[Occasional
Information Bulletin of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)]
Chairman
Prachanda’s Statement on Current Political Situation
Chairman
Pranchanda has issued a press statement dealing with various current issues.
The text of the statement issued on March 27, 2002, is as follows:
It is well known
that our Party has publicly stated two weeks back about our willingness to come
to the table of negotiations along with a cease-fire if a conducive environment
is made for a positive political solution to the current problems faced by the
country. Conscious of grave responsibility towards the country and people, the
Party had appealed to all political forces, intellectuals and the general
masses to create such a favourable climate.
Our Party has highly
appreciated the initiative taken by all democratic forces, intellectual
personalities and the general masses to create such a conducive environment
after accepting our appeal in a very positive light. However, the palace
murderer Gyanendra clique and its vile lackey Sher Bahadur Deuba, who have been
waging the royal military terror against the country and the people in favour
of the feudal autocracy, have replied to our appeal with a more vicious
massacre and terror. This criminal gang has become all the more outrageous and
is running to Delhi, London and Washington to hand over the country to
foreigners.
Having been
soundly thrashed in every real encounter with the Maoist fighters, the hired
asses of Gyanendra that go by the name of royal army have been massacring
unarmed Nepalese masses in dozens everyday. The genocide of innocent airport
workers in Achham and local political workers and the masses gathered for a cultural
show in Gumchal of Rolpa, reveals the extent of cruelty, timidity and brutality
of the military terror of Gyanendra clique. In the past two weeks this criminal
gang has shamelessly attacked journalists, human right activists and
intellectual personalities who have been impartially working for peace. The
audacious attempt to kidnap and disappear Shyam Shrestha, Dr. Mahesh Maskey and
Pramod Kafle has amply proved that no Nepali using his independent conscience
in the country is safe from the military terror of murderous Gyanendra gang.
Today, the Gyanendra regime has surpassed Nadir Shah’s atrocities in ruthlessly
murdering the unarmed political activists in its custody and passing it as
encounter death. Murder of hundreds of political activists, including Ajab Lal
Yadav, a responsible comrade of our Party and a popular mass leader of the
Madhesi community, (and included are the cadres of parliamentary political
groups as well), has exposed the medieval barbarity of the Gyanendra regime.
In this context
it is clear that there is no alternative other than to resist the regime of
Gyanendra and his mercenaries by the whole country in unison. Our assertion
that only an interim government, constituent assembly and institutionalisation
of the republic can guarantee the liberation, peace and progress of Nepal and
the Nepalese people, has been all the more verified by the subsequent events.
For this, all the political parties both inside and outside the parliament,
organisations, intellectual personalities and the general masses have to rise
in unison. Without destroying feudalist fascist’s military dictatorship, the
very thought of imagining peace and progress in Nepal or to talk of any name or
form of freedom will be nothing other than cheating oneself. Feudal fascist
military terrorist’s zenith,(or the zenith of feudal fascist military
terrorism) and the sense of sacrifice, devotion, bravery and martyrdom
displayed by the Nepalese people against it; even while watching this it is a
matter of pity that certain political forces are trying to compromise again
with the palace murderers through the so called constitution reforms.
Constitutional reform is not the solution to today’s problem faced by Nepalese
society, it is historically necessary to understand this correctly.
In this context,
we want to clarify once again that we are committed to guarantee party freedom
in the new state-power to be constructed after the destruction of feudal
autocracy. The state envisased by us will not be an one-party dictatorship. The
freedom to operate political parties according to ones’ ideological convictions
and contest elections will be guaranteed. There only the activities of such
elements upholding feudalism and inviting foreign domination will be curbed. We
are committed to establish and develop a people’s democratic system of the
twenty-first century. Such a democratic system won't be a mechanical imitation
of the traditional kind but will be guided by the people’s needs of the
twenty-first century.
