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The strike withdrawal is causing debate among the Maoist ranks. There is no such thing as a monolithic party, and the UCPN (M) certainly isn't one.
Maoist cadres 'seethe' at strike recall
ISHWAR RAUNIYAR
KATHMANDU, MAY 08 -
While common people across the country heaved a sigh of relief when the UCPN (Maoist) called off its general strike on Friday, the agitating Maoist cadres, it seemed, were left high and dry and an unhappy lot.
A senior Maoist cadre who didn’t want to be named said on Saturday that Maoist cadres were all set to rally against their leaders on Friday night for abruptly withdrawing the strike, but they stepped back after their leaders consoled them and asked them to wait for 48 hours.
“We cannot leave this agitation in the middle of nowhere and quit,” a cadre said. “We are looking further to our party’s next strategy.”
“The strike withdrawal was necessary as it was impossible to contest the government with the help of current manpower. Ferrying in more cadres was also not possible because of the strike. The withdrawal is only a means to strengthen the party and make ready for a final agitation,” the cadre quoted a Maoist leader as telling them.
According to him, the party will bring in a large number of cadres to the Capital and manage good food for them in a couple of days and announce a final agitation.
He said the “frustrated” cadres will fight back against the Maoist leaders if the latter tried to linger the protest.
“The news of the strike withdrawal disappointed us all,” said Aatma Ram Mahatara, another Maoist cadre.
“I felt as if all our efforts had gone in vain,” he added. “Later I came to know that it was the party’s strategy and was a bit relieved.”
Yet, according to him, the party should not have ended the general strike. “If we are to go for another round of protests, we cannot have the same energy that we had now,” he said. “How can I return home without winning the state?” Dilli Bahadur Thapa from from Jumla thinks it will be a matter of shame to return home “empty handed.”
For Dinesh Raj Bhandari, another cadre, Friday’s peaceful rally was the main reason for the Maoists changing the strategy. “If we had been more aggressive, we would not have to see this day,” he said.
However, a few cadres felt the party’s decision was right. Sunita Pande of Dhading said the strike withdrawal was a good decision. “As I feel the party’s leadership must have thought about a better strategy, I think the move was right,” she said.
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathman...recall/208055/
More activists entering Kathmandu
Kathmandu, May 07 - More and more people are pouring in Kathmandu to take part in the movement called by Unified CPN (Maoist). Thousands of people especially youths are coming to the capital from nearby districts like Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Makwanpur, Dhading, Nuwakot and Chitwan.
Four hundred people from Chitwan arrived in Kathmandu on Friday. Likewise, more than two hundred people had come from Sindhupalchok on Thursday.
But, the police are obstructing the people who are trying to enter Kathmandu. On Thursday afternoon police had stopped a vehicle in Kavre in which people from Sindhupalchok were coming to take part in the movement. Later, they were forced to walk to the Capital.
Earlier the corporate media had propagated that hundreds of people were returning back from Kathmandu.
http://krishnasenonline.org/main/new..._name=Politics
Always trying to split the army... the Maoist's tactics are fascinating.
Pseudo peace rally
2010-05-07 07:29:30 THEREDSTAR
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Kathmandu, 7 April: From today, the sister organizations of the government aligned parties are retaliating against the third people\'s movement. Since early in the morning, they have been gathered in the various places of the country including Kathmandu valley and have protesting against movement under the banner of peace and constitution.
These retaliators are not the local people as the big media has propagated. They are chanting slogans against the Maoist and the 3rd people\'s movement. Many media person have taken interviews from the organizers of the \"pace rally\", who were the heads of the traders and the business men and the youth organizations of the government aligned parties. These heads of the \"peace rally\" are now not ready to take the responsibility of the tussle and the incidents that has happened before and after the \"peace rally\".
The government has been totally exposed and confined inside the security forces, provided to them. The security forces are protecting them because they are in the government. They have lost the support and the emotional attachment with the people.
From today evening, the retaliators are begging excuse from the people, who are in the movement.
This new but different tactical experiment of the anti-people forces has been failed once again because the police and the army did not support them as they had already ordered them to do in support of the so called peace rally. Rather, police force has made its best efforts to check both the sides equally from happening of the sorrowful incidents.
The army, police and the armed police force has deeply realized that the political power of the country is UCPN-Maoist and the military power is the army (both Peoples Liberation Army and the Nepal Army). Therefore, they are not obeying the order of the puppet government sincerely.
However, there is massive pressure over the police force and the NA by the external powers, especially, from America and India. The police and the NA have the feeling of nationality in them. Therefore, they have no hesitation to accept UCPN-Maoist as the political leader of the entire country. They are in favour of peace and constitution.
http://krishnasenonline.org/main/new..._name=Politics
Red rally of the people
2010-05-07 08:19:53 THEREDSTAR
Kathmandu, 7 April: The third peoples movement is advancing ahead in the different forms and the programmes. The single rally of the laks of the people in their red dress has been the latest attraction in the movement. It has been an effective demonstration for peace and the constitution. The attraction of the rally is that the youth are in chain with their hands in hands from both the sides of the streets and the people are going ahead inside it.
The red rally of the people has successfully encircled the Singh Durbar, the decision making place of the country, from its eastern side in guerilla style though the place has been declared prohibited. The army and the police force have been astonished and they are surprised in the tactical implementation of the guerrilla strategy even with the big mass gathering.
