Nepal’s Gajurel: State Power is Our Goal

The following are two statements by Gajurel.

The first is recent from Kantipur Report.

The second is a longer interview from October 2008.
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C.P. Gajurel, 59, is a politburo member and chief of the foreign affairs bureau of the CPN (Maoist) party. In August 2003, while he was attempting to go to London from Chennai airport with forged travel documents, he was arrested and spent three years in jail in Chennai.

Following the second People’s Movement of 2006, and the entry of the Maoists into mainstream politics, he was released from jail in December 2007. Since his release, he has traveled internationally, raising awareness about and seeking support for his party. Thanks to Ka Frank for the first article.

NEPALGUNJ, May 17 – A senior Maoist leader said on Sunday that his party has not yet given up the goal of capturing the state.

General Katawal and King Gyanendra Gather Monarchists

This article was published on Telegraph Nepal.

‘Katawal’s fresh bid to restore Nepal Monarchy’
TGW

The Janadisha Daily, the Maoists’ Party mouth Piece, has come up with a story, dated May 14, 2009, which reveals that the incumbent Chief of the Army Staff, Mr. Rukmangad Katawal has constituted various armed military outfits in the country in his bid to resurrect Monarchial institution in the country.

The report discloses that Mr. Katawal has on a personal basis constituted the armed outfit which numbers around two thousand armed men.

Katawal, enjoying support from the close aides of the former monarch Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, former Nepal Army, Armed Police and General Police men has formed the military outfit under the command of Former Sub Inspector Hari Bahadur Timilsena, the report reveals.

The Armed Outfit since last November 2008 has been carrying out various regional armed activities to resurrect the now sidelined monarchy.

A letter sent on behalf of the organization to the former King of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah, dated January 4, 2009, claims that the military grouping was ready to take to any offensive for managing the grand comeback of the Royal institution.

Role of Workers in the Philippine Revolution

On the Kasama site there has been an ongoing discussion of “Economism and economic struggle” [like to our post on this]. This piece gives a picture of how one communist movement views these questions. Posting this here does not imply Kasama’s agreement with this analysis, it is an invitation to critically examine and debate these views.

The workers must lead the Filipino people’s struggle

The longer it persists and deepens, the more the international capitalist crisis results in unprecedented havoc and poverty to the working class, the toiling masses and the entire people. On the other hand, it gives rise to favorable conditions for arousing and mobilizing them. Amid this crisis, the need to tread the path of militant struggle to protect the welfare of the oppressed and exploited and to take action to end the system that has condemned them to lives of poverty and anguish becomes ever clearer to the people.

Ben Peterson: Photos from Nepal’s Days of Mass Resistance

The following is a series of photos taken by Ben Peterson, who is currently in Nepal. Click on the pictures to view them at full size.

A pro-government rally calling for the sacking of Army Chief Katawal

 

NC supporters protest the sacking of Katawal

 

Nepal Needs Our Solidarity

May Day Rally in Nepal

This statement from the Australian Democratic Socialist Perspective comes as the current crisis in the Nepal intensifies.

Support Democracy in Nepal! Support the Nepalese People!

May 5, 2009 All supporters of democracy and social justice have reason to be concerned by the recent events in the republic of Nepal. The military high command, backed by right-wing parties tied to the country’s elite, has openly defied the authority of the elected civilian government, led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M). In response, the government sought to remove army chief of staff General Katawal, via legal and constitutional means. Katawal refused to accept his removal and the government’s decision was illegally overturned by President Ram Baran Yadav from the conservative Nepalese Congress party, whose position under the interim constitution is largely ceremonial.

Escalation of U.S. Involvement in Philippine Civil War

New People's Army, 2008 (AKP Images/ Keith Bacongco)

Revolution in South Asia is circulating the following statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines, which urges an end to U.S. involvement in the Philippines.

