Nepal: the Maoist transformation's fuzzy logic - Kanak Mani Dixit

Two astounding months have crushed a king and brought Maoists close to the centre of power. Nepal's political world has turned upside down. But the people are still ahead of those seeking to govern them, says Kanak Mani Dixit.

A delicate experiment is underway in Nepal in the wake of the success of the "people's movement" and the collapse of the Gyanendra autocracy in late April 2006. An attempt is being made to draw a violent insurgency into open politics. Far-reaching changes have been initiated over the past two months to put the country on the track of full democracy and peace, and the process of integrating the Maoists into the political mainstream has begun with their emergence on the stage of open politics. To what extent will they change the terrain of Nepal's polity, and how much will they themselves will be transformed in the engagement with open society? more...