The ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has announced it is organizing massive rallies at eight major locations in the country on April 6 while the rebel communist parties — Revolutionary Left Wing (RLW), Unified People’s Front (UPF), Communist Party of Nepal (United) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) led by Matrika Yadav — have forged an alliance to enforce a general strike coinciding with that day, purportedly in a bid to dampen the Maoist´s program.[break]
Communist parties in Nepal have been celebrating April 6 since 1990 to mark the unity of all leftist parties in abolishing the partyless Panchayat system through the people’s movement that year.
A two-day meeting of the four rebel communist parties, which concluded on Friday, has issued directives to their cadres across the country to enforce a nationwide strike on April 6.
“We have called a nationwide strike on April 6 against the highhandedness of the UML and the Maoist because we feel that the real objective of the leftists in Nepal hasn’t yet been fulfilled,” said coordinator of RLW Mani Thapa.
Thapa said the alliance is prepared to face dire consequences to make its program successful.
The alliance has decided that senior leaders of the four parties will court arrest during the general strike.
Coming down hard on the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and the Maoist, Thapa charged that the UML and the Maoist have ridiculed the values of communism.
“The Maoist-led government has totally ignored our genuine demands,” he said.
RLW has handed over its 29-point demand to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. It has demanded immediate release of Rs. 1 million to families of those killed during the decade-long conflict, a public debate on the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, and abrogation of the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty with India, among other things.
Although Matrika Yadav, who defected from the Maoist, has not yet announced the formation of his own party, he has expressed firm commitment to cooperating with the recently forged alliance.
“We are trying to include in our alliance all communist parties that are still maintaining the real values of communism,” said Thapa, adding, “Basically, we will expose the UML and the Maoist.”
Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma has expressed surprise over the decision of the rebel communists.
“Ours is an already-announced program and it will go ahead,” Sharma said, adding, “I am surprised that they have announced a stir.”
The Maoist has scheduled mass meetings in Pokhara, Dang, Biratnagar, Kathmandu, Kanchanpur, Nepalgunj, Janakpur and Butwal, marking the end of its people’s awareness and development campaign launched some three months ago. According to a recent Maoist secretariat meeting, senior Maoist leaders will address the mass meetings.
ghanashyam@myrepublica.com
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