KATHMANDU, May 12: Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal has apologized to intellectuals and denizens of Kathmandu for saying that those “neat and clean urbanites humiliated the shabbily-dressed and dirty rural folks" who hit Kathmandu streets during the six-day indefinite general strike that ended in fiasco on Friday.
“I express regret if you were hurt by my expressions the other day. I want to apologize,” said Dahal during an interaction with intellectuals at Hotel Yak and Yeti on Wednesday. [break]
On May 8, a day after his party withdrew the general strike, Dahal had publicly challenged the “clean and neat” journalists and writers for “humiliating the dirty rustics” and warned them of consequences.
Dahal however said 99 percent intellectuals are “wise” and one percent “fools”. According to him, only those one percent intellectuals humiliated the rural folks.
“I will embrace all the criticism against my personal shortcomings,” he said.
He is not eyeing PM post
Dahal said he felt hurt by the media reports and “rumors” that Maoists enforced the general strike for the sake of making himself the prime minister.
“I took the initiatives in the party to decide that Maoists are open about any political party or individual to lead the government for the sake of peace process and constitution,” said Dahal. On Monday, the Maoist party had decided to keep options open for the prime ministerial candidate.
Indefinite strike decision was wrong
Dahal said the party´s decision to enforce the indefinite general strike was wrong. “We unanimously reached a conclusion that the decision to enforce the indefinite general strike was wrong. That was a lesson for us,” said Dahal adding that his party would not commit such mistake in the future.
He argued that the peace rally held in Kathmandu on Friday and other incidents of retaliations, including that of Birgunj, were infiltrated by regressive elements. “That´s the reason why we had requested the peace rally organizers in Kathmandu to postpone it for some time,” he said.
According to Dahal, there was a conspiracy to massacre dozens of Maoist protestors and incite violence and dismantle the peace process. He said that was the reason why the party withdrew the general strike. “There was conspiracy to pit people against people and derail the peace process. We knew that withdrawing the strike will have adverse psychological impacts on our cadres. But we did it for the sake of peace,” he said.
Integration possible in 4 months
Dahal said his party is ready to complete integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants within four months. “We are ready to complete the process within the extended four months period of the UNMIN,” he said. According to him, his party is ready to differentiate those to be integrated into the security forces and those to be rehabilitated and keep them in separate camps by mid-June. “We are ready to cut off our relationship with the combatants in the cantonments,” he said.
Dahal however said the talks could not move ahead as the ruling parties are pressing the Maoists to first set the number to be integrated. “It is an attempt to humiliate and finish off the Maoists,” he said.
Ready to dismantle YCL paramilitary structure
He said he is ready to turn the UCPN-M into a civilian party by dismantling the paramilitary structure of YCL. “We can remove them from the barrack within four or five days,” he said. He also opined that the parties should be ready to form a commission on forced disappearances by taking Nepal Army into confidence and set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “We are ready to become a responsible party,” he said adding that he is also ready to immediately settle the issue of public and private properties seized by the Maoists. He also said that the differences over the contents of the constitution could be ironed out by forming a commission.
Govt dancing to foreign tunes
“But I am becoming more convinced that the prime minister is not ready to step down even if his party CPN-UML makes a decision in this regard,” said Dahal. According to him, the prime minister had earlier agreed to resign after coming back from Thimpu, but changed his mind after holding talks with foreign leaders. “What I have understood is that the government is not in a mind to quit. The constitution would not be drafted even if the CA term is extended for another year,” he said.
Dahal appealed to the masses to pressure the government to quit for the sake of national consensus. “Let´s say it in one voice, and that will lead to solutions,” said Dahal.
´Educated mass can´t be fooled´
When comedian Madan Krishna Shrestha was speaking, some Maoist cadres who were sitting at the back of the room tried to boo him.
"The other day you spoke immorally," said a Maoist cadre, referring to his performance at the peace rally at Basantapur on Friday. Shrestha, however, went on speaking. He addressed the participants as "The neat and clean individuals, vigilantes, traitors or who we are..."
"I thank (Maoists) for calling off the indefinite general strike," he said. "The country was on the verge of an accident. But you saved it," he said. He also requested the Maoists not to enforce indefinite general strike any more. According to him, enforcing the general strike is like tying the mother with a chain until she dies.
Shrestha said the Rana oligarchy lasted for 104 years as the people were uneducated, and the Panchayat system survived for 30 years even though a sizeable mass was educated. The comedy artiste, who was serious, said that the country has sufficient number educated people due to the mushrooming private and public schools. "The educated class doesn´t want rule of individuals; it wants rule of law," he said.
A few Maoist cadres booed him again. "Why did you call me here? Please go ahead hand-in-hand," he said.
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