US Soldier Wounded in Failed Anti-NPA Combat Operation in Masbate

April 28, 2009

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today disclosed that a US soldier embedded in a combat unit of the 9th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army was wounded last April 15 after joint US and government troops attempted to encircle and attack a unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Baras, Esperanza, Masbate. The Red fighters were able to fight back, resulting in the death of three government soldiers and the wounding of the US trooper. An NPA fighter was martyred in the clash.

Video: Ben Peterson On The Crisis In Nepal

Maoist Women Confront Nepali Riot Police

This was originally posted on aljazeera.net.

For a remarkable video of the protests on bbc.co.uk, click here and here.

Nepal police clash with protesters

Riot police have clashed with hundreds of female protesters from Nepal’s communist party.

About 500 women had gathered in front of the president’s office in the capital, Kathmandu, on Thursday to demand that he dismiss the head of the army.

A number of the protesters were injured after they were beaten with bamboo sticks as they tried to break through a police cordon around the building.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the communist prime minister, resigned on Monday after Ram Baran Yadav, the president, blocked his attempt to sack the army chief.

Dahal, a former Maoist rebel leader, says Rookmangud Katawal has failed to integrate his former fighters into the military, a requirement of the peace deal that ended their 10-year conflict with the government.

Navin Ghimire, the home ministry spokesman, said police and soldiers had been deployed on the street of the capital to prevent further protests.

Ben Peterson: To My Dearest Detractors

Ben Peterson (left) interviewing a commander of the Maoists' Peoples Liberation Army

On this site, a number of comments went up from opponents of the Maoist revolution who  questioned Ben Peterson’s reports, insights and objectivity concerning events in Nepal.

To my dearest detractors.

Some would say that this is a lopsided view. And many would say that my “journalistic integrity” is compromised. I confess these things openly. But i only say this because if to have “journalistic integrity” means i need to echo the lies and propaganda that is printed every day in the medias mainstream then i want no part of it. I set out to find and tell the stories of the real Nepalis, the Nepalis who live in poverty, the Nepalis who are discriminated against just because of their sex, caste, nationality or profession. I pledge now to always be lopsided- i will always carry a bias- but the bias i carry will always be towards the toiling people of the World, and to give those without a voice a chance to tell their stories- the real stories of Nepal.

I have traveled widely in Nepal, I have been to Rolpa, Chitwan, Sindhapulchowk, Dang and of course Kathmandu. I have talked to people of all walks of life, from farmers, to workers, politicians and the unemployed. Men and women, Dalits, Cheteris and Bramins. I have seen the real Nepal. The real Nepal is one that is starving for change. That is why they SUPPORT the Maoists. Not because of intimidation, but because the Maoists, and only the Maoists, have gone to the people with a dream, a vision and a plan for creating a Nepal that is free from exploitation and poverty.

New Kasama Pamphlet: On the Maobadi and the Crisis in Nepal

Click for the pamphlet

Download the new pamphlet (in pdf format)

If you want a crash study in the controversies around the revolution in Nepal….. read this. And share it with others.

Far too few people in the world know about the communist revolution in Nepal — the promise it holds and the danger it is in. And, remarkably, a sharp struggle has broken out among those who do know about it — among the communists and Maoists of the world. And that struggle (strangely enough, sadly enough) has focused on whether or not to denounce the Maoists of Nepal (for wandering too far and too creatively from certain cherished formulaic precepts).

In a previous pamphlet, we gave great space to arguments denouncing the Maobadi as “revisionist” — as we reprinted the exchange of letters between the RCP,USA and the UCPN(M).

By contrast, this new pamphlet is sharply about extending internationalist political support for the revolutionary people in Nepal — and opposing a sterile, influential dogmatism that has gotten in the way.

The articles in this pamphlet form a diverse mix of pieces that, together, support an argument made on the pamphlet cover:

“ We should be clear on what we know, and what we don’t. And one thing we

know is that this revolutionary cause in Nepal is just. It has drawn in millions of

people. It has built itself an army. It has captured the imagination of the youth. It

has embodied the hopes of some of the earth’s most impoverished and isolated

people. And this is the first time this generation has even SEEN such problems of

communist revolution played out in real life.

