After a marathon meeting between Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, his Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka and top security officials, two Maoist leaders were let off under the veil of darkness early today, ostensibly to avoid the media’s glare. There was reason to. Resham Lama and Bishnu Thapa Magar, two sharpshooters who face murder charges, were handed over to three human-rights leaders who brokered the deal between the government and the Maoists two days ago. Magar, a woman leader, is supposed to be the mastermind of the Maoists’ operation in Kathmandu. Their release came after the Maoist-led trade union decided to call off the indefinite closure it imposed on 47 big and medium size industries in the country. The decision to let off these two, who have allegedly killed many who they considered ‘‘class enemies’’ over a period of time in Kathmandu, had been stoutly resisted by security agencies but the government, especially the Prime Minister, prevailed upon them for ‘‘the larger good.’’ The Government, however, declined to lift the ‘‘terrorist tag’’ it has affixed on the trade union wing as well its mother organisation—Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). ‘‘We are keen to negotiate with the Maoists but there is no question of lifting the tag unless they give up the politics of killing,’’ a senior Cabinet Minister told The Sunday Express on the condition of anonymity. In lieu of their release, the Maoists pledged through the mediators not to disrupt industrial production in the country. The insurgents who have been waging an armed struggle in Nepal ostensibly to establish a Communist Republican regime had first served notice on 12 industries including Surya Nepal—ITC has a 69% share—and Coke’s factories saying ‘‘they were anti-labour and had no right to exploit Nepalese workers.’’ The insurgents put 35 other companies in their list when Prime Minister Deuba was in India negotiating with New Delhi on ways to curb ‘‘Maoist menace.’’ ‘‘We are keen for a political settlement but Maoists have to give up violence and accept constitutional monarchy and the multi-party system,’’ Deuba told The Sunday Express. Asked if the release was a sign of surrender, he declined to comment. Sources said it was done on an assurance from human-rights leaders, mainly Padmaratna Tuladhar, that the Maoists would not disrupt industrial production and schools once the two were released.
