Success in Organization, Security Failure During Janajati Movement: Rajou Aryal’s Four-Year Tenure Ends

Armed Police Force Chief Raju Aryal is set to retire after completing his four-year term on April 30. During his tenure, he issued 109 procedures, directives, and standards within the force. Aryal was held accountable for security lapses during the Janajati (Janajee) movement, which tragically resulted in 19 deaths.

Kathmandu, April 28 – Raju Aryal, Chief of the Armed Police Force (APF), is stepping down after a full four-year term, despite having two more years of service eligibility based on his overall 30-year service. The government has already appointed Narayandatt Paudel as his successor. Throughout this extended tenure, Aryal avoided major controversies. While minor internal dissatisfaction arose within the organization, no significant disputes involved his leadership.

Typically, leaders of police organizations face conflicts related to operational procedures, jurisdiction, staffing, transfers, promotions, and procurement, which can become more complex during lengthy terms. Aryal successfully balanced these challenges, completing his term without major incident, and is expected to have a smooth farewell on April 30.

“The organization’s chief acts like a guardian but decisions must be made collectively,” Aryal often emphasized in meetings and briefings. Since taking command of the Armed Police on May 2, 2022, he has put this principle of collective decision-making into practice, which contributed significantly to his success.

“When youths in the organization suffer, the chief feels the pain, and when the chief is pained, everyone in the force is affected. A spirit of solidarity and mutual respect has developed in the organization,” he said. For major policy issues, he regularly consulted with Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) and Additional Inspector Generals (AIGs), a practice endorsed by APF officials.

Reviewing the history of former APF chiefs reveals cases involving controversy and corruption, with some facing investigations by anti-corruption authorities. Aryal, however, maintained a distance from any financial irregularities.

During Aryal’s tenure as IGP, the Home Ministry was led initially by Nepali Congress’s Bal Krishna Kha, under Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey’s administration. Over four years, Aryal worked with six home ministers and seven home secretaries—a first for any APF chief to handle so many leadership transitions. After Kha, he collaborated with Ravi Lamichhane, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Ramesh Lekhak, Om Prakash Aryal, and Sudhan Gurung as home ministers, and served under secretaries from Tek Narayan Pandey to Rajkumar Shrestha.

His easygoing nature helped maintain continuity despite frequent leadership changes. Following the tumultuous Janajati movement, the APF played a critical role in ensuring successful elections. As force chief, Aryal took responsibility for this task, addressing challenges related to weapons and detainees.

“Most prisoners are wanted criminals whom we arrest as soon as we find them. We had no fear of the elections being disrupted. Any lost weapons were likely hidden by criminals, but those weapons posed no operational threat,” Aryal said. Under his leadership, elections held in Falgun, as well as local body elections in April 2022 and parliamentary elections in December 2022, proceeded smoothly.

Upon becoming IGP, Aryal had vowed to make transfers and promotions just and predictable, introducing policy-based organizational management and standards. During his tenure, 109 procedural documents—including directives, standards, permanent orders, and work plans—streamlined APF operations, according to spokesperson Shailendra Thapa.

External administrative offices also conducted organizational and management surveys for employee career development and promotion. True to his commitment, Aryal began publishing forecast lists for transfers and promotions to increase transparency, although some complaints about these processes persisted.

He prioritized digitalizing institutional knowledge and leave management systems and emphasized financial transparency, stating these efforts during last Friday’s meeting with security reporters at the APF headquarters in Halchowk.

Aryal noted, “I have submitted my leave request to the ministry. If approved, this will be my final meeting with you in uniform.” While awaiting leave approval, he remarked, “The Home Ministry has not yet made a decision; I am monitoring the situation.” Historically, some IGPs have delayed retirement by extending service terms, causing challenges for both ministry staff and the police. Aryal, however, planned to take leave a month in advance and even submitted leave forms a week ago, though they remain unapproved. Traditionally, outgoing IGPs take leave well before retirement; Aryal sought to institutionalize this practice.

During his term, the previously disbanded Border Security Division was restructured and reinstated by adding an AIG position to underscore border security’s importance. In this period, 3,757 border pillars were constructed, repaired, and painted. Surveillance improved with the installation of 388 CC cameras at 110 border locations. Thirty-two border outposts were established, and 45 proposed border security posts were upgraded to permanent status.

Under the “One Soldier, One Skill” policy, 2,219 personnel received skill-based training. Additionally, 134 divers were trained and deployed across provinces. Specialized training on insurgency and terrorism was initiated within the force. The APF hospital’s bed capacity rose from 110 to 218 of the planned 300 beds.

Despite a controversy-free tenure, Aryal’s record is marred by security failures during the Janajati movement. On September 8, 2022, protesters demanding the lifting of social media restrictions, addressing corruption and irregularities, held demonstrations in Kathmandu. Security agencies appeared unprepared, and protesters breached barriers to enter restricted zones. Security personnel fired shots, resulting in 19 deaths in Kathmandu on September 9. This event created a de facto lawlessness situation, with all security forces failing to contain the crisis effectively. Analyzing and strategizing to avoid such failures required commitment from all security bodies, including the APF. Responsibility for the security failure during the Janajati movement rests partly with Aryal as the force chief, who was the commanding officer responsible for both sides.