Extremist politics often has an absurd side to it and the absurdity tends to show itself in unexpected ways. That perhaps explains why the Maoists of Nepal should suddenly ban the screening of Hindi films from India in that country. These are difficult times for the Nepalese rebels who have to respond by January 13 to an offer by the government to return to the negotiating table. Instead of agreeing to the offer, the Maoists have sought to use different ploys in order to put pressure on the government. They continue to engage in bloody encounters with the army and the police, force closures of commercial and educational institutions and block road transports. The ban on Hindi films is the latest in their desperate attempts to force issues before the deadline closes. There is, of course, a more cynical design in this ? to try and incite anti-India sentiments among some sections of the Nepalese. This is an old trick that several political parties in Nepal try, especially on the eve of elections. The Nepalese government is committed to holding parliamentary elections by April. There is thus a political angle to what seems to be an absurd attempt at policing the people?s cultural choices.

It is possible, however, that the fear of the Maoists would make the ban effective for some time. Only a few months ago, such fears forced the closure of several Indian and multinational firms in Nepal. While the government of the prime minister, Mr Sher Bahadur Deuba, takes up the Maoist challenge, a more important response must come from Nepal?s democratic polity. The rebels? threat to the people?s cultural freedom should be a matter of concern for the democratic polity in that country. The political parties may have many areas of dispute with the government. There may also be different views on how to deal with the Maoist challenge and how to resume the dialogue with the rebels. But the threat to the freedom of ideas and cultural choices is not something on which the parties can afford to keep quiet. Only if the parties speak up against the ban, the common people can muster courage to defy it. It is ultimately a matter of protecting the democratic rights which the people and the political parties of Nepal gained after a long battle with the old feudal state. The right to see a film ? Indian or any other ? is only symbolic of that larger freedom that the Maoists threaten.