To undertake that
great achievement we do not see any reason why it should be a problem to all
other political forces other than feudalist murderer Gyanendra clique and its
henchmen to unite under the slogan of interim government, constitutional
assembly and institutionalisation of republic state. The great Nepalese people
have risen against the feudalist fascism. Throwing cold water over people’s
rebellion will be a great historical blunder. Hence we heartfully appeal to all
progressive forces and all the masses to make a new Nepal by creating hurricane resistance against feudalist
murderer Gyanendra force and its henchmen who have unleashed all the more
fascist terror even when a peaceful political solution was sought. After having
passed through the zenith of 046 year of people’s resistance, let us turn the
declaration of five days Nepal Bandh into a struggle to end Gyanendra Shahi’s
feudalist military terror, there is no other alternative for the Nepalese
people other than this.
It is not our aim
to create obstruction in the conduction of SLC examination for youth students
in this very period. But, we heartfully appeal to all youth students to put up
a pressure on the administration to postpone the examination by few weeks by
realising the historic necessity of struggle against the feudalist military
terror which is destroying the whole country, its people and their future. The
history is demanding special sacrifice from all of us for the liberation of our
country and its people. We have faith that instead of giving examination amidst
hearing of heart-rendering news of daily killings of our own father mother,
brothers, sisters, it will be better to give examination after the solution of
the country’s problem and that in such a movement the youth students will
happily take initiative.
Date: 27 March, 2002
Prachanda
Chairman
NCP(Maoist)
Five-Day
'Nepal Bandh' to Paralyse the Old State
For the first
time in the revolutionary history of Nepal consecutive five-day 'Nepal Bandh'
(i.e. general shut-down) is being observed from April 2 to April 6, 2002. The political strike called by the CPN
(Maoist) and organised by the United Revolutionary People's Council (URPC) is
expected to shake the very foundation of the old reactionary state and make way
for a forward-looking political change to solve the problems faced by the
country and people.
It may be noted
that the two-day 'Nepal Bandh' on the last two days of the first phase of the
three-month old emergency on February 21st and 22nd was
grand success due to an overwhelming response of the masses. However, when the state of emergency was
extended by another three months by the reactionary state, it was just natural
that the revolutionary forces organised an effective resistance of the masses
to the same. Hence the call for a
five-day 'Nepal bandh' was given by the party on February 26.
In an appeal
issued by Chairman Prachanda on February 26, the rationale of the 'bandh' was
highlighted as the peoples' organized resistance to the royal military
dictatorship and the creation of mass pressure for a progressive political
change in the county. The minimum
political change sought immediately is the formation of an interim government,
election to a constituent assembly and institutionalisation of the republic.
Following the
call of the Party, the URPC announced a series of a month and a half long
struggle programme culminating in the five-day 'Nepal bandh'. According to the programme flashed y Com
Baburam Bhattarai, Convenor of URPC, on February 27, a publicity campaign was
launched from February 27 to March 13, a mass mobilisation campaign from march
14 to 23 and a mass action programme from March 24 to April 2, all of which
were highly successful.
Hundreds of armed
actions by the PLA all over the country in the weeks preceding the 'bank' have
prepared a perfect ground for the total shut-down of the country in the first
week of April. There have been wide
spread actions against the most notorious government offices and departments. The most effective have been the armed
action in the heart of the capital city of Kathmandu, where a bomb explosion
that claimed lives of 3 security personnel of the old state on March 29 ahs
shaken the reactionary classes to their wits end.
The reactionary
state machinery has launched a vicious disinformation campaign to mislead the
masses against the strike. Particularly
noteworthy has been their full attempt to incite the students and their
guardians against the likely disruption of the School Leaving Certificate (SLC)
examinations which are scheduled for the same period. Since the reactionary government has
deliberately preponed the exams schedule to coincide with the annual people's
movement day on April 6, these has been wide spread demand from the Students to
postpone the exams.
The reactionary
old state has also issue threats to the transport operators, traders and others
to defy the 'bandh' call. It has also
offered them same 'carrots' along with the thick 'stick'. However, given the genuine democratic cause
espoused by the 'bandh' call against the royal military dictatorship, the
people in general seem determined to make the 'bandh' a grand success and
rebuff the votaries of the old reactionary state.
The grand success
of the first-ever five-day 'Nepal bandh' should be the beginning of an end to
the royal military dictatorship thrust in the country by the murderous
Gyanendra clique.