The participation of the local people is quite mentionable in the rally.
http://krishnasenonline.org/main/new..._name=Politics
Professionals ask Dahal to apologize publicly
REPUBLICA
(Added audio of Dahal´s speech)
KATHMANDU, May 9: Professionals including professors, doctors, journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and engineers on Sunday denounced the remarks on professionals and intellectuals expressed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the chairman of the Unified CPN (Maoist) during his Saturday’s speech.
“We express concerns over Dahal’s remarks and believe that it should be denounced,” a press release by 27 professionals issued on Sunday stated. “As a responsible leader, we request him to publicly apologize.”
They have also appealed him not to express such remarks and language of threats and war in future.
Expressing that the remarks have only served to make the path of peace, constitution and democracy more difficult, they added that those who believe in rule of law, rights to expression and humanity were stunned by his remarks.
On Saturday, Dahal addressing a mass meeting at Khula Manch, Kathmandu, accused journalists and writers of humiliating the rural folks who have descended on the Valley.
Listen/download Dahal´s speech (in Nepali)
“The shabbily dressed, poor, and hungry rustics who came to Kathmandu were humiliated by the so-called learned. These neat and clean intellectuals will now have to decide whether they want peace or war” he had said. “Nepali people have maintained a diary on who wrote what.”
Dahal was especially angry with middle class Kathmanduties who did not participate in the Maoist demonstrations.
The Maoist chairman had also accused the government of deploying “vigilantes” who attacked his party cadres with pistols and khukuris, and the media of disseminating propaganda that locals retaliated against the Maoists for enforcing the strike.
Those who issued the press release include Kul Chandra Gautam, Nepal Bar Association president Prem Bahadur Khadka, Dr Kedar Narsingh KC, Prof. Binod Kumar Shrestha, Prof. Khagendra Prasad Bhattarai, Prof. Gunanidhi Neupane, Shambhu Thapa and Upendra Keshari Neupane.
Others names included in the press release Kanak Mani Dixit, Harihari Birahi, Harihar Dahal, Subodh Pyakurel, Bhimarjun Acharya, Sushil Pyakurel, Taranath Dahal, Sudeep Pathak, Sher Bahadur KC, Charan Prasai, Dhaneshwor Nepal, Mohan Gyawali, Dharma Koirala, Dhruba Thapa, Dr Lal Mani Pandey, Prateek Pradhan, Hari Krishna Shrestha, Bin Kumar Biswokarma and Dr Arjun Karki.
FNJ denounce remarks
Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has also denounced Dahal’s remarks.
“The remarks has hampered the credibility of free press, created fear in press and increased the chances of attacks on professionally practicing journalists,” a release signed by chairman Dharmendra Jha stated.
FNJ has requested Maoist, all other political parties and government to respect the freedom of the press.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=18419
It seems the UML doesn't forgive quitters.
Maoist cadre found dead
BARUN PANERU
DADELDHURA, May 9: A Maoist cadre has been found dead in a river in Bhadrapur VDC of Dadeldhura Sunday afternoon.
Ram Chandra Pandey, 51, of Ring Road, Bhadrapur-7, who was returning from district headquarters after taking part in the Maoist general strike, was found dead in Chhanako river near Jijoda in Bhadrapur.
A long time CPN-UML cadre, Pandey had recently changed allegiance to the Maoists and had gone to the headquarters on Friday as per the party´s directive.
“He had left his village to take part in the protest program. He was found dead while returning home. How he died has not been revealed yet,” Dadeldhura CDO Rajendra Prasad Ghimire said.
There isn´t any trace of injury on Pandey´s body and investigating police officials suspected that he could have been died of excessive alcohol consumption.
“We think its due to alcohol, but we can´t say anything for sure as the investigation is on. It will only be revealed after lab tests,” investigating officer at the District Police Office Lal Bahadur Syadanka said.
The neighbors, however, are calling it a murder while the Maoists are not willing to make any comment on the incident. Police are investigating about other persons who had gone to the headquarters with Pandey.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=18416
^ Alcohol my ass! Either way, great articles comrade. Keep them coming!
The strike continues.
The following was written a few days ago. I've edited it just slightly for spelling and grammar. -- c.g.
================
This simple situation implies radically different states of living for different groups of people. For the hundreds of thousands of people intimately engaged with the party’s agitations across the city, this has meant six days of tireless mobilization, still defiant, still hugely energetic. For those who watch these mobilizations from the sidewalks, who are either not convinced, not politicized, not galvanized, or too busy selling their wares on the street, the strike consists of bland, peaceful time passes punctuated by the periodic entertainment (and business) of a passing march. These people shrug or sigh and wait for things to change. For those who are decidedly anti-Maoist, the day mostly consists of sitting in front of the television, growing increasingly indignant based on the hysterical and distorted footage playing on repeat on their television screens. What is certain for all is that the hope that the strike would conclude quickly has perished.
