The initial plan was that the Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal would hand over the PLA flag to Prime Minister Nepal to mark the transfer of the chain of command of the PLA to the Special Committee at the handover ceremony held at Shaktikhor, Chitwan on Saturday. [break]
Accordingly, the Shaktikhor handover ceremony itinerary sent to invitees, including foreign dignitaries, included the flag handover ceremony as well.
But this particluar event was dropped at the eleventh hour after the Maoist chairman objected to it and threatened to cancel the whole function if Prime Minister Nepal insisted on flag handover.
Prime Minister Nepal bowed to the demand even without consulting other Special Committee memebers given the sensitivity of the issue and its potential to spoil the whole function, according to a Baluwatar source. "I came to know that the flag handover event was dropped at the eleventh hour," said Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, who was among those who finalized the ceremony itinerary.
It is believed that someone from the international community alerted the Maoist leadership and informed it about the symbolism of handing over of the PLA flag after going through the itinerary or at the eleventh hour itself. It is customary in war situations that the defeated army hands over its flag to the victor army.
Mahat, who is also a Special Committee member, told Republica that he, during the Special Committee meeting on Monday, asked the prime minister as to why the flag handover was dropped at the eleventh hour.
"The prime minister told me that he took the decision to salvage the combatant handover process," said Mahat.
Home Minister Bhim Rawal, who was also the memebr of the handover ceremony arrangement committee, had prepared the itinerary, which was agreed by Maoist leader Barsa Man Pun.
"To us, signing a statement announcing the hand over of the PLA to the Special Committee was important than turning in the flag. So we opted to sign the statement," said Pun, who asked not to blow up the issue.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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