Doctrine of Maoist: Direction of Nepal

The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) indeed has reached the parliament on January 15, 2007 with 83 members. The same parliament some of the Maoists, as its members had abandoned 11 years ago alleging it as a feudalistic and revisionist. And which also had unanimously voted it as a terrorist organization in November 2001. After Nepali Congress, they now are the second largest political party in the Parliament alongside Communist Party of Nepal (UML).

The famous People’s Uprising against the King Gyanendra’s atrocities in April 2006 to the Maoists’ taking oath as parliamentarians and the on going registration of Maoist Cadres and weapons! Undeniably, Nepal, right now is experiencing series of socio-political changes as never before. Change however, should not be mistaken as progress. Change and progress are not synonyms and there exists a big gulf between the two. Although the changes taking place would lead Nepal to a certain direction but there are no absolute assurances that direction will be towards progress.

The lurking uncertainty and suspicions on Nepal’s future is mostly due to the CPNM’s lack of tangible commitments to the sustainable peace and progress, as they continuously contradict their liability by actually what they do. They have not only contradicted the Peace Accord, Arms Management Accord and various memorandums of understanding by obstructing the restoration of police posts, cadres leaving the cantonments, carrying weapons in public places and recruiting the child soldiers. CPNM have also started to adopt oblivion attitude against their own basic principles, which had always served as backbone for the ten years long violence they had endeavored.

The only reason behind the support of socially deprived and excluded people to the Maoist, both physically and ideologically, in their violent socio-political war is the seemingly grass root doctrine the CPNM preached on. The people had nothing to do with Maoism and Imperialism. However, now that the CPNM and other major political parties have agreed upon the interim constitution, there is no space at all for King Gyanendra in the interim statute. And the elated CPNM spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara, last Thursday contextually said that the adoption of the interim constitution means CPNM had achieved its mission as it had actually taken up the weapons to end the monarchy in the country. The statement like this is not only surprising but also suspicious. Maoists’ mission was never an abolishment of the monarchy if the memorandum they put forward on 4 February, 1996 as their objectives behind starting the people war is to be believed. The memorandum listed 40 demands which included among others the abolition of privileges enjoyed by the royals, and demands related to landlessness, caste and ethnic issues and women’s welfare. Furthermore, Monarchy would have been deprived of power through the peoples’ effort itself sooner or later.

As the CPNM has expressed their contentment with the de-positioning of King as the Head of State, the doubts lurk heavily on how and in what form and manner will the Maoist react if monarchy survives through the upcoming Constituent Assembly election? Will they again go back to the jungle to start fresh war? Additionally, if Maoist brushes aside its own basic foundations, which had helped them gain quick popularity among and acceptance of deprived and socially excluded people, it is the country that ultimately have to bear the grave consequences. Even most of those who had despised Maoism, Communism and CPNM itself, had not disagreed to its vision of new egalitarian Nepali society. Hence, at this crucial moment in the fragile Nepal Maoist simply cannot afford to limit its mission on the issue as an abolishment of monarchy.

Failure to live up to the “people centered” expectations popularized by Maoists would cost Nepal its direction towards progress. The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) an organization that fractioned away from CPNM in 2004, alleging it for becoming forgetful towards Terai (plain) people provides an example of the crucial consequence that Nepal might have to face. The JTMM has not only staged protests and strikes but have also demanded an “autonomous Terai province” and that, indigenous peoples of Terai be allowed to run army, police and administration in Terai region. More violent groups of this kind may form in the future. After all in the past thirteen years Maoists have trained many deprived groups not only to launch an organized war against the state mechanisms but also by default these groups have gained massive consciousness on importance of violence for political power. Examples are rampant in today’s Nepal of the groups resorting in the different magnitude of violence to achieve any desired result is quiet prevalent both at macro and micro level.

Maoist have been inclusive in their selection of Parliamentarians, which includes women, members from low caste, ethnic and occupational groups, youth and even a 75 years old elderly member. However, this kind of inclusive representation existed before too. Moreover, a political analyst says a member of ethnic or low caste groups in parliament or government doesn’t necessarily assures the bulk of those who have been deprived too, would enjoy social, economic and political rights. Maoists themselves had preached time and again before that the root causes of inequality and deprivations are feudalisms like nepotism, favoritism and caste system that have played a greater role alongside monarchy in the underdevelopment of Nepal. Ironically, most of the top organizational positions of CPNM including that of major political parties are occupied by high caste people which proves feudalism exist within these stakeholders of new Nepal too. This fact gives enough ground to doubt on the Maoists’ changing doctrine and the direction that Nepal may take would be no better than the one which have been there since 250 years ago.

On the CPNM’s first day in Parliament, its senior leader Chandra Prakash Gajurel in his interview with a reporter of Nepal Television said that his party still has threats from United States. The interview like this doesn’t impress both the United States and the Nepali people. It is now time for Maoist to realize that Nepal is no North Korea or Iran to receive high US political interests. It is also a ripen time for Maoist to realize, as now they would be in Government soon, that the greatest threats for them would be within Nepal if they refrain themselves to live up to the promises and dreams they have shared among the deprived and discriminated people. Instead of trying to view US as an enemy, it would be far beneficial for the country and CPNM itself to open an eye towards the severe poverty, stage of lawlessness, fractured infrastructure and growing violence in the name of regionalism.

If most of the excluded and deprived Nepali people have trusted CPNM then it should also come up with the assurances that it has some programs and agendas for the people beside criticizing on US imperialism and celebrating the powerlessness of Monarchy. People, including those who have accepted them as parliamentarians despite once despising them, also need a genuine conformation that CPNM would not use its militias and weapons ever again and that the claims that it is trying to acquire “crummy weapons” from the Indian state of Bihar for locking up in cantonments so that the modern weapons they have could be hidden, are baseless.