Maoist cadres break Kings' statues

The statue of late King Birandra at Dhamboji Chowk in Nepalgunj has become the latest target of continued vandalism carried out by the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL).
Tuesday morning, a group of activists of the YCL and All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary) dismantled Birendra’s statue. They also announced to erect statues of martyrs in place of the late King’s statute. Last week, YCL members had brought down the statue of late King Tribhuvan in Nepalgunj. Police arrested Bhakta Singh Bohara, Kalu Pandey and Ram Kumar Gupta in connection with the vandalism. The YCL members also vandalised the statues of King Birendra in Ram Bazaar and Birat Chowk and King Mahendra's statue in Ratna Nagar in Pokhara Tuesday morning. Similarly, the Maoist cadres also brought down the statue of King Mahendra at Kalimati Chowk in Kathmandu today.

Meanwhile, CPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda and CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam held discussions in Pokhara this morning on a broad range of issues including establishing a republican set up and forging a leftist alliance. In the meeting, the Maoist supremo requested UML leader Gautam to garner support for the republican proposal that Maoist MP’s tabled at the parliament Sunday and intensify homework for a leftist unity. Gautam is learnt to have taken this request by Prachanda in a positive light and has promised that he would put this before his party’s high command.

Prachanda had left for Pokhara yesterday evening on a personal visit while the UML leader is there to attend a party function. After the meeting which went for half an hour, Prachanda along with his wife and few aides left for the idyllic village of Ghandruk in Kaski where he will remain for the next couple of days. The talk of forging unity between Nepal's left parties is gaining momentum of late as they have become united in their criticism of Nepali Congress (NC). Despite differences between the Maoists and CPN-UML, they have lately agreed to align and form a joint committee to sort out and solve the problems among their cadres at the grass root level.

Source: Nepal News, May 15, 2007

Motion In The House

THE Communist Party of Nepal ( Maoists) has registered a eight point motion in the legislature parliament calling, among others, for the declaration of republicanism from the parliament itself. Moreover, the Maoist legislators presented a collection of over one million signatures to the Speaker of the Parliament to build the strong case in favour of republicanism and also press for declaring the country a republic. While presenting the collection of signatures, Maoist legislators pointed out that the country is making major strides towards republicanism and there is no point in keeping delays to declare Nepal a republican state. The stance of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) has always been to fight monarchy which it labels as a vestige of feudalism and create a republican state without monarchy or the institution of Kingship. The party fought the people's war over a decade with a view to smash feudalism and take the country to the era of republicanism. The party strategy defines the contradiction between feudalism and Nepalese people as the principal form of conflict and it can be resolved, according to it, with the establishment of republicanism in the country.

Not only the Maoists but other democratic party leaders have been talking time and again about what is said as the antithetical relationship between the monarchy and democracy in Nepal. It is argued that the monarchy has consistently maintained its hegemony in the political and social arena of the country and it cannot go together with democracy and human freedom. There may be several arguments for and against monarchy in the present context of Nepal and the national Parliament will definitely scrutinize the pros and cons of monarchy in this country since the motion to this effect has already been registered in the national parliament. What need not be overlooked is the fact that the interim constitution sets forth that the first meeting of the constituent assembly shall take decision with respect to monarchy. It would be prudent to wait till the election to the constituent assembly is held and let the first meeting of the constituent assembly decide about the destiny of monarchical institution. As it is a sensitive and delicate issue of a sovereign concern of the people, an elected and popularly mandated institution should take decision regarding this subject.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 15, 2007

More Share To Women

PRIME Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has assured that women would get more shares in all sectors after the election to a constituent assembly, which would ensure a genuine inclusive democracy with due participation and representation of all sectors. Talking to representatives of Nepal Women's Association in Kathmandu the other day, Prime Minister Koirala said that women would have at least one-third representation in all sectors including parliament after the constituent assembly election. Prime Minister Koirala's remarks carry special significance and meaning as the country is preparing for the constituent assembly election to institutionalise the achievements of the Jana Andolan II. Inclusive democracy is the political agenda of all parties, in which all sections and sectors of the country have due representation. Women constitute almost half of the total population of the country. The contribution of women in the national economy is significant. However, their contribution has not been fully recognised. Although the constitutional and legal measures have ensured equal opportunities for all and prohibited any kind of discrimination on the ground of sex, women are exploited and discriminated in practice. It is more so in the rural areas.

