Maoists will take up arms: Baidya

January 17, 2013

Chairman Baidya speaks to media. (Bijay Rai)

The CPN-Maoist on Wednesday warned that the party will take up arms if the state power cannot assure the rights of the people.

Speaking at a press meet organized here by the party following the conclusion Tuesday of its seventh general convention, the CPN-Maoist also informed that the time for the revolt will be determined by the political situation.

“Give rights to the people. It the people get their rights, who will take up arms? Nobody. Why is the state conspiring instead of assuring people their rights in accordance with previous agreements and assurances. If rights are not given to people, it is sure that arms will be taken up,” answered Mohan Baidya, newly elected chairman of the CPN-Maoist, when asked about the reason for people’s revolt.

“As far as the date for launching a revolt is concerned, it is not a matter to be announced at present. It will rather be determined by the circumstances. Asked when they would launch their revolt, Baidya said, “We will launch the people’s revolt or people’s war as and when circumstances compel us because no one takes up arms just on the basis of the whim or interests of certain leaders”. “Arms will be taken up by any other force also when the situation so demands, even if we ourselves drop the idea.”

The general convention endorsed the launching of a people’s revolt on the foundation of the decade-long people’s war as the party’s political line. The foundation of the people’s war is people’s government, people’s court and people’s liberation army, according to the party line.

The experience of war and the experience of running people’s government and people’s courts during the insurgency will be the Maoists’ foundation for people’s revolt, Baidya said when asked if the party was going to revive them.

Armed struggle was notthing new, he argued, pointing out that the USA, which claims to be the proponent of human rights, also took up arms. The NC and UML had also taken up arms in the past. According to him, they forgot that once they attained power. Then they started to criticize the issue of arms.

Similarly, the general convention has endorsed an immediate program for bringing in a people’s federal republic, a people’s constitution and a national joint government.

CPN-Maoist press meet. (Photo: Bijay Rai)

Talking to media persons, he termed the current government a puppet government, arguing that it signed the BIPPA agreement with India and allowed India to undertake security responsibilities at 15 airports, claiming that these are anti-nationalist activities. In the past, the UCPN(Maoist) had termed the Madhav Nepal government a puppet government.

Baidya accused the political parties including the UCPN (Maoist) of abandoning the entire agenda of the people and not following up on previous agreements. He said a new agreement should be worked out in accordance with the changing situation, as the earlier agreements had failed.

“The 12-point deal and the comprehensive peace accord have all failed. We should work out a new agreement in accordance with the changed situation,” said Baidya.

He also made it clear that his party would not join the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML protests. According to him, they can go together only in demanding that the Bhattarai government step down.

“But we can keep up debates with them,” he said.

Baidya urged media to strike a balance over coverage of the killing of journalist Dekendra Thapa, informing that journalist Krishna Sen was also killed during the insurgency, by state forces.

“You [media] are projecting cases unilaterally. Raise the issue of journalist Krishna Sen also,” added Baidya.

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CPN-Maoists debate people’s war vs revolt

By Kiran Pun
January 12, 2013

Maoist fighter in Nepal

Expressing agreement with the main thrust of the political document presented by party Chairman Mohan Baidya, representatives to the CPN-Maoist General Convention on Friday asked for clarity whether the roadmap is for ‘people’s war’ or ‘people’s revolt’. The representatives discussed what to make the main goal: ‘revolt’ or ‘people’s war.’

Baidya’s political document is for completing the ‘people’s revolt’ on the foundation of the ‘people’s war.’

The party formed 21 groups on Thursday for discussing the political document and the party statute presented by Secretary Dev Gurung. The group leaders will present their groups’ comments on the document and the party statue from tomorrow.

“The main discussion is based on what should be the main issue, people’s war or people’s revolt,” said a Magarat state committee member. The arguments on both sides were presented forcefully.

Those cadres for people’s war argued that there was no foundation now for a people’s war. The PLA, the people’s government and people’s courts were already dissolved.

“The main issue is people’s war but how to make it unique for Nepal and different from the previous people’s war? The document is unclear about people’s revolt, just like Prachand [Pushpa Kamal Dahal ] was,” said a participant quoting another participant.

They argued that only after the formation of the PLA and people’s courts and government could they launch an armed revolt.

Referring to Nepal’s situation, they said that the then USSR was not the right model for armed revolt as Nepal is still semi-feudal and semi-colonial. They argued that Nepal is not neo-colonial as stated by the party but semi-colonial and that “people’s war is the character of Nepal’s revolution.” The party has concluded that Nepal is semi-feudal and neo-colonial.

“The people’s war should be launched after deciding where we are right now. We fell from the peak of Everest and do not know how far we have fallen. We should first find that out and start anew from there, not from zero,” a participant quoted someone as saying at the discussions.

Those who argued for people’s revolt said that there was no going back to people’s war. So, the party should form the party organization and its army for a revolt.

“But the bases for this should be clear,” a participant was quoted as saying at the discussions.

The representatives also said that the document’s analysis of people’s war and people’s revolt was just eclecticism.

The participants further argued that the party should guarantee that there would not be any betrayal of the revolution and that the leadership would not morph into another Dahal or Baburam Bhattarai.

For this, they argued that the party leaders should change their livestyles and make public their property and its sources. And all property of at lest those from the central committee level up should be handed over to the party.

The cadres from Rolpa, the cradle of the decade-long Maoist people’s war, argued that the people’s war should now start from the cities.

“We can win. We should not abandon our agenda. We should start where we left off in the people’s war. The general convention must make clear the stage we are at now,” a participant quoted a Rolpali cadre as saying.

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