Paper short abstract:

The paper will focus on the way information and ignorance were managed and regulated in the Nepalese People's Liberation Army.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper I aim to evaluate the nature of the "world of possibilities" which was offered to fighters within the Nepalese People's Liberation Army, and I particularly focus on the eventuality of death in action. Frequent mention to them of this eventuality was made by their hierarchy, notably by commanders, and this was done in various ways ranging from the denial of its definitive nature to its most emotional evocation. I examine how it was received and what it implied for the group. While this eventuality which they were ceaselessly reminded of represented a form of certainty, the fighters themselves were, to a certain extent, left in ignorance of the party's military plans up to the last moment. The specific flow of information that developed within this organisation contributed to its dynamics and power of attraction. The material used here is taken mainly from diaries and recollections written by combatants in Nepali.