Women have been denied opportunities on all fronts. It is because of the age-old traditional and cultural bias against women. Moreover, the lack of due representation of women in political and decision-making level has been attributed to the poor condition of women in Nepal. The discrimination against women is a violation of constitution, national and international laws. Women are equally bonafide citizens of the country and they deserve equal rights and opportunities. But things have started to change recently. The women's rights has emerged as an important political and human rights agenda, thanks to the national and iternational movement for the rights of the women. In Nepal, the Jana Andolan II has been a turning point for the rights and opportunities of women. As per the spirit of inclusive democracy, all political parties have agreed to give at least one-third seats and share to women in political and decision -making level. Representation is an important step towards empowering women. So this process has already started. It is obvious that the country cannot make progress if the half of the population is denied their rights and opportunities. Thus, the rights of women is not the issue of women alone. It is the issue of society and the country. As observed by Prime Minister, early efforts must be made to ensure more seats and share for women to empower and bring them into the national mainstream.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 15, 2007

Prachanda warns against undermining Maoist strength

Maoist chairman Prachanda has warned 'domestic and foreign reactionaries' against undermining the strength of the Maoists and misconstruing their flexibility for weakness. Addressing a meet of All Nepal People's Health Workers in Lalitpur, on Saturday, Prachanda said his party had abandoned some of its positions for progressive march, which, he warned, should not be misread as their weakness. "There is no justification for our People's Liberation Army to suffer in cantonments if the parliament does not announce republic," he said. Prachanda added that responsibility of any consequence resulting from PLA's march out of cantonment will rest on seven parties.

At another meeting held to welcome the merger of Bhim Bahadur Kathayat-led Loktantrik Ganatantrik Morcha with the Maoists, Prachanda said that all forces were trying to push the Maoists to the wall. "We have said we will not return to war if things move ahead through the peace process. But some reactionaries are trying to suppress us by taking this as our weakness and thinking that we will not return to war," he said. "It will be a blunder on their part. We will leave no one. Wherever you go, we will be there," he threatened.

Prachanda reiterated the need to forge larger communist unity. "We have no ego. We want communist unity based on new thought. Those against the unity in the UML must be exposed," he said. Prachanda also recalled that he had two rounds of talks with late Prince Dhirendra. "Birendra (late King) and Dhirendra were liberal and nationalist," he said. Prachanda also revealed that his party used to take advantage of disputes among parliamentary parties in the past. Sitting ministers had aided Maoists in the past, he said without taking any name.

At the programme, Kathayat was welcomed by Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai into the Maoist fold. Kathayat's outfit is the latest to merge with the Maoists. Two days ago, another Republic Front led by Dr. Ram Man Shrestha had merged with the Maoists. Likewise, Keshab Nepal-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-2006) had merged with the Maoists a few months ago. The Maoists are planning to induct another leftist outfit led by veteran communist leader Krishna Das in a few days.

Even as Prachanda has been reiterating his call for larger communist unity, Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of UML – the largest mainstream communist party – has once again scoffed at the idea. On Saturday, Nepal ruled out the possibility of unity with the Maoists in near future. "Owing to different viewpoint of looking at Marxism, international situation and domestic reasons, unity is impossible at this point," Nepal said.

Source: Nepal News, May 13, 2007

Republicanism new basis for 8-party unity: Prachanda

LALITPUR, May 12: Chairman of Nepal Communist Party-Maoist, Prachanda has warned that his party would be compelled to take harsh decision if the flexibilities that they have shown for the establishment of republican democracy were taken as their weaknesses. In an interaction programme, organised here today by All Nepal People?s Health-workers? Association on ?Nationality and Role of Health-workers in the Movement for Republican Democracy?, Chairman Prachanda said Maoist is the party that takes decision after scientific analysis of the situation and decisions to be taken would be on the side of the people. Stating that there were efforts to intentionally dillydally the election to constituent assembly, he said the base for the new unity among eight political parties would be the declaration of republic by the parliament. ?Unity among eight parties is still essential to root-out monarchy,? he said ?and the unity to be forged hereafter should be based on new foundation and thus we have forwarded the proposal to declare republic from the parliament.?

?Maoists are not easily accepting order of seven political parties being deaf and dumb,? he added ?they are impatient to make more achievement with lesser damage.? Stating that Nepali politics could not be free from foreign interference and influence, he said his party has been working to liberate the country form foreign authoritarianism. Alleging that the government could not be serious for the sensitive fields like public health, he indicated the need of national health policy for overall reform in health sector. On the occasion, representative of civil societies Dr. Sundar Mani Dixit said Nepali people had suffered from sporadic movements and stressed that such movement should be ended.Prof. Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha said political leadership should not ignore people?s desire for change. Dr. Sharad Wanta said healthworkers should also be engaged in the movement for establishment of republican democracy.

Meanwhile in Bhaktapur, CPN-Maoist Central Member and Kathmandu Valley Bureau In-Charge Hitman Shakya said declaration of the republicanism from the Legislative Parliament would be the only alternative if the Constituent Assembly (CA) election could not be held within the stipulated time frame. Speaking at the political training programme organised the Young Communist League-Nepal, Bhaktapur District Committee here yesterday, he said the establishment of the republicanism was the only wish of the Nepali people. Stating that regressive forces in and outside the country are hatching their conspiracies not to be the CA elections successful, he said new direction to the country should be given by ending such conspiracies. At the programme, Bhaktapur District Secretary Diwakar appealed all the people to be prepare for Jana Andolan-3 in order to fulfill their strong desire of establishing democratic republic. He said the alliance of the eight parties has been broken up due to the inability to hold CA elections within the specific duration and pointed out on the need of new political agreement to move ahead. On the occasion, various leaders of the Maoists had expressed their views.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 13, 2007