The Maoists took up weapons to spearhead social changes, but one of its leaders Rabindra Shrestha defeated the government by observing a peaceful hunger strike. The government gave in and agreed to fulfil some of his demands for jail reform. It might seem like defeat at first glance, but the Thapa government has won the moral high ground by accepting Shrestha's demands. The party that Rabindra Shrestha represents has already killed thousands and is detested by millions of Nepalis. The Maoists are now eagerly seeking a partnership with other political parties. Rabindra Shrestha's hunger strike might have imparted some lessons to the Maoists: he has shown that peaceful protest is much more effective than cowardly murders. That Shrestha has discarded Maoist methods to take up peaceful protest is a triumph for democracy in Nepal.