This is from myrepublicaThe following statement is from “Nepal’s Crossroads: Without a People’s Army, the People Have Nothing” by Eric Ribellarsi and Mike Ely from Kasama.
“For over twenty years, the impoverished and isolated peoples in the southern Himalayan foothills have risen up to remake themselves and their world. Now, after the sacrifices of a whole generation, the future of their movement and society hangs in the balance:
Will the revolutionary sections of the people be able to carry through the struggle to create the radically new Nepal they have dreamed of? Or will the accomplishments of their struggle so far be consolidated into something that falls short of liberation.”
Dahal Backs Down
Post B Basnet
Kathmandu, Oct. 13: Giving into the party hardliners’ demand, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday cancelled the scheduled national gathering of party cadres and instead called a meeting of the Central Committee for Nov. 3rd to take up disputed issues in the party.
Dahal was compelled to agree to the hardliners’ demand during a meeting of the party’s top office bearers in Kathmandu.
With the decision, the showdown between the party hardliners and the moderates in the UCPN (Maoist) has been deferred. “The decisive battle in the party has been postponed. It has definitely created a positive environment, but we have yet to see whether we will succeed,” said politburo member Haribol Gajurel who is close to Dahal.
According to sources, Dahal had earlier insisted on holding the national gathering slated for October 16 in Kathmandu, but finally backed down after Senior Vice-Chairman Mohan Baidya warned him of “dire consequences.”
“We will be compelled to launch an exposure campaign in the streets the following day if yoiu hold the national gathering,” a source quoted Baidya as saying.
Dahal had finally given in to the demand of Baidya who in turn also agreed to withdraw his own faction’s national gathering slated for Nov. 15 in Kathmandu.
According to party leaders, the central committee meeting was called for Nov. 3rd to seek solutions to the disputes on the party’s tactical line4s and power-sharing.
Baidya had also turned down Dahal’s request to hold a Central Committee meeting prior to October 16, and participate – and put forward his views – at the scheduled national gathering of party cadres.
Baidya had argued that it was not the time to hold a national gathering of party cadres to inform them about the party’s line, but to hold a Central Committee meeting to resolve the controversial issues – handover of the keys of the containers to the Special Committee, signing of the four- point deal with the Madhes-based parties, and return of the properties seized by the party cadres to their rightful owners.
For hardliners, these moves mean ideological deviation, and have demanded a Central Committee meeting to ‘rectify’ the mistakes. Dahal had agreed to hold a Central Committee meeting, but later went on postponing it, calling a national gathering of party cadres, instead.
Welcoming the decision taken on Wednesday, leaders from the Baidya faction stated they would first look at whast move the party establishment takes and chart their course accordingly.
“The chairman was wrong and we had to press him to rectify his mistakes. We are yet to see how he would respond to the issues we have raised,” said Maoist leader Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma.