The
Royal Army Heightens Genocidal Campaign
Mortally stung by
the heroic People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the latest real encounter in
Achham on February 17, the reactionary Royal Nepal Army (RNA) has increased its
genocidal campaign against unarmed masses in different parts of the country in
recent weeks. As if to fulfil a
predetermined quota of human sacrifice every day, on an average more than two
dozen persons per day have been brutally massacred by the RNA, and all in fake
encounters. And the brutalities of torching the entire villages, mass raping of
women, torturing and killing of prisoners have reached Hitlerite proportions.
On March 16-17
the RNA had claim to have destroyed a PLA camp at Gumchal of Rolpa and killed
69 persons. But in reality the RNA
mercenaries had butchered local masses gathered for a cultural show-cum-mass
meeting. And there was no question f
any PLA camp at the said site. The local Party has challenged the international
human rights organisations to visit the place and verify the claims of the
royal butchers.
Similarly, in the
last week of February the RNA had set ablaze 16 houses of local peasants at
Kotwada in Kalikot district and burnt 22 persons alive. Of these four were airport labourers from
Dhading near Kathmandu.
During the same
mad frenzy in the aftermath of the crushing defeat at the hands of the PLA in
Achham, the RNA had torched all the house of peasants in the give wards (about
100 houses in each ward) of Nalkot VDC in Kalikot, inflicting huge damage to
the life and property of innocent masses.
It has come to
light that so far more than a dozen of deaf, dumb and blind persons have been
brutally shot by the RNA in the so-called 'encounters'. For instance, the
'terrorist' shot by the RNA on December 29 last at Budhagaon in Rolpa was in
fact a mute person by the name of Dalu Gharti.
So far hundreds
of prisoners have been taken to remote jungles and shot in fake
encounters. The case of Gyam Prasad Chalise,
an ex-student leader and Western Regional Bureau Member of the Party, could
amply illustrate this. He was captured
by the RNA from Prem Nagar of Banke district on December 10 last, which was
acknowledged in the press bulletin issued them. But he was shot dead in the Raja jungle of Bardiya district on
February 9, supposedly in an 'encounter'.
On the contrary,
the RNA bulletins and the reactionary media have been conspicuously hiding the
figures of RNA casualties in the real encounters. In the first three months of the so-called emergency about 400
RNA soldiers and officers in the Western Region and 100 each in the Central and
Easter Regions were killed by PLA, which was never acknowledged by the
reactionaries.
It is also
noteworthy that the RNA has been so far largely confined to district into the
main revolutionary base areas. Hence
the RNA genocidal campaign has been in an around the district headquarters and
the plain areas.
Mounting
Contradictions Among the Ruling Classes
The internecine
contradictions among the different factions of the reactionary ruling classes
have sharpened further in resent days with the intensification of revolutionary
class struggle in the country. As is
common knowledge there is a long standing.
Contradiction among the monarchical and parliamentary factions, which
are against sub-divided into pro-Indian and pro-US factions. Through they were forced to maintain a
façade of unity against the common threat of impending people's revolutions,
particularly after the declaration of a state of emergency since November 2001,
their inherent contradiction is first bursting asunder with the rapid stride
made by the revolutionary PW in recent weeks. The 5-day 'Nepal bandh' (general
shut-down) starting with April 2 seems to have further hastened that process.
As we write these
lines (March 31), the self-proclaimed 'king' Gyanendra in blatant violation of
the known practice of a constitutional monarch, is on a surprise visit of the
most important war zones in the Western region along with Commander-in-Chief of
the RNA, Prajjwal SJB Rana, his known henchman. And there are strong rumours that this is a prelude to direct
take over of the state power by Gyanendra, or some other drastic measures like
carrying out massive genocidal campaign under his own direct command to show
'some results' to his foreign masters.
Prior to this on March 27, the RNA chief, Rana, had kicked a vicious
political row by publicly accusing the parliamentary political parties of
precipitating the current crisis in the country due to their 'bad governance'
over the years and not cooperating enough with the RNA in its current military
campaigns against the revolutionary forces.
Even before this,
Gyanendra had announced through his stooges in the media that he was prepared
to hold a national referendum on the question of constituent assembly (as
demanded by the revolutionary forces ) or constitutional reforms (as proposed
by the parliamentary parties). This was
clearly an attempt to widen the rift between the revolutionary and
parliamentary forces and concentrate political powers in his own hands, which
was instantly rejected and denounced by all the political forces.
