Nepal: Agrarian Revolution Expands

This article was published in My Republica.

Maoist land grab drive on

REPUBLICA

BARDIYA, May 23rd, 2010: Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Freed Kamaiyas
Association (ANFKA) on Sunday seized an additional 154 bighas of land in
Rajapur area of the district. The area was once known as the hotbed of
Maoist insurgency.

The Maoists, who started land grab drive a week ago, have already seized
87 bighas of land in Daulatpur village.

Police records showed that the seized land include five bighas and 17
katthas land owned by Rudra Bahadur Shahi, 12 bighas owned by Prem
Kumari Rana and 70 bighas of land belonging to Ramesh Gyawali. The land
owners have vented anger against the police for not taking steps to free
the land.

British Maoists Criticize “Quixotic” Revolutionaries’ Position on Nepal

This article was sent out on the Maoist Revolution e-list.

On Vicious attacks against the Revolution in Nepal

“Only utopians can divorce themselves from the actual conditions confronting them.”
(Mao, On New Democracy)

Written by members of WPRM(Britain)

On the eve of May Day, the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP) published an article entitled “On the Critical Crossroads in the Nepal Revolution, and the Urgent Need for a Real Rupture with Revisionism” in its organ Revolution (www.revcom.us). This article aimed to refute a document published by the Central Committee of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), UCPN(M), found on (www.wprmbritain.org).

The RCP letter is subtitled, “Observations by a Supporter of that Revolution from a Communist Internationalist Perspective”. However, because Revolution has published it without any comment or criticism, it is fair to assume that it represents the RCP’s position on the revolution in Nepal.

The UCPN(M) Central Committee’s document is entitled “Present Situation and Historical Task of the Proletariat.” Its contents include:

1) A Short Evaluation of Present Situation [Internationally and in Nepal].
2) On the Party Line and Polarization of Revolutionary Communists.
3) From the Latest Peace Process to the Present: on Party’s Problems and Weaknesses.
4) A Rough Sketch of Immediate Plan.

In this article, we want to oppose the anti-revolutionary RCP line and show the importance of building support for the revolution in Nepal. We will look at the RCP’s thesis of ‘revolutionary movement under revisionist leadership’ as well as looking at the realities of the development of the revolution in Nepal.

India: Maoist Spokesperson Speaks on the Revolution in India

This article was published in Monthly Review.

Interview with CPI (Maoist) Spokesperson Gopalji on the Current State of the Revolution in India

In this wide-ranging interview, Gopalji discusses many important issues including: The development of Revolutionary People’s Committees and the Maoists’ efforts to establish fully liberated base areas; the agriculture, education and health projects the Maoists have built; how they conduct military operations to avoid harm to local people; Operation Green Hunt and moves towards a fascist police state; the challenge of developing the revolutionary movement in the plains and among the working class and petty bourgeoisie in the cities; how the Maoists plan to defeat the powerful Indian military and state; and what a New Democratic state would look like in India.

Interview with Gopalji, Spokesperson of the Special Area Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in a Forest in Jharkhand, Eastern India

by Alpa Shah

Communism in the rest of the world seems to have collapsed.  What hope do you have of achieving a socialist state in India?

The claim that there is no hope for socialism and communism, that they are dead, is mere propaganda unleashed by the imperialists and the apologists of capitalism.  The 20th century saw the first round of revolutions led by the working classes and the toiling masses of the communist parties in various parts of the world — the Russian Revolution, the Chinese Revolution, the Revolution in Vietnam and many more.  The 21st century will see a new wave of revolutions led by communist parties such as ours in India.

India: New Internationalist Statement Against Operation Greenhunt

This article was published on Revolutionary Frontlines.

Operation Green Hunt, the People’s Struggle in India, and the International Campaign

by the International Campaign Against War on the People in India

All over the world, people are asking questions about the nature of India’s society and government, and about the war on the adivasis-the tribal peoples-that has recently been launched by that government with strategic assistance from the US and Israel.

