Reading Conflict Narratives and Reading Peace and Reconciliation

Abstract

This article analyzes two conflict narratives: Homshankar Bastola’s “The Shadow of a Gun”, and Saral Sahayatri Poudel’s “We, Two Soldiers” written by the combatants themselves on the ongoing Maoist insurgency from the Buddhist perspective of establishing peace and reconciliation among the warring groups. The characters in these stories were rigorous to win the battle at any cost eliminating their enemy side as much as possible, but on the other hand they are seen anticipating for the ultimate solution of harmony. The theoretical tools for seeking the chances of peace and reconciliation are taken from the perspectives of Theresa Der-lan Yeh and Barbara Wright. The article answers the questions like what caused the people suffer in their own land? And what made them anticipate for peace and reconciliation? The aim of this article is to see the causes of human suffering during the period and to seek the ways of establishing a harmonious society away from the feud. This paper tries to establish a bridge between the canon of human suffering mentioned in the conflict narratives and the Buddhist tenets of peace and reconciliation. The application of Buddhist perspectives in the narratives written on the war-ridden Nepali society will pave the way for the chances of solidarity in many ot her conflict-hit lands to those who want to transform the human feud into long-lasting peace and solidarity in their works.