The major change over the course of the strike has been the outbreak of violence against the Maoists: no deaths, mostly serious beatings causing injuries, and some vandalism, most notably in Birganj, near the border with India; in Sathungal and Thanau; and in Narandhan, Jorpatty, Bhaktabor and Sundarjol in and around Kathmandu. The violence began on May 5. The perpetrators were characterized as “local people angry about the strike” by some media channels. However, human rights activists from the organization Cahurast (Campaign for Human Rights and Social Transformation), ubiquitously present at the rallies in their light blue jackets attested that the perpetrators were Hindutva goons in Birganj and members of Youth Force, the youth wing of the CPN-UML, major component of the current government (along with the Nepali Congress Party) in the other places. In Sathungal, the Youth Force broke water trucks, in Bhaktabor, they confronted the Maoists while bearing arms, while in Birganj the Hindutva youth beat and injured several people, and set ablaze and destroyed stores of food for the Maoist cadre. Our hotel owner laughed a classic movie villain laugh with alarming glee as images of dished being smashed and food overturned played over and over on the “National” cable TV channel—her best friend slapping at the TV screen when Prachanda’s face appeared. Meanwhile, police have begun lining up around the massive rallies and the cultural demonstrations that accumulate at every chowk, initiating the first lathi charge against this strike today at Ratna Park, the site of the massive rally celebrating May Day. The Maoists have maintained strict discipline and no violence has been attributed to them yet. Their greater worry has been the infiltration of the rallies by disrupters, since this has happened before, and the outlines of each march consist of YCL cadre holding hands, and only letting people they think they can trust inside that human gateway of marchers. These was why we were initially greeted with such wary looks while photographing the march, but were joyously accepted when we were clearly braving the heat and later the rain to stay with, talk to, and understand the goals of the people out on the streets.
This is the situation, coarsely described, but nuance exists aplenty for the honest and the curious to observe. Over the last few days, marching kilometer after kilometer, trudging till my chappals finally gave way, meeting people, asking everyone I could everything I could think of, I have swallowed a mountain of knowledge. Yet again, most of what I learn is the magnitude of how little I can know. Each person changes my perceptions so much that I feel I can not represent anything without talking to every single person.
Most TV and radio stations, most English and many Nepali newspapers avoid reporting on the actual marches, or the views of the marchers. They substitute this with front-page opinion pieces, or commentary, reserving any pretense at plausibly factual reporting for their side-stories:
Maoist cadre ill from contaminated water: Doctors issue warnings!
Maoist cadre stranded in city without food, housing, transportation!
Maoist cadre forced to march in rallies!
All these are entirely plausible, but are not obviously representative. The tap water in Kathmandu is decidedly yellow and murky. The party houses marchers from outside the city in camps, of which the ones we visited contained large cisterns of treated water and good food, but it is possible and likely that some cadre from the villages drank tap water, fell ill, or were lost in the city away from the camps. The camps themselves constitute an interesting story. Run by the YCL, the youth communist league, these are large halls that the Maoists rent at subsidized rates. Each YCL unit is in charge of 70-100 people who have arrived from out of town, feeding them and housing them together, sometimes with many units together at one YCL camp. Every meal is served out of a communal kitchen, with mostly men cooking up large vats of food and solemnly handing out generous portions to the cadre who eat on the floor, wash their dishes, and then head to the camps to sleep. The party has planned to have resources to feed the people it has mobilized for up to two months, based on their longest estimate of how long this push will take.
Despite their foreswearing, one of the earlier days in our hotel we awoke to the sound of pounding. A YCL youth knocked on our door, checking if we were visiting this hostel, and when we went down, our landlady, fervently anti-Maoist, was stoutly blocking the entry of about 20 YCL youths into the building. According to her, they asked her why she was open, and if she was secretly operating a restaurant on the roof—which she wasn’t. They checked that she was in fact just running a hostel—which is allowed, during bandh time—and then after she claimed they asked her to feed all 100 of their group. She refused, saying she was barely making ends meet, and they left.
Everybody describes this as the “final push” of the Maoists, the Maoist cadre fervently swearing that they will not step down, the opposition declaring that after this strike fails, the Maoists will lose support forever. While the Maoists have massive support, both people within the party and outside know that the bandh is endangering that support among those who are more on the fence, because of the rising price of vegetables, because of the lack of transportation being prohibitive to medical care even though the clinics and medical stores remain open, because of lost wages and lost opportunity to work.
For the street vendors, the strike means good business, but difficulty traveling to places where their wares will sell, leading to mixed reactions to the strike. The number of street vendors had tripled, with many who once had shops taking to hawking their wares on the streets. We decided that we would observe the bandh on entering the shops but continue to buy from the informal street vendors during the day. Shop-owners as a group, of course, disliked the strike intensely, but some explicitly said that their potential losses due to vandalism if they stayed open were less than the loss due to low business. Many shop-keepers bemoaned the fate of Nepal if it kept staying on strike all the time. They have begun to organize pro-business rallies, the first one held, after some waffling based on their security fears, today morning at 10 am. It is when the right begins to use leftist tactics (such as in Venezuela, Honduras, etc.) that one knows that they feel cornered, because the leftists tactics of rallies and marches are the tactics of those with no other recourse. The rally in Kathmandu, which I regrettably missed because the last I heard was that it had been canceled, was widely broadcast on TV, with images of well-groomed, well-dressed protesters, a sharp contrast to the Maoist rallies. A few shops were openly defying the strike, most noticeably one wide open restaurent under a giant sign of Aishwarya Rai downing a well-moistened bottle of Coca-Cola, and a few others with half raised shutters, with dimly populated interiors. Every other shop remained tightly shuttered, cars continued to be absent from the road, and kids playing soccer and cricket continued to occupy nearly every street. Mixed gender groups, in some cases, warming my heart.
As for the final claim, that of cadre being forced to march in rallies, the closest we found to an example of this was one man, clad entirely in red, with a Maoist party bandana. He told me under his breath that he wished he didn’t have to be at the rally and that he could be home and the strike could be over. When I asked why he came, he said that his entire family from the village was with the party, and they and some party members at his workplace had socially pressured him to come. Everyone else we met at the rallies was there based, it seemed, on conviction. Most people at the rallies were exuberant, jumping, chanting, pumping their fists, enjoying themselves, and showed off about how far they had traveled to be able to be there and push for this change.