Most commentators admit that the Indian people suffered greatly under British rule. Today, it is claimed, India is on a path of rapid technical progress and development; India has its own Silicon Valley, complete with high-tech R&D and hundreds of call centers for everything from Amazon to Victoria’s Secret.  New wealth is being created at a rapid rate, a large middle class is developing that is enjoying shopping malls, multiplex cinemas and imported cars, and much of this wealth is working its way down to the villages and urban slums seen in Slumdog Millionaire.

Largest Democracy in the World?

The most common claim is that India is “the world’s largest democracy.” It is said that India’s elected government has ended the oppressive caste system, which assigned everyone to a specific caste and types of work for life. While the government says it is solving the problem by reserving a certain percentage of jobs and places in schools for dalits (untouchables) and other lower castes, today caste oppression continues to define social reality for Indians, especially in the rural areas.

Nepal: Superbly Organized Against Weak Government

This article was posted on MRZine. Thanks to J for pointing it out.

An Account of the General Strike in Nepal

by Suvrat Raju

While the world media was focused on a boring battle between the Tories and their New Labour cousins in Britain, a historic struggle was underway in Nepal.  Nine months after the victory of the Maoists in the 2008 constituent assembly (CA) elections, bourgeois forces, with support from the Indian government, succeeded in forcing them out of power.  They were replaced by a 22-party coalition, dominated by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) (UML), that has unsuccessfully tried to govern the country since May 2009.  A constitutional crisis looms, since the interim constitution will expire on May 28; the new constitution is far from written and the CA cannot be extended without a deal between the Maoists and the ruling coalition or the declaration of an emergency.  It was in this context that the Maoists called for an indefinite countrywide general strike demanding the resignation of the incumbent Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and the formation of a national unity government.¹

French Translation: Les premiers jours de mai au Népal — Grève générale et provocation

Thanks to the le Comité de Solidarité Franco-Népalais  for this translation. The piece, by Jed Brandt appeared originally in English  jedbrandt.net

Les premiers jours de mai au Népal — Grève générale et provocation

par Jed Brandt

Katmandou, 11 mai — La plus grande mobilisation d’êtres humains dans l’histoire du Népal a amené des centaines de milliers de villageois dans la capitale Katmandou pour les manifestations du premier mai – et le pays tout entier s’est arrêté.

En marche pour défendre les barricades contre les provocations de la droite

Premier Mai !

Le premier mai, cette ville a appartenu aux maoïstes.

De Kalanki au Old Bus Park, les autobus bondés se sont déversés dans la ville. Chaque siège et espace était remplis. Les jeunes hommes étaient perchés sur les toits. Des sacs de riz, de lentilles et de légumes étaient stockés dans les écoles, les salles des fêtes et les chantiers de construction qui ont servi de campements aux manifestants.

Depuis que je suis arrivé à Katmandou, c’a été une chose remarquable de voir le marteau et la faucille flotter si fièrement à travers la ville. Mais le premier mai, voyant les milliers d’ouvriers des syndicats marcher à travers la ville pour accueillir les villageois, dont nombre d’entre eux voyaient une ville pour la première fois – tout cela a rempli de chair et de sang le vieux symbole communiste. Le marteau pour les ouvriers, la faucille pour les paysans.

Nepal’s Revolution: The People have Awakened, There is a Future to Win

Photo by Jed Brandt

This article is from Red Star, the English-language Maoist periodical from Nepal.  This is an important analysis of the progress of the revolution and what the Maoists are fighting for.  Thanks to Alastair, Alistair and ST for the work in making the Red Star essays available.

Victorious but Incomplete Revolution

Netra Bikram Chanda ‘Biplab’

Nepalese Revolution is a victorious but incomplete revolution. The responsibility for completion of the revolution has fallen upon the shoulders of UCPN-Maoist. The gradual development of the favourable situation for the completion of the revolution has made the historic task more responsible. It has been main duty, the duty that is rarely found as an extraordinary task of proletarian class, to fulfill the revolution confidently without hesitation.

