Nepal has succeeded in drawing international attention to it’s over six-year-old fight against the Maoist insurgency after 9/11 and has received some assistance, notably from UK, India and the US. US State Department spokesperson, Richard Boucher, however, told a journalist on 23 April 2002, “I don’t think you can operate on the assumption that the United States has to go everywhere to fight every terrorist,” but hastened to add that the two countries were working together “very closely.” 

   Nepal has created its own mess. Rampant corruption, endemic poverty, rising unemployment, an unresponsive government, political one-upmanship, a Palace that was largely unhelpful, besides the dissatisfaction with Constitutional Monarchy replacing Monarchy had brought things to the present pass.  The reasons may not be in that order of importance, but the bullet cannot be the method to redress real and perceived grievances.

   It was the 1 June 2001 regicide in Kathmandu that brought the insurgency into global focus and 9/11 opened a window of opportunity for Nepal to seek international support to fight ‘its’ insurgents. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, King Gyanendra indicted them as ‘war on humanity’, expressed shock, and extended his sympathy to people in the US. Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, expressed similar sentiments, besides extending his support to stamp out terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He called for international cooperation to eradicate the evil of terrorism.

   Nepal, subsequently, impressed upon the US the gravity of its own crisis. Resultantly, Secretary of State, Collin Powell, paid an exploratory visit to Nepal in January 2002. King Gyandendra, Deuba and the military held extensive discussions with Powell, who assured them help, but made no concrete commitment. Powell bluntly told his hosts that bad governance was the reason for Nepal’s plight. He also said the US understood that Nepal had every right protect its citizens from “terrorist attacks”, but added, “we encourage the elected government to focus on protecting human rights while dealing with this [E]mergency.” 

   The US assistance to Nepal has been at two levels: one, military-financial assistance to fight the insurgents; two, development assistance to “create jobs, promote development and improve living conditions for the Nepalese in rural areas.”  Following Powel’s visit, and the subsequent visit to the US by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary between 3 and 4 April 2002, the US extended a US$ 20 million-aid package, and also sent a team from the US Pacific Command to assess and advise on the optimum utilisation of its grant. Members of the team are experts in intelligence, aviation, logistics, engineering and medicine. Besides, on 12 April 2002, a hundred thousand dollars grant, to be administered by non-governmental organisations, was announced, in the words of Ambassador Michael E Malinowski, “[to]… help the victims of the violence afflicting Nepal, and provide aid and comfort to the neediest among them.” 

   Later, Deuba went on an official visit to the US and met President George W. Bush, on 7 May 2002. As if to remind the world that they are formidable, the Maoists launched a bloody onslaught on a security forces’ temporary base camp in Gam, Rolpa district, at the same time that Deuba was meeting Bush. At least 70 security force personnel were killed and 40 more wounded in the attack. 

   Britain has extended larger monetary help than the US – six-and-a-half million pounds to buy military hardware. Losing no time, Deuba, in late-August 2002, signed a deal with Belgium to buy 5,500 automatic weapons. UK also took the lead in organising an ‘aid-Nepal’ meeting to fill Nepal’s war chest. But, there are no credible reports, yet, to suggest that the aid meeting resulted in any tangible help. On its part, India has already lent four military helicopters, and is training a small group of Royal Nepal Army personnel in counter-insurgency warfare, with the offer to train more. The best help that India gave, and Nepal received, is sharing intelligence and handing over Maoist insurgents hiding in India. 

   For peace to return, besides a military defeat of the Maoists, Nepal has to ensure good governance and faster development.