Columnist Puskar Gautam, a former Maoist commander for Okhaldhunga, analysed the breakdown of the second ceasefire and future Maoist strategy in this comment printed in September 2003.
Federalism could be disastrous for Nepal
The goal is not just to stop this drift towards dictatorship but to steer the Maoists back to pluralism and non-violence
Worry in India about Nepal's crisis
Nepal's Maoists are literally going underground to spread revolution in the region
The rebel strategy is to make the cost of not negotiating unbearable
The Valley blockade was just a test for bigger things to come
The Maoists play for time while they wait out the Maoist truce in India
The Maoists move into their 'Strategic Offensive' phase
Time for the Maoists to transform their people's war into a peaceful people's movement
All signs point to a protracted conflict in which the Maoists try to improve their bargaining position in future talks
This war will leave the country in such ruin, it won't matter who won.
This time, the high command needs to tread carefully, and for the nation's sake choose compromise and peace.
The palace must take the Maoists' pressure for a resumption of talks seriously and rapidly move towards de-escalation.
Public remarks by Maoist leaders are contradictory, and sow suspicions they still want to wrest power by force.
Wars inevitably wind down. The only question is: How can we accelerate that process?
We have to start somewhere to seek a way out of this.
The king has an advantage because most Nepalis are fed up with both the politicians and the Maoists, but he has to play his cards right.
Maoist message- take us more seriously
The Maoist offer of talks is a ploy to distract the security forces while the comrades prepare for more offensives.
There is more than meets the eye in Kathmandu these days.
The Maoists have used the political confusion in Kathmandu to re-strategise their "forward leap". But there may be factors they haven't taken into account.
There is an ominous calm. Is a storm near?
Prachanda Path is deviating from Mao Zedong thought.
