This episode examines Nepal's devastating civil war from 1996-2006, beginning with the Maoist insurgency's first attacks in remote Rolpa district. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), led by Prachanda, launched their "People's War" after the government dismissed their forty-point demands addressing poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. The conflict rapidly spread as Maoists tapped into deep grievances among marginalized communities - dalits facing caste discrimination, landless farmers under feudal arrangements, women denied basic rights, and ethnic minorities facing cultural assimilation. The insurgents established parallel governments, schools, and courts while recruiting thousands including child soldiers. Government forces responded with counterinsurgency operations marked by arbitrary detention, torture, and collective punishment. The war escalated dramatically in 2001 when the army was deployed, leading to systematic human rights violations by both sides. The turning point came when King Gyanendra's 2005 coup united parliamentary parties with Maoists against royal authoritarianism. The 2006 peace agreement ended the conflict, leading to Maoist integration into democratic politics and lasting social transformations, particularly in gender relations and caste dynamics.
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