NEPAL: CRACK IN THE MAOISTS’ CAMP?

Niraj Aryal

Amidst the communists’ hue and cry for the formation of broader communist alliance, there is also a some what disturbing report for the entire Communists’ paraphernalia coming from the Maoists’ camp itself that the party is on the verge of a vertical split. However, it is highly likely that this news may also be dubbed as a false one and termed as a conspiracy against the Communists in Nepal initiated by reactionaries or call them the royalists seeing the prospect of communist unity. Analysts however would always differ to such comments visualizing the past history of the communists in Nepal who more so prefer to divide rather than unite sometime in the name of preserving the National interest or at times to their presumed closeness to the monarchy in Nepal. For example who could forget the incident wherein Bam Dev Gautam-the mini-Prachanda, still thriving under the UML flag had once preferred to divide the party in the name of preserving country’s interest, however later joined the UML camp compromising National interest fearing his political evaporation.

C.P.Mainali, the CPN-ML leader, is no different than his comrade in arms residing in other set of communist faction- who preferred to remain out of the UML unlike Gautam, but is continuously facing party split for toeing allegedly the royal line. The Maoist party too, no different than the rest, could not remain aloof of this virus plaguing the entire communists in Nepal resulting into a division in their camp. The issue remained the same, Prachanda who is known for his fiery nationalist speeches, while in Jungle in the not so distant past, had rejected Dr. Baburam’s proposal to use his Delhi connection to acquire power in Sighdurbar. He instead opted for his royal connection to achieve the same target.

In an interview to a weekly newspaper Rabindra Shrestha (who was expelled from the Maoists camp for publicly criticizing Baburam and Prachanda) had claimed that the Maoist politburo meet had decided to take action against Baburam and raised the issue of meeting King Gyanendra. Later failing to achieve the target, Prachanda had to hold-back his decision to opt for Delhi connection to arrive in Kathmandu, which he did as per the suggestion of Dr. Baburam.
The Maoist party suddenly feeling the excessive pressure from India, which they had agreed to obey before the agreement with the SPA in New-Delhi, is now feeling uneasy with the growing Indian influence coming through Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, analyst claim. The issue remains the same and that is in the name of preserving the national unity crack is building up in the Maoists camp. Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal not for nothing urges from his eastern-hill sojourn that preserving national interest and establishing a republic should be a major agenda.

Source: Telegraph Nepal, May 2, 2007