Kathmandu, Feb. 15 -- Communist parties the world over are obsessed with anniversaries. October Revolution Day, Mao Zedong's Birthday, North Korea's Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War, etc.

In Nepal, the Maoist party used to commemorate its'People's War Day' on 13 Februarywith much fanfare. This year, except for a book launch by former Maoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai, the anniversary went largely unmentioned and unnoticed.

Perhaps it was intentional, since the warring sides now represent the state, and the Maoists who were till 2006 executing UML cadre, have joined hands in the NCP. They are each other's throats again, but that is another story.

For the former guerrilla commanders, this is no time to rake things u...