As the streets of Kathmandu turn red from tens of thousands of Maoists wearing identical t-shirts – protestors who have funneled into the capital from the hinterlands (all expenses paid by the Maoist Party) – the Security Council decided to mobilize the Nepal Army in anticipation of tomorrow’s mass demonstration.
According to the decision, the army will be deployed to vital institutions including Tribhuwan International Airport and other major locations in an around the Kathmandu Valley.
Further mobilization is possible, if security continues to unravel.
The meeting was held at Singha Durbar, attended by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Gachachhedar, Home Minister Bhim Rawal and other senior ministers including chiefs of security agencies.
The decision came on the heels of Prime Minister Nepal’s return from Bhutan and a morale-boosting meeting with his cabinet during which the members pledged their support of his leadership.
The cabinet reportedly said it would create a bad precedent if a political party – in this case, the Maoists – were given free reign to topple the government through out-of-control demonstrations. Already, a Maoist cache of materials used for incendiary devises, a truckload of batons, and a hand grenade held by a Maoist official – all on their way to the Kathmandu protest -- have been discovered by security forces.
In the meantime, the Nepal Chamber of Commerce called for a closure of all shops and markets in Kathmandu in protest against the increased “fund-raising drives” perpetrated by Maoist cadres, who have been demanding money to support their cause. Extortion from big and small businessmen alike has spiked in the last several weeks, as well as Maoist demands from private educational institutions ranging up to hundreds of thousands of rupees.
Even the smallest incident at tomorrow’s mass demonstration – a thrown rock, an overreaction by security forces -- could ignite a spontaneous reaction of out-of-control violence and long term consequences for nascent republic.
Below is an excellent video by Al Jazeera made today. Check it out:
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