'Disqualified' combatants want guarantee of basic needs, job

KATHMANDU, July 6: Former Maoist combatants, who were sent out of the cantonments after UN verification team categorized them ´disqualified´, on Monday asked the government to ensure guarantee of food, lodging, clothes, job, health and education to them.



They also asked the government to allocate budget to run programs for their self-employment. [break]



In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, the disqualified Maoist combatants urged the government to create an environment where they can live a dignified life.



Altogether 4,008 Maoist combatants had left the cantonment one-and-a-half years ago after the UNMIN termed them ´disqualified´, saying ´late recruit´ and ´aged under 18´ at the time of signing the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).



"We waited for one-and-a-half years but the government and political parties remained silent on our matter. They played against our future," Krishna Prasad Dangal, coordinator of Ex-PLA, Nepal, told Republica.



Dangal informed that Prakash Jwala, advisor to the Prime Minister, who received their seven-point memorandum, assured to help remove the ´disqualified´ tag and address their demands.

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