“ There is a living revolution going on here — in all its complexity, mystery and

unpredictability. And we should know that we need to take a clear political stand

of support for this.

“ Sure, we will ‘wait and see’ in one sense — in the sense that everyone ‘waits

and sees’ how great events turn out — including their direct participants. But in

another sense, it would be wrong (and I’m tempted to say a criminal betrayal of

internationalism) to SIT BACK while we ‘wait and see.’”

—Mike Ely, “And If a Showdown Comes in Nepal….”

“ We should be clear on what we know, and what we don’t. And one thing we know is that this revolutionary cause in Nepal is just. It has drawn in millions of people. It has built itself an army. It has captured the imagination of the youth. It has embodied the hopes of some of the earth’s most impoverished and isolated people. And this is the first time this generation has even SEEN such problems of communist revolution played out in real life.

“ There is a living revolution going on here — in all its complexity, mystery and unpredictability. And we should know that we need to take a clear political stand of support for this.

“ Sure, we will ‘wait and see’ in one sense — in the sense that everyone ‘waits and sees’ how great events turn out — including their direct participants. But in another sense, it would be wrong (and I’m tempted to say a criminal betrayal of internationalism) to SIT BACK while we ‘wait and see.’”

There are typos in this pamphlet — we have rushed it into print. It is what the Maoists of China used to call “fuel in snowy weather.”

For the Table of Contents >

AWTW: Maoist Statements on the elections in India

4 May 2009. A World to Win News Service. The current elections for the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) in India will decide which party or alliance of parties forms the new government. These countrywide polls have been taking place on five dates in April and May, the last on 13 May, with the results to be announced 16 May. Following are excerpts from analyses of the electoral situation by two Maoist parties in India. The first, “Once more they come with false promises”, is a statement by the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Naxalbari released in April. The second is an interview with Azad, spokesperson for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), conducted by the Maoist Information Bulletin on 10 April. Explanations have been added in brackets.

Once more they come with false promises
CPI(ML) Naxalbari

Today let us not forget that the preparations and necessary social engineering required for this election has been going on for almost a year now… It continued with the various anti-Christian riots in the fresh pastures of Orissa and Karnataka, the anti-North Indian riots in Maharashtra, the vicious anti-women moral policing of the savarna [Hindus who are not Dalits or tribals] fascist brigade Shri Ram Sene and the extreme chauvinism stirred up with the Mumbai attacks. It is the first time that social engineering of such magnitude and diversity had to be carried out to achieve divisive polarisations aimed at elections. These attempts have become very much necessary with the waning of popular support for ruling class parties among large sections of the petty bourgeoisie due to years of neglect and deceit, growing contempt towards their leaders cutting across parties and the realisation of the futility of these elections by a big section.

Prachanda resigns, “International Community” backs Army Chief

The following article comes from A World to Win News Service. Its original title: Nepal: PM Prachanda resigns, “international community” backs defiant army chief.” As always posting an article does not mean that kasama endorses its analysis.

4 May 2009 Prime Minister Prachanda (Pushpa Kamal Dahal) resigned 4 May in a crucial dispute over whether or not the head of the Nepal Army would be allowed to thumb his nose at his government’s authority.

Prachanda, Chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), had sacked Army Chief of Staff Rookmangud Katawal for continual and deliberately provocative insubordination to the civilian government, in defiance of the interim constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that brought an end to the decade-long people’s war in 2006. But President Ram Baran Yadav overrode Prachanda’s decision and ordered the army head to remain in his post. (General Katawal had already refused to accept the government’s letter informing him he was sacked.) He also overrode the decision of the Defence Minister, Ram Bahadur Tapa, supposedly in charge of the Nepal Army, to appoint another general as interim army chief to take Katawal’s place “until an agreement is made”.

