The news about the ex-combatants published on Thursday in Kantipur made me upset. The news has brought the issue of rehabilitation of ex-combatants back into the limelight.

Some ex-combatants are complaining about not getting proper rehabilitation from the state, while the Maoist leadership is accused of neglecting their own fighters. Various studies have shown that ex-combatants are forced to face unemployment, mental stress and financial crisis. Even after the peace process, this issue has been raised time and time again, but due to the lack of political priority, a concrete solution has not been found.

Actually, the question of why the fighters who were presented as 'people's army' during the armed rebellion are becoming only a subject of political interests after the peace process is becoming more complicated. After the peace process, the agenda of rehabilitation of ex-combatants became an important topic of national debate. But with the passage of time, this issue was limited to the equation of profit and loss of political parties. Especially the Maoist leadership used this issue according to their strategic interests. As a result, the issue of real restoration seemed to be overshadowed. However, not only the Maoists, but the entire political system and state apparatus also seem to share this blame.

The fighters portrayed as the 'people's army' have gradually been neglected by their own leadership after entering the peace process. There are several grounds to confirm that the Maoist leadership is using them only as a bargaining tool with the state. Because when looking at things like the debate on the 'economic package', the agreement on the adjustment of the army or the 'representation of fighters' in the Constituent Assembly, it is clear that the Maoists' priority
is focused on an agreement with the government rather than on their ex-combatants. It was seen that the same interest prevailed in the

adjustment process. It is also alleged that the number of ex-combatants being assimilated into the army has been reduced so that the remaining fighters can be 'consumed' strategically or politically elsewhere. Complaints that the Maoist leadership concentrated its power on the foundation of the fighters to establish themselves in power have also come to the surface. This may be the reason why the Maoists adopted the strategy of raising the rehabilitation of the fighters only in an 'emotional' manner but not taking any concrete steps. Because even when he came to power many times, this issue did not seem to be a priority.

Not only the weakness of the Maoist leadership, the establishment side, i.e. the other major political forces of the state, were not very serious about the rehabilitation of ex-combatants. The state was also responsible for implementing the various provisions of the peace agreement. But the successive governments have not been able to make an effective plan for long-term rehabilitation, apart from giving financial packages to ex-combatants. As most of the plans were limited to paper only, the rehabilitation process could not take a permanent form.

Due to the power struggle between the political parties, the process of rehabilitation of the fighters is becoming inactive. Some adopted a strategy to influence the militants by showing unnecessary aggression towards the Maoists, while some used this issue as a bargaining tool with the Maoists. As a result, the situation of the ex-combatants became more confused. The civil society and the international community also could not exert the expected pressure on this issue. Although many projects have been undertaken by foreign donor agencies in the name of rehabilitation, most of them have proved to be mere paper successes.

At this time, there is a suspicion that this matter will turn out to be only a 'closed chapter' in history. If that happens, the betrayal of their former fighters will not be forgivable to the Maoist leadership. Still, the threat of using the issue of ex-combatants as a tool for power games and political calculus is rife. However, the solution to this problem is not possible by simply blaming the Maoists or the establishment party. Because it is not only political but now it is becoming a social and human problem.

– Techendra Adhikari , Biratnagar