However, we never know what people truly feel, because many people might not have told us what they felt. If you ask ordinary people on the street what they think of the bandh, the commonest response is a shy “theek hai,”—“it’s ok,” and one has to draw out what people truly feel by asking the same question in a roundabout way, “how is it affecting your business? Do you think the bandh would lead to something better?” Most eventually came out in support of the strike, but again, it is clear that the division between those supporting the strike and those who do not is not clear cut across class lines. Some of the poorest people one meets in Kathmandu, informal sector hawkers, are not supportive of the party or the general strike, because they need daily business; they need low vegetable prices, etc. The essential division remains basically similar to what I described earlier, based on the question of hope. Those who are strongly supportive of the strike are contract laborers, farmers who till the land of other people, and employed workers in antagonistic relationships with a boss—people who face class antagonism in their daily lives, who are cut off from the fruits of their labor. Those poor people who oppose the strike are those who are self employed and need their daily business, or need transportation to peddle their wares in the expensive parts of town where they can not live, or need the price of essential food to remain low, more than they felt they needed the character of the state to change. However, even these complicated lines of division between the poor people who support and oppose the strike blur when one talks to individuals. One vendor said he was against the strike, not because he was narrowly worried about his own business, but because he didn’t like a party which tells people what to do. He said, “I don’t like socialist, I don’t like capitalist, I like freedom.” Meanwhile, supporters of the strike include many shop-owners, such as the managers of a trekking shop, who said they believe in the strike, they believe in the Maoist party, as well as the head of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries! Although there is a material basis, not strictly correlated with class, but with economic sector, of those who support and oppose the strike, there are exceptions based on ideology and trust in the party.
The cadres clearly trust the party. The YCL comrades we met said that each day, the party issues a circular on the strategy for the day, but that they feel that the party has also been responsive to their feedback. One human rights worker, a lawyer from Kathmandu, claimed that without this responsiveness, the party would not have had the electoral success it did. The party has directed its cadre into coordinated marching and rallying strategies each day. Rallies of unbelievable strength and resoluteness have continued each day with unending lines of people, as far as the eye can see. One day, all the cadre blocked the ring road; on May 6, a massive rally of all the units defied the press claim that all the cadres from outside Kathmandu had deserted the party and returned. This rally, the largest ever in Kathmandu, was a joyous procession with much music, chanting, and dancing by an estimated 400,000 people, which according to one observer, took three hours to pass by her! Every day, circles of YCL cadre gather to sing and dance energetically to revolutionary music set to folk tunes, played by some enterprising young musicians on dhols and an instrument that looked like a sarangi. The mood in the rallies and the gatherings is one of pure joy, of fervour, with no rancour, no aggression.
The question I ended my last dispatch with was that of whether this explosion of working class energy had placed its faith in a party that would realize their goals. I spoke to several YCL cadres who felt that they did, and also had the luck to end up marching arm in arm in one rally next to Timila Yami, sister of Hisila Yami, member of the Central Committee of the party (and partner of Baburam Bhattarai). I will transcribe some of what they said in my next dispatch for you to evaluate for yourself some of the answers to my questions on the true commitment, democracy, and transparency of the party to its cadre. I also hope to go to the rallies organized by the pro-business people, and to any events organized by the pro-government forces, if they organize any events not consisting of violent attacks—to get a sense of their opinions and present those to you as well.
Until next time,
In solidarity with the working people of Nepal,
Kaveri
It's premature to say either way. Sometimes we commies do succumb to death by means other than at the hands of reactionaries.
Talks only after PM quits: Maoists
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, May 9: The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) has set the deadline of May 24 for Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to step down to make way for national consensus and conclude the peace process.
“We will not hold talks with the government until the prime minister steps down,” said Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma after hours-long standing committee meeting at Paris Danda on Sunday.
The Maoist response comes after the prime minister sent a letter to the Maoist party to come to the negotiating table to break the current political deadlock and forge national consensus. The prime minister sent the letter two days after the Maoists withdrew their indefinite general strike and a day after Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said “the ball is in the court of the ruling parties”.
Maoist leaders, however, termed the prime minister´s letter “abstract”.
According to Maoist vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha, the party standing committee meeting scheduled for Monday morning would deliberate on the issue in detail.
The standing committee Sunday also decided to decentralize the party´s struggle for peace, constitution, civilian supremacy, national independence and Maoist-led national government. The party will hold a centralized demonstration from May 25 by holding a huge demonstration and a rally in Kathmandu.
The Maoists have decided to make internal preparations until May 13, and train its cadres across the nation from May 15 to May 24.
Maoists have also concluded that the six-day nationwide general strike was historic, and the leadership decided to withdraw the strike “respecting the people´s sentiments”.
While thanking the people for participating in “janaandolan-3”, the party also accused the ruling parties of making it violent by mobilizing their party wings, vigilantes and Hindu extremists.
Maoists hold talks with fringe parties
Maoists held a meeting with fringe political parties asking their leaders to sign a statement demanding resignation of the prime minister to pave way for national consensus.
President of Chure Bhawar party Keshab Prasad Mainali, however, said, “But we told them that we would discuss the issue in our respective parties and sit for talks next day,” said Mainali. He said Maoist Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai urged them to back the Maoists to press the prime minister to tender resignation. The fringe political parties would meet the Maoist leaders on Monday afternoon.
