Chapter 5

Summary

While the aged Koirala was toiling away for the restoration of the parliament, other things were afoot in this small country of huge diversity. The armed insurgency was becoming increasingly successful and the revolutionary cause was growing more popular day by day. On that cold morning of 1 February 2005 in the village of Lawang, in the rebel infested Rukum district, there were some interesting political developments taking place. All the checkpoints to the village were guarded by Maoist militia with home-made guns and grenades. The major checkpoints were land-mined, soldiers lay in ambush and a company of troops was encamped nearby—as a reserve force. On the hill top, ready to counter attack, were Maoist commanders with heavy guns, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), mortars and powerful telescopic rifles. This impressive security operation was in place to protect a group of important people, who were meeting in a newly built mud house in the middle of the village.

In a large room on the second floor of that mud house the Maoist party was holding a politburo meeting. It had started the week before, and was being held to resolve serious internal differences in the party. This meeting was chaired by Puspha Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, the Chairman of the Maoist party and the supremo of the Maoist War.