Photo Essays
3 MIN READ
Rolpa and Rukum 13 years after the war
The Maoist insurgency began with simultaneous attacks on three police posts on Feb 13, 1996, two of which were in Rolpa and Rukum. With the attacks began a decade long civil war that claimed close to 17,000 lives, and led to a political transformation that changed the course of Nepali history. The Maoists gained a stronghold on political power after the war. They have led three governments and, since their merger with the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) have formed the largest ruling party in Nepal to date.
In Rolpa and Rukum, the Maoists had some support— and a strong coercive network — which they used to establish parallel governments and state structures. The general consensus in political circles is that the war is over and Nepal has successfully transitioned into a federal democracy. But a splinter group, led by former Maoist youth leader Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplab’, who hails from Rolpa, believes that the revolution is far from complete. He is now attempting to mobilize a new generation of youth in Rukum and Rolpa to fight for this cause under the banner of his Communist Party of Nepal (CPN).
13 years after the end of the war, we visit Rolpa and Rukum to see what life is like in what was, and continues to be, the Maoist heartland.
:::
We welcome your comments. Please write to us at [email protected]
Nabin Bibhas Nabin Bibhas has worked as a journalist for a decade, and closely follows Nepal's politics. He is the author four collections of essays, poetry, and short stories. He tweets @NabinBibhas
COVID19
Features
7 min read
The coronavirus pandemic has become yet another excuse for the government to delay long-overdue investigations into war-era crimes
Culture
Books
15 min read
Author Aditya Adhikari shares an excerpt from his new book The Bullet and the Ballot Box
Perspectives
Opinions
2 min read
A mother and father's search for their son continues eight years after the civil war
Podcast
Features
Longreads
23 min read
A trial in Dailekh and its lessons for transitional justice in Nepal
Culture
Books
6 min read
Aditya Adhikari's new book reminds us of what has been, perhaps deliberately, forgotten about the war
Explainers
4 min read
The army’s role in the procurement of medical supplies is just one instance of its expanding reach in national administration
Books
4 min read
In her autobiography, Hisila Yami provides a complex narrative that blends her personal narratives with contemporary political happenings.