Revolution: Victorious but incomplete-

Every revolution has its meaning that it teaches an interesting and valuable lesson to all the people in a short period with unexpected Zigzag way it takes ahead and its radical consequences.

People’s War was an accidental zigzag to break the parliamentary tedious scandal. Initiation of the People’s War unmasked the parliamentary uncontrolled loots and dishonesty, which was forcefully imposed over the labourious people with the help of charismatic words like ‘democracy’, ‘development’, ‘competition’ and ‘wellbeing’ of the people, ‘Peace’ etc. PW had exposed all the misdeeds that created an environment to exploit the people under clamour spread by the preachers of parliamentarianism.

In course of its development, PW had targeted the state power in its centre. The main objective of PW was to make the people owner of the state power by crumbling the thousand year old centralized state power of feudalist and the comprador capitalists down. The people; woke up by the initiation of PW and inspired and encouraged by the continuation of the PW, actively participated in war and due to the historic incessant struggle, they became able to dissolved the local power of reaction. They defeated local tyrants, feudal lords, landlords and the usurers. In course of military resistance, People’s Liberation Army was formed and organized. People’s justice system was built and the People’s economic-cultural systems were begun simultaneously. The combination of education, health and development-construction began and thousands of revolutionary whole-timer cadres were developed. Along with the victorious process of PW, Nepalese people for the first time got glorious opportunity to be the owner of the People’s Power from local to base-area level. They got freedom from local tyrants, feudal-lords, landlords and the puppets and the usurers. Women, dalit, nationalities and the repressed castes and the regions got freedom from hundreds of years old exploitation and repression.

Nepal’s Red Star: Bright Future of Nepalese Revolution

Photo credit: Jed Brandt. For more photos: jedbrandt.net

This article is from Red Star, the English-language Maoist periodical from Nepal.  This is an important analysis of the revolution’s current state and future possibilities. Thanks to Alastair, Alistair  and ST for the work in making the Red Star essays available.

Bright Future of Nepalese Revolution

Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran’

People’s War (PW) was initiated by UCPN-Maoist on 13th February 1996. It has celebrated its 14th anniversary. PW had launched aiming to lead the struggle to the direction of communism through socialism with the process of establishing people’s Democratic Republic of Nepal. That is to say by liberating the country from semi-feudal and semi-colonial situation. To achieve these ultimate goals, the outline of PW was made in the sense of military strategic plan for the development of PW by building base areas in the remote areas. According to it, PW was developed and empowered. It took its rupture and entered into strategic offensive by completing its earlier two phases: strategic offensive and strategic equilibrium. In this process, the tactical series: interim government, democratic republic and Constituent Assembly (CA) were officially decided by the party.

In course of PW, we came into the peace process since after a few time the people’s war had entered into the strategic offensive. In the ideological struggle of peace process, interim government was made and democratic republic of Nepal was declared. And, at the same time, monarchy was suspended. The interim government declared the election of the CA and our party get victory as the largest party in CA. Then, united government was formed under the leadership of our party.

In the process of great PW, thousands brave warriors got martyrdom. Thousands of others became wounded and thousands are missing. The strategic achievement left to be gained in spite of the historic and unprecedented dedication, devotion and sacrifice of the thousands. Therefore, serious questions are being raised.

Incredible India: Operation Green Hunt

For those in New York and interested in what’s going on in Chattisgarh, the following event takes place next week at Hunter College. If this is of interest to Kasama/SAR people (as I hope it is), I’d request it be reposted as a new post on SAR or Kasama. Anyway, one of the speaker’s (Javed Iqbal)’s blog can be found at: http://moonchasing.wordpress.com/

The other (Himanshu Kumar) has a piece from EPW from last year that can be found on Sanhati at: http://sanhati.com/articles/1937/

Date:

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Time:
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:
West Building 215, Hunter College, NYC
Description
South Asia Solidarity Initiative and AID, New York/New Jersey present

INCREDIBLE INDIA: OPERATION GREEN HUNT, SALWA JUDUM AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE INDIGENOUS (ADIVASIS) PEOPLE

Conversation with Himanshu Kumar, Gandhian human rights activist from Chhatisgarh, India

Moderator: Murli Natrajan (SASI and AID)

And a Photo Exhibit by Javed Iqbal

Nepal’s Red Star: Is International Situation Favorable to Revolution?

