have parliament now. Political structure has been dismantled and every sector of the society has been affected as the political process remains disrupted," said Krishna Pahadi, a leading human rights activist and chairman of Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES).

"There is a situation of lawlessness and there is no presence of the government in nearly 8o percent territory of the country. Worse, successive governments themselves are promoting the culture of violence," said Pahadi, at a programme organised in the capital Sunday.

Thousands of people have been displaced, thousands others have left their villages to work as cheap laborers across the border in India while hundreds of others have left their motherland to work in dangerous zones like Iraq.

"It is all because of violence back home that people are risking their own lives abroad," said Surendra Mali, a Kathmandu resident, who hasn't been able to come to terms with the violent behaviour of otherwise peaceful Nepalis on September 1.

Thousands of youths took to the streets, targeted mosques, media houses, manpower agencies and international airlines in the name of protesting against the killing of 12 Nepalis in Iraq.

"Violence begets violence. The only answer to violence is love and peace," said Chintamani Yogi, a peace activist and principal of Hindu Vidyapeeth Nepal. But as both the government and rebels prepare for even more fierce battle by augmenting their weapons and manpower, the country seems to be heading towards even more destruction and senseless violence.

"There is the need for people to actively intervene in the present state of affairs and pressurize both the parties in conflict to put aside guns and sit for negotiations," said Sushil Pyakuryal, member of National Human Rights Commission. "There is a need to maintain and build on the pressure being generated by students, teachers, guardians and trade union activists," he added.

As the violence has started affecting every aspect of socio-economic life, the people of Kathmandu-otherwise considered passive on political issues-have started coming out on the streets pledging for peace. As the Nepalis mourn for their thousands of fellow countryment, their conviction for restoration of peace and people's democratic rights seems to be getting stronger by the day. nepalnews.com by Sep 21 04 Sphere: Related Content