Reviewing the one-year period following the split with UCPN (Maoist), Sudha, who is a CPN-Maoist cadre now, said Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had betrayed the people´s revolution.
Meanwhile, CPN-Maoist Secretary Netra Bikram Chand was addressing the gathering. He said the Khil Raj Regmi-led government and the four major parties had invited confrontation by announcing date for fresh Constituent Assembly election and that his party was prepared to retaliate.
However, Sudha was not happy with the achievement of the party in the one year after split. “We could have done a lot within a year. Nevertheless, the way ahead for us is clear now,” Regmi told Republica. She claimed that her party had been successful in informing the people about Dahal´s betrayal to the people´s revolution launched about one-and-a-half decades ago.
Similarly, CPN-Maoist cadre Dambar Rawal, who was present at the mass meet, claimed that while the UCPN (Maoist) stooped low before foreign forces, CPN-Maoist safeguarded national interests and sovereignty.
Justification of split
The seed of the party split was sown during the Balaju meeting just after the peace process began. The cadres had raised questions over the “dual character” of the party leadership.
Leader Netra Bikram Chand had voiced the dissatisfactions of the cadres and countered the leadership by registering the new political line at the Kharipati plenum, which was led by Mohan Baidya. Baidya´s political line was crystallized during the Palungtar plenum leading to the party split last year.
After their general conventions, the two parties are heading in opposite directions. After the Hetauda general convention, the UCPN (Maoist) formally converted into a parliamentary party, while CPN-Maoist adopted the line of people´s revolt.
“Firstly, we have proven that our party has become successful in safeguarding the revolutionary spirit after the mother party´s main leadership adopted a revisionist path and surrendered before the foreign forces,” Jhak Bahadur Malla, CPN-Maoist central committee member, told Republica. He also claimed that his party played a key role in thwarting projects like Upper Trishuli 3´A´ and the BIPPA agreement with India and handover of the Tribhuvan International Airport management to India, which were against the interests of the country.
UCPN (Maoist) leaders, however, have been blaming Baidya for the party split. They also accused the CPN-Maoist of not having concrete political programs.
“All people and party cadres will hail CPN-Maoist if they succeed in justifying the party split. It is not justifiable now to wage another people´s war,” Suk Bahadur Roka Magar, UCPN (Maoist) central committee member told Republica.
Cadres switching parties
A year after the party split, leaders and cadres have been switching parties.
“I think, the process will continue. There are honest leaders and cadres in the UCPN (Maoist) and not all our cadres are honest,” said Regmi. After the party split, leaders including Krishna Dhwaj Khadka and Rekha Sharma returned to the UCPN (Maoist) from the CPN-Maoist.
Party unity
UPCN (Maoist) leaders have been claiming that there is a possibility of unity between the two parties saying the talks in this regard are on.
However, cadres of the CPN-Maoist do not see any possibility of the party unity.
“Party unity is possible only if Dahal abandons his revisionist stance and accepts our revolutionary party line,” said Parbati Rawal, a CPN-Maoist cadre.
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