Report: Communes in the Heart of Nepal’s Revolution

The Martyr's Road

This Red Star (Vol. 2, # 4) article was originally posted by Maoist Revolution Digest #1618.  It is being made available on Banned Thought.

A burning question facing the Nepali revolution is how to move forward from an anti-monarchist revolution to a full anti-feudal revolution and then beyond to socialism. One issue at the heart of this is the question of agrarian revolution — how to fundamentally change the lives of the vast majority of people by radically changing the social relationships in the countryside.

The impoverished highlands that cover much of Nepal often have little to expropriate: there is little surplus and few plantation-like farms. It is the collective mobilization of the people to create roads, schools, new local communal industry and some day electification, only possible through new communal socialist forms of organization, that forms a key step toward the radical transformation of life.

This report describes the embryonic socialist forms emerging under communist leadership in Nepal’s countryside — and promotes them as models for the country as a whole.

Report: Building With Guns

During the period of the People’s War, the communes were established in the central base areas of the western Nepal. They were/are the models of the People’s Communes. They are the embryo of socialism and communism. These communes are still surviving in a live condition. The policy and the programmes declared by the republican government are helping them. These communes are the best achievements of a decade long People’s War. They are the protection, experiment and the development of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and Prachanda Path.” Juni People’s Commune, Ajammari People’s Commune, Jaljala People’s Commune and Balidan People’s Commune are the model communes developed in the central base area.

Jaljala commune
It is named after a famous mountain in Rolpa. This commune is situated in a small area of Jelwang Village Development Committee of Rolpa district. The commune has 25 families with more than 125 members. It was established in 2058 BS. (2002). The sources of the commune are the cooperative shop, mules for carrying load, hotels opened in the small bazaars of the district, domestic industries and agricultural productions.

Ajammari (Immortal) Commune
It has been established in Rachiwang of the famous fortified communist village Thawang of Rolpa district, in 2060 (2004). It has 33 families with 141 members. The resources of the commune are similar to the Jaljala commune.

Balidan (Martyrdom) Commune
It was established in 2060 BS. (2004). It is situated in the bank of Chhipkhola River in Rukum district. It has covered a small and beautiful land of the district.

Juni Commune
It is named after the first names of two villages, Jurk and Nipane. It is situated in Jajarkot district of western Nepal. It was established just after the then state deployed Royal Army massacred the people who were taking part in a local wedding. 22 innocent people were killed from the two neighbouring villages. Then, the people built Juni People’s commune by combining the former letters of the names of the two villages. It has 18 families with 135 members. Herbs, farming, agriculture, hotels & cooperatives are the sources of income.
These communes have been the strong foundations of political, social and economic transformations.

Cooperatives and Model schools
In some of the places, there are still cooperatives exercised during the war period. They are in good condition politically, socially and economically. They are independent and are in progress. Model schools are running in the former base areas. These education institutes are named after the martyrs.

Model hospital
People’s Model Hospital Ghorneti, is one of the best symbol of people’s initiatives during the People’s War. It shows the path of emancipation from discrimination, exploitation and atrocities even for the generations to come. People of Ot, Jinawang, Rank aand Pakhapani VDCs of Rolpa worked voluntarily for 48 days per house with heart and soul to complete the whole infrastructure. Besides, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Young Communist League (YCL), Leaders and the cadres of CPN-Maoist, friends from the international world: India, Shree-Lanka, Italy, France, German, UK, USA, Canada and Norway supported physically and politically to enlighten the supremacy of communist world. Thanks to the CPN(Maoist) who designed such objective and scientific plan for the people. It was completed in 2007.

Artists entertain workers on the Martyr's Road

Martyr Road
CPN-Maoist developed a clear opinion to build the Martyr road to improve the physical and economic condition of the base area. This was a new experiment of building during the class-war period. The martyr road is 93 KMs long from Nuwagaun to Thawang (Rolpa) & Chunwang (Rukum). The entire road was divided into 5 sectors with the aim to finish all them within three years. The road building was started in 2061 BS. (2005).

Objectives
– To establish and respect the martyr.
– Provide transportation for the remote areas of Rolpa, Rukum & Salyan districts
– To solve the contradiction between base and superstructure of the base area
– To create the opportunities & stop the youth flow to foreign countries
– To develop the agrarian production towards industrialisation
– To bring change in the economic condition of the rural areas
– To establish the conception that the real builder of the history are the people
– To develop independency instead of the dependency
– To establish the identity of brave Nepalese
– To establish the slogan “Our Prowess, Our Glory & Our Base Area”
– To build the model markets and the parks in beautiful rural areas

The building of the martyr road opened a great debate on the issue if it is possible to build in the war period or not. However, it carried the debate in a positive way. The unprecedented participation of the people at that critical situation of the war gave historic inspiration in national and international world.
Comrades, friends, journalists and well wishers from the international world participated under the banner of ‘International Road Brigade’.

International Road Building Brigade
Journalists, Human Rights Activists & Social workers from Bangladesh, Japan, German, UK, Sweden, France, Italy, America, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Iran, Colombia, Shri-Lanka & others.

Internal participation
People of Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Pyuthan, Danag, Baglung, Arghakhanchi, Kapilvatu districts, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), cadres, leaders, well wishers and supporters from cities and the capital Kathmandu.