Ten political parties, including Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Sarita Giri), Janata Dal, Nepa Rastriya Party, Janamukti Party, Nepal Parivar Dal and Chure Bhavar Rastriya Ekata Party, attended the meeting.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=18421
Aggressive PM Nepal says he will not resign
telegraphnepal.com
Madhav Kumar Nepal, an election defeated Prime Minister of Nepal told the worried looking entrepreneurs who had visited him seeking an end to the current political deadlock that he will not kneel down to the street pressure exerted by the Maoists’ Party.
“I will not resign under any pressure exerted from the streets, I request the Maoists to look for the solution by adhering to the democratic and constitutional processes”, he said.
“I will not resign and I have never said that I will resign”, said PM Nepal when asked by President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) Mr. Kumar Joshi that he had heard that the PM was ready to resign after the Unified Maoists’ lifted the indefinite strike.
Madhav Kumar Nepal who looked unusually in an aggressive mood told the leaders of business community that the government cannot keep the Maoists’ Peoples’ Liberation Army for long.
He urged the business community to help government release the burden of PLA.
“Why don’t you keep them and provide them with jobs”, questioned the Prime Minister.
The attending businessmen were taken aback sensing the very mood of the “election defeated” Prime Minister.
I also urge you to convince the Maoists to abide by two pre-conditions first. They should immediately dissolve the para-military structure of Young Communist League and abide by the past-agreements signed in the past, said the Prime Minister.
The businessmen returned back to their Houses hoping against hope.
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=7661
Resign first, talks later: Maoist to PM Nepal
telegraphnepal.com
To a formal letter sent by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal requesting the agitating Unified Maoists’ Party to sit in for dialogue with the ruling parties to end the current political dispute, the main opposition in reply said unless the Prime Minister resigned there would be no talks.
The letter sent by the prime minister was read out at the party’s steering committee meeting.
The Unified Maoists’ Party spokesperson Mr. Dina Nath Sharma confirming that the letter was received by the party said, “Yes, we received it and was read out at the party steering committee meeting, we listened carefully and concluded that the Prime Minister should resign first and create favorable atmosphere for talks.”
Mr. Sharma also said that the party will send a formal reply to the PM’s request Monday May 10, 2010.
Mr. Sharma also revealed that beginning May 10 till May 14, 2010, the party will focus on foundational buildup, from May 15 to May 25, 2010, nationwide cadre training programs will be carried out and very shortly after that, May 26, the party will organize demonstrations and mass meets.
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=7662
Prime Minister proposes, Chairman Prachanda disposes
Last Updated : 2010-05-09 11:45 PM
Himalayan News Service
PM must resign first, reiterates UCPN-M
KATHMANDU: Unified CPN-Maoist today said the Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had to resign first to create environment for talks.
Following the Standing Committee meeting, Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma said the SC dwelt on the PM's letter. The SC would meet again on Monday and the letter would figure prominently in discussions.
Sharma said the party had concluded that all the movements organised by the party were successful and thanked all concerned for the support. "We have become an able and militant party that can control millions of people," he said.
He said the party had decided to prepare for fresh movement from May 10 to 14 and the party leaders would train the cadres from May 15 to 24 and organise nationwide demonstrations on May 25.
The standing committee condemned the activities of the sister organistions of coalition partners to spur violence against the demonstrators. Sharma said the party deplored the 'planned attack' on Maoist leaders and cadres by sister organistions of the parties, so-called Hindu activists and the police administration.
Central committee members Prabhu Sah and Anjana Bishankhe and 61 cadres and supporters were injured in the attacks and property amounting to Rs 7 million was destroyed, including a vehicle that was torched. Five protesters who died during the general strike were declared martyrs.
The meeting held with 10 fringe parties dwelt on how they could further the peace and constitution-drafting processes.
"We have decided to prepare common programmes and make them public through a joint statement on Monday," Sharma said.
One of the participants of the meeting, Chairman of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum Upendra Yadav, claimed that the parties had concluded that the resignation of incumbent government was a must, as it had become a major stumbling block for the peace process, federalism and republican set-up.
Nepal sends talks missive
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today called on Unified CPN-Maoist for holding "meaningful talks" to end the longstanding political impasse.
In a letter addressed to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and his party, the PM said all vexed issues could be resolved through democratic and constitutional means. "I request you to come to talks at the earliest possible to a find solution to all political problems." His private secretary Buddha Bhakta Chitrakar had submitted the letter at the Maoists' headquarters in Paris Danda this evening.
The PM welcomed the Maoists' move to suspend the indefinite general strike and has said there was no alternative to dialogue and consensus.
Earlier, the UCPN-M rejected to participate in high-level meeting of the three political parties called by Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Nembang. "The Maoist party refused to sit for talks today stating that the party was waiting for the government's formal response in the wake of the withdrawal of the indefinite general strike," Nembang said.
The UCPN-M also requested Nembang to postpone today's House meeting scheduled for the afternoon citing party engagements. The House meeting was then postponed for tomorrow through a notice.
Following the Maoists' response, CA Chairman Nembang met Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and asked him to take serious initiatives for talks.
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...&NewsID=243624
YCL activists deployed to seize explosives
Last Updated : 2010-05-10 12:05 AM
Himalayan News Service
DHANGADHI: The UCPN-Maoist has deployed YCL cadres for round-the-clock vigilance in the bordering area near Trinagar customs office in Kailali to block what it called the 'import of explosives' in violation of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).