However, whether
Gyanendra assumes direct control of state power of state or not is just a legal
and immaterial question. Because as has
been consistently highlighted by our Party, the old state power in the country
is practically concentrated in the 'hands of the murderous Gyanendra-Paras gang
since the infamous palace massacre of June 1, 2001. The parliament and
parliamentary parties have been a mere a fig leaf to hide the royal military
dictatorship headed by Gyanendra. This
was proved beyond any iota of doubt when all the parliamentary parties,
including the main position UML, where ordered by Gyanendra to give a seal of
approval by the toothless parliament to the declaration of state emergency and
virtual suspension of the constitution on February 20 with open threat of
incarcerating all of them on corruption charges.
Meanwhile, there
have been serious divisions within the ruling Nepali Congress and the
parliamentary opposition UML on the question of extending support to the
monarchical dictatorship whereas the pro-US factions of these groups have been
openly supporting the dictatorship, the pro-Indian factions seem to be more
reticent about it.
However, our
Party has taken responsible initiative to bring all the progressive, democratic
and leftist forces for a united fight against the royal military dictatorship
and build a broad consensus in favour of an interim government and election to
a constituent assembly to institutionalise the republic.
Deuba's India Visit Flops
The much-
hyped India visit of Sher Bahadur
Deuba, a loyal stooge of Gyanendra and foster kid of US Imperialism, from March
20 to 25 has largely flopped. In keeping with the age-old practice of the
reactionary Nepali rulers to seek the material and spiritual blessings from
their southern counterparts to save their shaking throne, Deuba had gone to
India with a SOS call against the advancing revolutionary PW and hoping for
massive military and financial aid. But, apart from usual diplomatic niceties
and some hard bargainings on the military aid front, Deuba did not have much to
show on his return via Calcutta, where he had gone to learn some secret tips
about the ruthless crushing of Naxalbari movement from CPM 'comrades'.
Two things seem
to have apparently played spoil sports for Deuba in his coveted Indian mission.
Firstly, the Gyanendra-Deuba murderous gang played their American card a bit
too much and too early. Just before this visit this gang had invented a
ludicrous theory that the revolutionary PW in Nepal was fanned from India and
the Indian government was duty-bound to militarily crush it in keeping with the
new war logic of US imperialism after September 11. The pro-western lobby of
the ruling classes and the media had trumpeted this manufactured logic to a
hysterical pitch. This was basically designed by the Western advisors of the
regime to create a permanent rift between India and China over Nepal and
justify stationing of 'neutral' US troops in Nepal to tackle the Maoist
'terrorists'. It is noteworthy that after the first ever Nepal visit of a US
Secretary of State, Colin Powell, in January last the US has already announced $200
million in military aid against the revolutionary PW and there are reports of
plans for keeping permanent US troops in Nepal. The strategic US objective of
keeping a watch on both China and India through this project should be obvious
to everybody. Despite their recent pro-US tilt the Indian ruling classes, who
have traditionally claimed exclusive strategic domination in the South Asian
region including Nepal, could not have taken to this overt US imperialist
intrusion very kindly. Hence, it is learnt that the Indian ruling classes
politely arm-twisted Deuba for his overt pro-US activism and made him to buy
Indian military hardwares and trainings through the recently gained American
dollars. Of course, some more sweeteners must have been offered to the little
lackey.
Secondly, given
the increasing support for the Nepalese people's democratic movement among the
Indian masses and democratic forces and near sure collapse of the hated
Gyanendra-Deuba regime in their immediate future, the Indian ruling classes did
not want to risk their stakes on the losing horses. Thus, Deuba was made to
acquiesce to more humiliating terms to prove his loyalty to the Indian ruling
classes, in return for more military and otherwise aid.
Meanwhile, Deuba
was greeted with black flags by hundreds of emigrant Nepalese workers in New
Delhi and his effigies were brunt at
several places. At a largely attended seminar at Jawaharlal Nehru University
organised by the Nepalese students in India, several well-known scholars from
both Nepal and India had lively discussions on "Current Political
Situation in Nepal and the role of the International Forces" and suggested
the Indian rulers to stop hacking the monarchical autocracy in Nepal to
establish harmonious Indo-Nepal relations.