The following is from the new issue of Nepal’s Maoist English language journal Red Star. At various stages in the Nepal revolution, the argument has been made that the international situation was too hostile to successfully embark on socialist revolution in a small, poor, landlocked country — requiring a long “transition” sub-period that did not cross the threshhold toward socialism or even New Democracy. In other words, the question of “is the international situation favorable?” is connected with a debate among Nepali revolutionaries about whether to press forward the Nepal revolution to victory. (Thanks to Alastar and ST for making these essay of Red Star available for posting).

* * * * * * * *

International situation

FAVOURABLE or UNFAVOURABLE?

by C. P. Gajurel ‘Gaurav’

Secretary of UCPN-Maoist

Communist Movement is an internationalist movement. Goal of all communists, provided they are truly communists, is communism. We should not be confused about vulgar distortions of communism whether it is ‘National communism’ or ‘Euro communism’. Internationalist nature of communists is characterized by the principle ‘either we all reach or none of us’. This is the basis of proletarian internationalism.

International situation is not same as proletarian internationalism.

Apart from the domestic situation, which is decisive, Communist movement is definitely influenced by international situation of the given time. Development of communist movement of a single country definitely depends upon the favourable or unfavourable international situation. Success or failure of revolution of individual country also largely depends on favourable or unfavourable international situation. In many cases, the question of ‘unfavourable international situation’ is being (mis)used by rightists or revisionists to justify their degeneration from a communist or revolutionary to a revisionist or a bourgeois politician. None of the revisionists of the world declare themselves as revisionists; rather they try to show that they are revolutionaries and are still communists. Capitalist class is an exploiter and oppressor class. So it is quite natural that the politicians openly representing the class interest of this class will not be able to garner support from the broad masses.

So in order to garner support of the broad masses, the revisionists, who represent the class interest of the bourgeoisie, disguise themselves as “communists”. They always distort the revolutionary line and situation in service of the bourgeoisie. They are the people who sabotage the revolution from within. Words like “Communism”, “revolution” are the masks of revisionists under which they cover their ugly bourgeois face. Revisionists of this era always prolong or delay or stop the revolution in the pretext of “unfavourable” international situation. They have regular and long time idea which states that no revolution can take place when there is “unfavourable international situation” and for them “unfavourable international situation” is permanent.

Thus the conclusion of this statement is that revolution cannot take place at this era. Therefore, while making assessment of the international situation, we should not be the victim of permanently “no favourable situation therefore no revolution”.

Prachanda: On Ending General Strike…. and the Next Moves

photo: jed Brandt

The following article is from MYREPUBLICA.com. (Props to the Marxist Leninist).

KATHMANDU, May 8:  A day after the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) called off its six-day general strike, the party´s chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal [Prachanda], said the ball is now in the court of the ruling parties and his party would watch their move and take its decisions accordingly.

“We will not negotiate with the ruling parties out of submission. We will see how you (ruling parties) react to the nation and the people, and make the next move accordingly. Now the ball is in the ruling parties´ court,” Dahal said while addressing a rally at the Khulamunch, Saturday.

He also said his party has only changed the nature of its protest — not withdrawn it, and that the strike was just a rehearsal. “The six-day strike is just a rehearsal. We put off the agitation for the time being to make further preparations and give a respite to the people.”

Nepal Red Star’s Interview with Maoist Vice Chairman Bhattarai

Baburam Bhattari

This is from the new issue of Nepal’s Maoist English journal Red Star. Dr Baburam Bhattarai is Vice Chairman of Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. The interview was conducted shortly before May First.

“….we need a continuous solidarity and support from international proletarian forces for the advancement of the revolution and defend it against the imperialist and expansionist forces attack. So, we appeal to all our comrades internationally to continue with the cooperation to defeat  games against revolution of Nepal, for the completion of revolution.”