Ben Peterson on Nepal: This is Essentially an Anti-Maoist Coup

We have been sharing Ben Peterson’s eyewitness reports from Kathmandu. Obviously we are not endorsing the analysis contained, but passing them on because of the importance of these events. We will be posting other views in the thread here. And will be post more detailed coverage on the South Asia Revolution site (SARev).

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The last 48 hours in Nepal has seen a flurry of activity and has created the illusion of a political situation has been rapidly changing.

While there has been a series of developments withing the parliament and within the government, and the alliances and support of different political parties has been removed and realigned- the essence of the political situation remains unchanged.

The real political situation has remained stagnant for some months now. The actual reality of the political situation is that there is a new revolutionary force with an overwhelming support amongst the people of Nepal is pushing to radically change the institutions of the Nation and to create a more developed and just society. Opposed to these changes are an elite minority within the established power structures that resisting this struggle by any means necessary. This was made abundantly clear on May 3rd when the ceremonial President went outside his constitutional role to defy the democratically elected government. In essence this was a coup. The rightful political power of the government was usurped by an unlawful and outside force. In response to this blatant illegal move, the revolutionary Prime Minister Prachanda, and the Maoist government chose to resign- rather then remain in a position where in reality they had no political power, despite a clear mandate from the people of Nepal and clear constitutional and political legitimacy.

Neil Horning: Nepal Divides over Army Chief

Neil Horning, an American expert on Maoist movement, maintains a personal blog at Neil’s Nepal where this post first appeared.
Original title “Why Nepal is Divided Over the Sacking of Army Chief?”

By Neil Horning

It’s not so important to ask why the Maoists are sacking the Army Chief as it is to ask why the other parties are apposing this so strongly.

Three reasons:

In a democracy, the Army should not be a center of power in the slightest. It is supposed to carry out the will of the elected government within the confines of the constitution. To illustrate, when Obama was elected, it was considered a novelty when he did not replace the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Thus, in assessing this development, I feel it’s not so important to ask why the Maoists are sacking the Army Chief as it is to ask why the other parties are apposing this so strongly.

There a couple of reasons why this could be so. In increasing importance:

1. The Army Chief has important friends in elite circles

Even in the US it’s common to say, “it’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” This could not be truer in Nepal. While the country has gone through tremulous upheaval recently, nepotism, corruption, and crony-ism have hardly abated. While the Nepali Congress and The UML formally apposed the Palace, their upper crust, mostly Brahmin-Chetri members ran in the same social circles with royals and royalists, dined with them, attended the same wedding receptions, ran the same civic organizations, served on the same boards, etc. All in this elite class share the goal of, to one degree or another, preserving the power of their own class-caste. These are social contacts that nearly all Maoist members severed while going underground, if they existed to begin with, and they hardly have had time to return. The Army Chief Surely has many friends within the CPN UML and NC, if not relatives (which trump all), and many favors to call in.

Ben Peterson Report: Kathmandu May 4

UPDATE- May 4 – 4:00PM Kathmandu

The Maoist led government is not more.

I have just come from a press conference at the Prime Ministers office where Prime Minister Prachanda was to address the nation.

The Meeting was first addressed by Minister of Communications and Information, and spokesperson of the Government, Krishna Mahara. He informed those present that the just completed cabinet meeting has declared that the actions of the President in reinstating the Chief of Army Staff was illegal, and sent him a letter demanding he revoke his decision. He also informed that the cabinet meeting has also accepted the resignations that had been presented by the ministers from the UML and the Sabdhavana party.

After this Prachanda addressed the Nation. He announced that he has resigned from his position as Prime Minister. This has naturally completely changed the political situation in Nepal. It seems, my early analysis would be, that this is to open it up to the opposition to try and create a government without the Maoists, which would be extremely difficult and have no political basis- apart from being “anti-Maoists”.

It is hard to tell at present the exact course of events, however, when i have more information i will pass it on. There again has been protests from both sides all day, which without doubt would have had some clashes.

Still a situation of tremendous uncertainty. things are changing by the moment, sorry for short post…