US
Diplomat's Uncouth Remarks Assailed
As an indication
of rising US interference in the on-going democratisation process in Nepal, one
senior US ex-diplomat, Peter Burley, who has served as Ambassador to Sri Lanka,
Permanent representative to UN, Consular General at Calcutta and Peace Corp
Volunteer in Nepal in the 1960s, has kicked a political row by making motivated
and uncouth remarks against the revolutionary PW.
While not
bothering to visit any of the 'n' number of killing fields of RNA and to raise
an eye-brow against the daily massacre of unarmed masses and political
activists in dozens by the RNA, this self-styled spokesperson of US imperialism
has recently visited the district headquarters of Achham, where the RNA was
routed by the PLA on February 17, and launched a tirade against the
revolutionary forces. Surpassing even
the reactionary rulers of Nepal he has dared to equate the CPN(Maoist) with
Taliban and Al Qaida terrorists and called for international counter-revolutionary
reprisal against it.
Later on, in an
interview to a Nepali fortnightly, Nepal (March 14-28, 2002), he has blatantly
charged our Party leadership to be sheltered in Indian and demanded of Indian
government for their prompt arrest and extradition to Nepal. Burley has also hinted at the future intent
of US imperialism to keep a military base in Nepal and has sought to provoke
India against the Nepalese People's democratic revolution.
Burley's tirade
against the revolutionary people's movement in Nepal has been widely resented
and condemned by the patriotic and democratic political forces and the masses
in general. Similarly, his provocative
remarks against India and allusion of more direct US intervention in Nepal are
seen as the sign of changing strategic equations in the Himalayan Region.
Our Party
unequivocally rejects and condemns with due contempt the baseless charges made
by Burley and cautions all the patriotic, democratic and leftist forces of the
region to fight unitedly against the increasing US imperialist domination in
South Asia.
No
Threat to Foreign Tourists
Perhaps
terrorised by its own guilty conscience the US State Department has recently
ordered its citizens not to Nepal. This is also an attempt by the supercop of
the world to misrepresent the distinct progressive democratic political
credentials of our movement as 'terrorism' to the broad masses of the Western
World.
However, any keen
observer of the past six-years history of PW in Nepal would realise that there
have been not a single incident of our people's guerillas having made any
foreign tourist as target of attack. For that go against the proletarian
internationalist character and commitment of our political movement. Hence,
there is no need for any foreign tourist to feel threatened from our movement,
whether in Nepal or elsewhere.
Nevertheless, the
foreign tourists are advised to skip the time and places of active military
engagement between the PLA and the RNA to avoid being caught in the cross-fire,
and are particularly requested not to patronise the tourism services offered by
the arch-reactionary Shah-Rana families who monopolise the high class tourism
business. This is exactly what the 'Open Letter' to foreign tourists issued by
Com. Baburam Bhattarai, Convener of URPC and In-Charge of International Department
of CPN (Maoist), on March 15, 2002, attempts to clarify and appeal to.
On the basic
ideological-political position of the movement the Open Letter says: "As
regards the false accusations of our xenophobic inclinations and preference for
a closed political system, this is another example of a sinister disinformation
campaign deliberately launched by the counter-revolutionary forces. By
ideological persuasion we are for the ultimate withering away of all national
and state boundaries and creation of a classless and stateless global community
of people. Rather the fake votaries of 'globalisation' of capital are mortally
against the globalisation of labour as well as hence, in essence, against
genuine all-round globalisation. Foreign tourists are, therefore, most welcome
in the country and will be so in future
as well."
Advising the
tourists to avoid the specific periods of Nepal Bandh the Open letter
concludes:"-- in view of the 5-day long Nepal bandh (i.e. general
shut-down) from April 2 to April 6, 2002, and the subsequent surcharged
atmosphere in the aftermath, the foreign tourists are well advised to skip the
tour itinerary, if any, for the said period.
We deeply regret the inconveniences likely to cause to you all."
BREAKING NEWS
The 5-day “Nepal bandh” is
postponed to April 22-26, 2002 (Baishakh 10-14, 2059)
Published &
Edited by: International Department,
CPN (Maoist)