The Maoists' district command has deployed 50 YCL cadres in the area, saying that four trucks laden with explosives were kept in the Gauriphanta-in the Indian customs office. According to Kailali district in-charge of the Maoists Hari Gnawali 'Akhanda', the YCL cadres will seize the explosives as soon as the trucks enter Nepal.
Akhanda said, "Importing explosives is an act against the CPA. There had to be some discussions about this issue with us."
Meanwhile, the Indian customs has also confirmed that the trucks contain the explosives called gelatine. According to Indian customs inspector AK Pande, the explosives were meant for the Chameliya Hydro-power Project. He added, "The project has already imported the explosives thrice for blasting rocks."
However, District Administration Office maintained it had no information whatsoever about the explosives. Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bidari said, "I knew about it from you only. I will try to acquire details."
Purandhar Dahal, an employee at the Trinagar customs office, said, "The Chameliya project might have placed an import order for the explosives," noting that the project had also imported explosives earlier too under the authorisation of representatives of Nepali Army and the project.
The trucks numbered AH 365/9765, HP 65/0765, UK 07 CA 0178 and JH 01 U 0428 have been kept at the Indian customs office as they were unable to enter Nepal due to the ongoing general strike. Customs inspector Pande said, "I have learnt that a representative from the project has gone to Kathmandu to get permission as these trucks require the permission of the Indian Embassy to move across the border."
According to the bills possessed by the drivers, a truck of explosives costs about IRs 5.5 lakhs and the explosives were purchased by China Gejuwa Water and Power Project from India Explosives. Awatar Singh, a driver, said, "A person named Prakash Khanal had informed that he would meet us at Gauriphanta customs office."
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...&NewsID=243636
Govt ready to collaborate with Maoist: DPM
RSS
KATHMANDU, May 10: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala has said the government is committed to collaborate with the Maoists if they come honest to the past agreements.
During a meeting with the ambassadors of European Union (EU) nations at her residence at Mandikhatar on Monday morning, Koirala said environment for national consensus will be created only after the Maoists dismantle the paramilitary structure of Young Communist League (YCL), return seized property and give up running “parallel government”.
She said the UCPN (Maoist) should come with a concrete proposal on integration of its combatants. “The government is in favour to conclude the ongoing peace process and constitution making by taking all parties into confidence,” she said.
On the occasion, the envoys urged the government to be flexible on Maoists and take initiative to form a new national government with the participation of the Maoists as well.
Similarly, the DPM was urged to reach consensus on the extension of CA tenure as there is no possibility of promulgation of new constitution within the salted date of May 28.
US ambassador to Nepal and the Australian Ambassador to Nepal were also present in the meeting.
After the withdrawal of the Maoist nationwide general strike, ambassadors from different countries have started consultations with the government and major political parties in a bid to press them to forge a national consensus.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=18448
Maoist to 'form alliance'
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, May 10: The Unified CPN (Maoist) on Monday decided to move forward by forming an alliance of those ‘standing for the people’s federal democratic republic, constitution writing, national independence and secularism’.
A two-day long standing committee meeting that concluded on Monday also reiterated that they would only hold talks after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigns from the post, according to party spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma.
The meeting also approved the programs for the ongoing protest against the government according to which they would make internal preparations till May 13 and train their cadres across the nation from May 15 to 25.
The meeting discussed the letter sent by PM Nepal asking them to come to the negotiation table. They have given May 24 deadline for PM Nepal to step down.
Details to follow.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=18449
Bhattarai says there is no meaning in extending CA's term till current govt lasts
Dr Baburam Bhattarai
Unified CPN (Maoist) vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the Constituent Assembly's (CA) term which expires on May 28 will not be extended till the government makes way for a national government headed by them.
In response to questions by media-persons as to whether CA's term will be extended, at the party headquarters in Koteshwor after the Maoist Standing Committee (SC) meeting on Monday, he said there is no meaning in extending the term of the Constituent Assembly when the government is not serious in regards to "constitution and peace".
The remark from the senior Maoist leader and ideologue comes at a time when political observers predict serious constitutional vacuum in the country in the event of non-extension of CA's term. Ruling parties like Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) say that it would be impossible to meet the May 28 deadline for promulgation of the constitution and the term of CA needs to be extended.
Dr. Bhattarai said that till the current government lasts, there is no possibility of promulgating the new constitution or bringing the peace process to its logical end on time.
He also ruled out talks with the government, saying that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal's call for dialogue to end the protracted political deadlock can only be accepted if he resigns from his post to forge political consensus.
"Prime Minster Madhav Kumar Nepal is sticking to his chair against the wishes of the people and he must resign if there is to be meaningful talks," Dr Bhattarai said. Nepalnews.com
http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index....ovt-lasts.html
Maoists averse to 'meaningless' talks with government amid PM's conditions for quitting
Monday, 10 May 2010 13:12
Citing lack of seriousness in the part of government to forge political consensus, the main opposition Unified CPN (Maoist) has told the government that it is not willing to hold talks with it.
The Maoists declined the request made by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to immediately come for talks in a letter to be dispatched to the government today.
The Maoist Standing Committee meeting on Monday morning had concluded that the government does not seem willing for political consensus and hence there is no meaning in holding talks with it to find a way out of protracted political deadlock.
In a formal letter registered at the Maoist central office Sunday evening, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had invited Unified CPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal for dialogue to resolve the current deadlock.
The Maoists SC meeting had decided later that evening to sit for talks with the government and ruling parties only after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigns.
"We have decided to go for talks with the government if the PM resigns," said Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma after a standing committee meeting of the party on Sunday.