* * * * * *

How are you analyzing the current political situation of the country?

Nepal is passing through historical transition from feudalism to capitalism. Last sixty years people’s movement as being victorious directed towards abolishing of semi feudal and semi colonial structure and replacing it with a new democratic structure social state system oriented toward socialism.

Nepali Times: Strike Ends, Struggle Continues

Maoists withdraw strike

Friday, May 7th, 2010 (Nepali Times)

The Maoists have withdrawn their indefinite strike following intense international pressure, on the evening that Nepal’s professional organisations and businesses staged a mammoth peace rally in Kathmandu and as resistance spread across the country.

The announcement was made after the party’s standing committee meeting on Friday at 9:15, and was announced as breaking news on all TV channels. Cheers were heard going up in neighbourhoods around the capital.

The Maoists have said they have only “postponed” the Tesro Jana Andolan and thanked the “janata” for their support and solidarity.

“Our protest will now take a different nature and we reserve the right to resume the indefinite strike at a later date,”  Pushpa Kamal Dahal told the media. He announced demonstrations on Saturday noon in metros around the country. On Sunday there is a program to encircle Singha Darbar “until the current puppet government steps down”.

FLASH: General Strike Called Off in Nepal

Jed Brandt just wrote from the capital (about 12 noon EST, early evening in Nepal):

“Prachanda announces end of general strike. Violence from police and vigilante groups was widespread today. Nobody knows yet what this means – the new terms will be announced at mass meetings across the city tomorrow.”

In short: The news is rapidly spreading in Kathamandu, Nepal: The general strike has been called off. The conditions and reasons are not known yet — to the people gathered in the capital, or to us watching from afar.

Announcements of the strike’s end appeared on Nepali TV.

Three hours earlier Jed wrote:

“Vigilante gangs broke off from civil society peace march, attacking protesters rocks and sticks. Police respond by tear-gassing canteen, beating Maoists who responded to the attack. Hindu-chauvinist groups attack Maoists with police assistance in the Terai, targetting leaders. Don’t believe the mainstream press. They smear the movement, portraying right-wing gangs as local residents and protesters as outsiders.”

Yesterday Jed wrote:

“Government intransigent in face of the Maoist mobilization. There is still dancing, but after a week in the streets and the total shut down tempers are rising. Minor clashes are breaking out around banch compliance. Counter-mobilizations are threatened.”

The bandh (shutdown) had been enforced by the large numbers of pro-Maoist activists that had gathered in the capital since May First. Its  main demand had been the resignation of the current unpopular and unelected government.

It is not known yet what this means for the mass movement in the streets. Or for the current government whose resignation was the central demand of the strike.

We will post new information as we know it. Watch this space.

French Translation: Entretien avec un jeune révolutionnaire du Népal

We received this French translation of  an interview conducted in English with Bhupan Paudel, a young member of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal  (Maoist).

Alastair Reith a interviewé récemment Bhupan Paudel, qui est membre de le parti communiste unifié du Népal (maoiste).

Bhuban lutte pour la liberté de son peuple, de sa nation, et de la classe ouvrière internationale, et s’est engagé à fond dans les dernières manifestations de masses qui ont ébranlé le Népal. Il a pris le temps de donner une brève interview au blog « South Asia Révolution » au sujet de la révolution qui se développe en ce moment au Népal et du parti maoïste qui la conduit. Voici une voix originale de la première révolution communiste du 21ème siècle qui nous en parle en ses propres termes.

Merci d’avaoir accepté cet interview, Bhuban. Commençons par le commencement : qu’est ce-que le parti communiste unifié du Népal (maoiste)?

Bhuban: Le PCUN(M) est un parti communiste du Népal qui lutte pour la révolution prolétarienne dans notre pays. Notre parti a été en guerre pendant 10 ans dans le but d’établir le règne du peuple. Maintenant il conduit les prolétaires du Népal, les travailleurs et les communautés marginalisées du pays vers un nouveau Népal, au moyen de la suprématie populaire, de l’unité nationale, et d’une constitution populaire