Maoists dissolve trade union committees

KATHMANDU, March 30: In yet another bid to end factional disputes in its trade union, the UCPN (Maoist) has dissolved the official trade union committee as well as other parallel ones formed by the rival factions.



A meeting of the Maoist Standing Committee on Tuesday took a decision to this effect.



“The meeting decided to form a committee to hold a national convention to elect new leadership,” party standing committee member Netra Bikram Chand told Republica.[break]



The party is yet to decide who will lead the committee. The meeting has also decided to form a panel to investigate into recent series of brawls among the union leaders and take action against the guilty.



The Maoist trade union has been divided vertically into three factions led by Salikram Jammakattel, Badri Bajgain and Lal Dhwaj Nembang; the latter two had formed parallel committees and were involved in brawls with members of the Jammakattel faction in public places.



Jammakattel, who led the official trade union of the party, is close to Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Bajgain is close to Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya and Nembang is close to Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai.



“The party will take strong action against those involved in the assaults,” said Maoist Spokesperson Dinanath Sharma.



Over a dozen trade union leaders, mostly from Baidya and Bhattarai factions, were hospitalized after being injured in the recent series of brawls.



Earlier, the party had decided to dissolve the parallel committee formed by Bajgain and downsize the official trade union from 261 members to 93 members with the mandate of holding the national convention for a leadership.



But the defiant union leaders had challenged the party decision. Bajgain and Nembang had declined to accept Jammakattel as the chief of the national convention organizing committee, while the latter declined to downsize his committee.



Meanwhile, Dahal is scheduled to officially inaugurate the establishment of the so-called People´s Volunteer Bureau on April 3. The bureau, which is to mobilize the youths for a “People´s Revolt” is led by party hard-line leader Netra Bikram Chand.



The meeting decided to expand the bureau from the existing 10 members to 47 members.



The Standing Committee also decided to settle the disputes with the UML over the home ministry and send other ministers into the government as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the party has expressed serious concerns over the recent series of explosions in the southern plains.



“The explosions have been masterminded by rightists to derail the constitution drafting and peace process,” Sharma said.


Maoist youth leaders for party unity



In a bid to end growing factionalism in the party, youth leaders of the UCPN (Maoist) have formed a committee to hold talks with the top leaders for reconciliation.



The 21-member committee, led by youth leader Lekhnath Neupane, comprises leaders from three factions led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Senior Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai.



“We will hold talks with the top three leaders and request them not to talk about splitting the party. We have initiated a campaign for party unity,” said Manarishi Dhital who is a member of the committee.



Neupane and Ishwar Chandra Gyawali are from the Baidya faction, Yubaraj Chaulagain and Dhak Bahadur Malla are from the Dahal faction and Dhital and Kalpana Dhamala are from the Bhattarai faction.



Neupane said the kin of the disappeared and martyrs would also be inducted into the committee.

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