Meanwhile, PM Nepal's political advisor, Raghuji Pant, has said that the prime minister can't be compelled to quit. He said that the Maoists withdrawal of strike can't be reciprocated with the prime minister tendering his resignation.
Pant also said that the path for a national consensus government will be clear only after there is agreement on the number of Maoist combatants to be integrated into the security sector and the paramilitary structure of the Young Communist League (YCL) is dissolved.
In a meeting with the business community at his official residence in Baluwater on Sunday, PM Nepal, who had earlier been saying that he is ready to quit if the Maoists withdraw their street protests, had said that he will resolve the political crisis facing Nepal if the Maoists vacate their cantonments and dismantle the YCL camp as per past agreements. nepalnews.com
http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index....-quitting.html
I'm not one to just post links, but here's an article from the Party for Socialism and Liberation regarding the situation in Nepal and the end of the strike: http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?pag...ter_friendly=1
Nepal general strike ends, struggle continues
Sunday, May 9, 2010
By: Walter Smolarek
Massive Int'l Workers' Day rally launched strike for people's constitution, PM resignation
On May 1, an estimated 600,000 supporters of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital for International Workers Day. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and the creation of a “people’s constitution.” The next day, the communists called for an “indefinite general strike” that shut down the entire country for six days. On May 7, the leadership of the UCPN-M announced the end of the general strike.
“We have decided to withdraw the indefinite strike, considering the discomforts people were faced with,” said UCPN-M leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal. “Our protest will now take a different nature and we reserve the right to resume the indefinite strike at a later date.” To maintain pressure on the government, UCPN-M indicated they would continue to block roads to the Singha Durbar complex, which houses the government.
The strike had come under increasing attack. An estimated 20,000 professionals in Kathmandu marched on May 7, calling for an end to the strike. According to journalist Jed Brandt, “Vigilante gangs broke off from civil society peace march, attacking protesters (with) rocks and sticks. Police respond by tear-gassing canteen, beating Maoists who responded to the attack. Hindu-chauvinist groups attack Maoists with police assistance in the Terai, targetting leaders.”
Issues behind the general strike
The current government is led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) with the backing of the Nepali Congress Party and several other smaller groups. Despite its revolutionary sounding name, CPN (UML) is a social democratic party and the NC is a reactionary, capitalist party.
The UML-led government replaced one controlled by UCPN(M) when the Maoists resigned in protest after the largely ceremonial president unconstitutionally reinstated army chief Rookmangud Katawal.
Katawal had been sacked by Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda for refusing to integrate the People’s Liberation Army—the military wing of the UCPN(M)—into the Nepal Army. Reactionary and capitalist-oriented forces have fought this fiercely.
The very same bourgeois parties that joined forces with the Maoists to overthrow the monarchy now want to put the brakes on the revolutionary process. They are content with establishing a capitalist democracy. For the Maoists, however, the present situation is only a step on the road to socialism. The integration of the PLA cadres—and particularly its officer corps—would directly impact the Nepal Army’s class composition and affect the balance of forces in favor of the workers.
The next few weeks are of critical importance to the class struggle in Nepal. On May 28, the Constituent Assembly, a body tasked with writing a new constitution after the hated monarchy was overthrown in 2006, will lose its mandate. Very little progress has been made in drafting the constitution.
Political polarization took place quickly over the past few months, and UCPN(M) began what it called “decisive agitation” on International Workers’ Day. Responding to government threats to repress the demonstrations, massive self-defense trainings were administered to thousands of communist cadre and supporters.
The feudal and capitalist establishment became hysterical. Both the reactionary Nepal Army and the Maoists’ armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army, were put on high alert.
Despite the tension, the May 1 demonstration was both massive and peaceful, thanks largely to the efforts of the highly disciplined, Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League.
The general strike brought the country to a total standstill. Photographs from the first few days of the strike show strikers in a festive mood, with singing and dancing characterizing many of the demonstrations.
On May 4, 70,000 strikers lined the entire Ring Road, which stretches more than 17 miles and encircles Kathmandu. The next day, the communists announced an intensification of their protests and encircled Singha Durbar, the compound that houses the main government institutions.
The fourth day of the strike also saw more clashes between strikers and reactionaries, including one incident where gunshots were fired toward the crowd.
High-stakes talks between the Maoists, CPN(UML) and NC continued throughout the general strike. While the leaders have discussed a range of issues, the main dispute is over the resignation of M.K. Nepal, who is widely seen as a puppet of the Indian government and is under pressure from senior leaders of his own party to step down.
UCPN(M) is demanding that M.K. Nepal resign as a precondition for a consensus agreement. The government refuses to do so until a “package solution” is settled upon.
While communist-led forces are publicly calling for a national government under their leadership rather than a full-blown revolution, they are keeping their options open. Maoist Vice-Chairman Baburam Bhattarai defiantly stated on the second day of the strike, “If the rulers continue to ignore our demands … the upcoming historical war will cost the government dear[ly].” (Kantipuronline.com, May 3)
The U.S. government is doing everything it can to maintain the status quo in Nepal. In addition to interference from the U.S. ambassador and State Department officials, Adm. Robert Willard of the U.S. Navy recently visited the country. The purpose of Willard’s visit was especially transparent considering that Nepal is a landlocked country.
At a time when the world capitalist economy is undergoing a profound contraction, the workers and peasants of Nepal are fighting back with a massive revolutionary struggle. Although the general strike has ended, the struggle is taking new forms. During this crucial juncture, the Nepalese people need our solidarity more than ever.
