Nepal: Post-Plenum Interview with Maoist Leader Bhattarai

Baburam Bhattarai

The following interview with Maoist leader Bhattarai comes from ekantipur.com, and responds to  questions about the recent Plenum of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

There is no dispute within the party about the political line we have pursued so far

The just-concluded plenum of the UCPN (Maoist) in Palungtar was expected to provide the party with a clear future political course, which would have an impact on the ongoing peace and constitution writing process. But party leaders deferred the discussion to the Central Committee and instead agreed to formulate an ‘interim strategy’ for the next six months.  Akhilesh Upadhyay and Pranab Kharel met Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattrai of the UCPN (Maoist) to solicit his views on the party’s internal dynamics post-plenum, its relationship with India and Bhattarai’s relationship with Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Has the party come out stronger or weaker from the plenum?

The party has come out stronger after the plenum.  The party is the unity of the opposites, and in that sense the ideological and political struggle that we call the two-line struggle has made the party stronger.

In our party’s history this was the highest form of manifestation of the two-line struggle, which took place among some 7,000 party cadres in the most democratic manner. In that sense, this democratic exercise has strengthened the party.

Arundhati Roy Responds to Sedition Charges

Arundhati Roy (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi)

This was posted in The Hindu.

The following response from Arundhati Roy comes only days after sedition charges have been brought against her from the Indian government for supporting Kashmir autonomy.  She has been a controversial figure, making statements supporting some condemned as “terrorists” by the United States government. Arundhati Roy also authored the essay Walking with the Comrades about her experiences with Indian Maoists.

They can file a charge posthumously against Jawaharlal Nehru too by Arundhati Roy

My reaction to today’s court order directing the Delhi Police to file an FIR against me for waging war against the state: Perhaps they should posthumously file a charge against Jawaharlal Nehru too. Here is what he said about Kashmir:

1. In his telegram to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, “I should like to make it clear that the question of aiding Kashmir in this emergency is not designed in any way to influence the state to accede to India. Our view which we have repeatedly made public is that the question of accession in any disputed territory or state must be decided in accordance with wishes of people and we adhere to this view.” (Telegram 402 Primin-2227 dated 27th October, 1947 to PM of Pakistan repeating telegram addressed to PM of UK).

2. In other telegram to the PM of Pakistan, Pandit Nehru said, “Kashmir’s accession to India was accepted by us at the request of the Maharaja’s government and the most numerously representative popular organization in the state which is predominantly Muslim. Even then it was accepted on condition that as soon as law and order had been restored, the people of Kashmir would decide the question of accession. It is open to them to accede to either Dominion then.” (Telegram No. 255 dated 31 October, 1947).

ACCESSION ISSUE

3. In his broadcast to the nation over All India Radio on 2nd November, 1947, Pandit Nehru said, “We are anxious not to finalise anything in a moment of crisis and without the fullest opportunity to be given to the people of Kashmir to have their say. It is for them ultimately to decide —— And let me make it clear that it has been our policy that where there is a dispute about the accession of a state to either Dominion, the accession must be made by the people of that state. It is in accordance with this policy that we have added a proviso to the Instrument of Accession of Kashmir.”

Maoists Will Defend Nepal’s National Independence

photo: jed brandt

This was posted on msn.com.

Nepal Maoists to foil plot to undermine sovereignty

Kathmandu, Nov 30 (PTI) A senior Maoist leader today underlined the determination of Nepal”s former rebels to foil any plot to undermine national sovereignty.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Maoist vice president, said the party plenum decided to fight plots that threaten national integrity, sovereignty and independence, without naming any country.

Amid conflicting reports that Prachanda had described India as the principal enemy of the party, Shrestha said the extended conclave of the Maoist had decided to fight back Indian interference if it posed threat to the completion of the peace process and framing of the constitution.