Pun, who fought the state security forces for six years during the insurgency, took voluntary retirement from the sixth division cantonment in Dashrathpur, Surkhet abiding by the party´s order. [break]
Pun bade farewell to life as a combatant last year but couldn´t separate himself from politics. He engaged in local politics and has been proposed as a UCPN (Maoist) candidate for the upcoming Constituent Assembly election from Dang district.
“I wanted to join the army. But now I want to work as the people´s representative if I get elected in the upcoming CA election,” said Pun.
Pun, who had served the party in the capacity of brigade commander, did not meet the eligibility criteria to join the Nepal Army. He was already 27 when the process of integration of the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army began.
“Life is not always the way we want it to be. I would have been serving in the army, but it seems life has other plans for me,” said Pun. Apart from Pun, eight other former combatants have been proposed as the party´s candidate from three districts of Rapti zone. According to the UCPN (Maoist), former combatants, who opted for voluntary retirement, have been proposed as candidates for the CA election in recognition of their contribution to the party.
“Their nomination by the party is to recognize their contributions to the party,” Luma Kanta Neupane, Dang district coordinator of UCPN (Maoist), told Republica. “Now, it is up to the party central committee to formally nominate them as the party´s candidate for the polls,” he added.
All the eight former combatants proposed as the party´s candidates had served the party in the capacity of PLA commander. While four of the candidates are from Dang, three are from Salyan and one from Rolpa district.
Along with Pun, Hiralal Chaudhari, Hom Bahadur Pun and Santosh Khadka, have been proposed from Dang district. Similarly, Bhim Prakash Sharma, Dharme Budhathoki, and Krithi Bahadur Pun have been proposed from Salyan and Raj Bahadur Budha from Rolpa district.
According to central leader of UCPN (Maoist) Nanda Kishor Pun, the party would prioritize former combatants, while nominating candidates for the upcoming polls.
“The party will recognize their contributions,” Pun told Republica over telephone.
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