Jason Motlagh is a roving freelance multimedia journalist.
For many, Nepal conjures up notions of Mount Everest, Buddhist monks, and hippies seeking a Himalayan high.
Jason will share his experiences in reporting international conflicts.
(06-30) 04:00 PDT Chitwan, Nepal — Four years ago, a science student who goes by the nom de guerre Hardik dropped out of a Kathmandu university to join Maoist insurgents.
On a sun-baked plain four hours' drive south of Kathmandu, the capital, a platoon of Maoist fighters in jungle fatigues is on the move.
Four years ago, Hardik dropped out of his university-level science studies in the Nepali capital, Katmandu, to join Maoist insurgents in the bush.
KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal's Maoist movement has no operational links with the leftist insurgents in India who also call themselves Maoists, the former guerilla army's second-in-command said, dismissing the possibility of any future assistance for their political brethren to the south.
"Political revolution is fixed within a border and we do not export it," Commander Ananta said in an interview with World Politics Review earlier this month at Maoist party headquarters here. "The people of an independent country must decide themselves."
Kathmandu and Chitwan, Nepal - Nepal's peace process has advanced with relative stability in recent weeks despite major changes it is bringing in the country.
Grantee
Jason Motlagh is a writer, photographer and filmmaker. Until recently TIME Magazine’s Kabul correspondent, he has reported from around Afghanistan and more than 35 countries for leading U.S...