The basic ideas of Marxism, upon which alone a revolutionary party can be constructed, are continuous in their application and have been for a hundred years. The ideas of Marxism, which create revolutionary parties, are stronger than the parties they create, and never fail to survive their downfall. They never fail to find representatives in the old organizations to lead the work of reconstruction. These are the continuators of the tradition, the defenders of the orthodox doctrine. The task of the uncorrupted revolutionists, obliged by circumstances to start the work of organizational reconstruction, has never been to proclaim a new revelation – there has been no lack of such Messiahs, and they have all been lost in the shuffle – but to reinstate the old program and bring it up to date.
- James P. Cannon, 'The Degeneration of the Communist Party'
Dahal sorry for hurting city folks
REPUBLICA
(Update II)
KATHMANDU, May 12: Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal has apologized to intellectuals and denizens of Kathmandu for saying that those “neat and clean urbanites humiliated the shabbily-dressed and dirty rural folks" who hit Kathmandu streets during the six-day indefinite general strike that ended in fiasco on Friday.
“I express regret if you were hurt by my expressions the other day. I want to apologize,” said Dahal during an interaction with intellectuals at Hotel Yak and Yeti on Wednesday.
On May 8, a day after his party withdrew the general strike, Dahal had publicly challenged the “clean and neat” journalists and writers for “humiliating the dirty rustics” and warned them of consequences.
Dahal however said 99 percent intellectuals are “wise” and one percent “fools”. According to him, only those one percent intellectuals humiliated the rural folks.
“I will embrace all the criticism against my personal shortcomings,” he said.
He is not eyeing PM post
Dahal said he felt hurt by the media reports and “rumors” that Maoists enforced the general strike for the sake of making himself the prime minister.
“I took the initiatives in the party to decide that Maoists are open about any political party or individual to lead the government for the sake of peace process and constitution,” said Dahal. On Monday, the Maoist party had decided to keep options open for the prime ministerial candidate.
Indefinite strike decision was wrong
Dahal said the party´s decision to enforce the indefinite general strike was wrong. “We unanimously reached a conclusion that the decision to enforce the indefinite general strike was wrong. That was a lesson for us,” said Dahal adding that his party would not commit such mistake in the future.
He argued that the peace rally held in Kathmandu on Friday and other incidents of retaliations, including that of Birgunj, were infiltrated by regressive elements. “That´s the reason why we had requested the peace rally organizers in Kathmandu to postpone it for some time,” he said.
According to Dahal, there was a conspiracy to massacre dozens of Maoist protestors and incite violence and dismantle the peace process. He said that was the reason why the party withdrew the general strike. “There was conspiracy to pit people against people and derail the peace process. We knew that withdrawing the strike will have adverse psychological impacts on our cadres. But we did it for the sake of peace,” he said.
Integration possible in 4 months
Dahal said his party is ready to complete integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants within four months. “We are ready to complete the process within the extended four months period of the UNMIN,” he said. According to him, his party is ready to differentiate those to be integrated into the security forces and those to be rehabilitated and keep them in separate camps by mid-June. “We are ready to cut off our relationship with the combatants in the cantonments,” he said.
Dahal however said the talks could not move ahead as the ruling parties are pressing the Maoists to first set the number to be integrated. “It is an attempt to humiliate and finish off the Maoists,” he said.
Ready to dismantle YCL paramilitary structure
He said he is ready to turn the UCPN-M into a civilian party by dismantling the paramilitary structure of YCL. “We can remove them from the barrack within four or five days,” he said. He also opined that the parties should be ready to form a commission on forced disappearances by taking Nepal Army into confidence and set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “We are ready to become a responsible party,” he said adding that he is also ready to immediately settle the issue of public and private properties seized by the Maoists. He also said that the differences over the contents of the constitution could be ironed out by forming a commission.
Govt dancing to foreign tunes
“But I am becoming more convinced that the prime minister is not ready to step down even if his party CPN-UML makes a decision in this regard,” said Dahal. According to him, the prime minister had earlier agreed to resign after coming back from Thimpu, but changed his mind after holding talks with foreign leaders. “What I have understood is that the government is not in a mind to quit. The constitution would not be drafted even if the CA term is extended for another year,” he said.
Dahal appealed to the masses to pressure the government to quit for the sake of national consensus. “Let´s say it in one voice, and that will lead to solutions,” said Dahal.
´Educated mass can´t be fooled´
When comedian Madan Krishna Shrestha was speaking, some Maoist cadres who were sitting at the back of the room tried to boo him.
"The other day you spoke immorally," said a Maoist cadre, referring to his performance at the peace rally at Basantapur on Friday. Shrestha, however, went on speaking. He addressed the participants as "The neat and clean individuals, vigilantes, traitors or who we are..."
"I thank (Maoists) for calling off the indefinite general strike," he said. "The country was on the verge of an accident. But you saved it," he said. He also requested the Maoists not to enforce indefinite general strike any more. According to him, enforcing the general strike is like tying the mother with a chain until she dies.
Shrestha said the Rana oligarchy lasted for 104 years as the people were uneducated, and the Panchayat system survived for 30 years even though a sizeable mass was educated. The comedy artiste, who was serious, said that the country has sufficient number educated people due to the mushrooming private and public schools. "The educated class doesn´t want rule of individuals; it wants rule of law," he said.
A few Maoist cadres booed him again. "Why did you call me here? Please go ahead hand-in-hand," he said.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=18529
