Dahal on war path again

Editorial
Dahal on war path again

FROM ISSUE #537 (21 JAN 2011 - 27 JAN 2011) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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BILASH RAI

Judging from Pushpa Kamal Dahal's latest outburst, you'd be forgiven for thinking war, in the form of a people's revolt, was imminent. Or you might just shrug, noting that Dahal's threats to smash the state were delivered at a training session for junior cadres of the Maoist Party. He needed to sound tough ahead of the formal handover of command to the Special Committee in the Shaktikhor camp on Saturday.

After all, despite the Chairman's strenuous objections, UNMIN has left (the only concession from Karin Landgren being the virulently red scarves sported by herself and a colleague at the farewell bash the Maoists organised in her honour). Not one to be seen wailing in UNMIN's wake, Dahal's next move was to sound as warlike as possible.

The idiocy and hypocrisy of threatening to boost YCL numbers to half a million to execute state capture just exposes the Catch-22 Dahal finds himself in. He can't claim leadership of a successful party in sync with the revolution without breathing fire and brimstone to cover up its failures (read 'bourgeois compromises'). But every such speech he delivers makes success less likely.

Threats to grab power and turn the country totalitarian deepen the gulf of mistrust between the Maoists and the rest, who are ever more determined to exclude them from power. Fired up cadres may support Dahal, but as a result of their zeal will continue to push the party towards unrealistic and damaging strategies such as the nationwide strike last May. Sooner or later, Dahal will be wholly trapped by the hollowness of his rhetoric.

Believers of Dahal's revolution insist he is sincere in his dealings with those who matter (his cadres), and his two-facedness with the rest is actually an asset. For those with revolutionary blinkers, it doesn't matter if the rest are against them because they are bent on grabbing power through violence.

Something is clearly rotten in the state of Dahal. You'd have to be seriously deficient to blame the media for playing up divisions within Maoist ranks when Dahal alludes to the "defeat" of India's choice of prime minister (Bhattarai). Bhattarai boycotts the training program upon learning that he is not to be allowed to read out his statement of dissent; his wife and politburo member Hisila Yami is hustled off the stage when she asks for clarification. The cracks may be papered over one more time, but the claim that the 'two-line struggle' as all good sporting revolutionary fun is wearing rather thin.

Ultimately, this country will only be stable once there is a Maoist party that other parties and Nepal's two big neighbours trust. Dahal's tactic of beating war drums is the wrong strategy, and completely counterproductive to himself and his party.

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1. who cares
"NO MAOIST" will more likely to bring peace, prosperity, rule of law, social harmony, freedom etc etc than trusted maoist.

Posted on: 21 JAN 2011 | 10:24 AM NST

2. Nirmal
If Dahal is in state of szchizofrenia at present, it is not because he bite the dog, solely because the environment helped him to enter into that phase. By the way, these rebel revolutionaries were inducted in the govt before being disarmed, they were allowed to compete in the elections with their guns, they had the very chance to lead the government and all that, as armed revolutionaries, only stupids can afford this olympic mistake in politics. If the Maoists are with their rhetoric of revolt or revolution and blah blah and it makes you be afraid to live in "your democratic society with all your democratic partners". why don't you people ask "your friends" not to allow armed ones do free politics unless they are disarmed. "Your friends" are equally dogmatics as the Maoists in many ways, no matter the color -red or blue-. So bashing on the Maoists alone will just add more miseries in the destiny of your friends than ever before.

Posted on: 21 JAN 2011 | 6:17 PM NST

3. Kamal Kishor

Very good.

Dahal is a failure and we will see the net result in the next election.Â� He was given a mandate by the people but he miserably failed to fulfillÂ� it. He has created more division and illusions in his own party but has been helpful to other parties in exposing hisÂ� true colors. Instead of talking nonsense,Â� if takes middle path and convince others of his willingness to go together, and forges a partnership with others, he might be rewarded again but as the things go, there is little chance thatÂ� he will be rewarded in the next election because he has done nothing for the reward.Â� That is why, they will tryÂ� to blockÂ� elections as much possible and capture the government withÂ� manuvering.

Unfortunately, others have understood him correctly.

Posted on: 21 JAN 2011 | 7:23 PM NST

4. K. K. Sharma

What you say, depends on finding out whether the Maoist insurgency was homegrown, and that only afterwards India (RAW) had come in to support them or that Maoists were the product of Indian ( RAW) instigation, support and shelter from the very beginning..

If it was the latter, then all this rant of Prachanda baje is hot wind. But if it was the former, then there would be substance in what Prachanda is ranting and raving about.

So first be sure on the factor of the advent of the Maoists, before making any judgement. If the Maoist insurgencywas independent of India initially, then they can revert back to insurgency. If they were used by India form the very begining, then Maoist cannot revert back..

Posted on: 21 JAN 2011 | 9:36 PM NST

5. Arthur
"Ultimately, this country will only be stable once there is a Maoist party that other parties and Nepal's two big neighbours trust. Dahal's tactic of beating war drums is the wrong strategy, and completely counterproductive to himself and his party."

But the people don't trust the other parties or the neighbours.

Nobody has suggested revolt is imminent. But it is very clear that attempting military or "Presidential" rule without elections after May will result in people's revolt.

This is easy to understand. What else would you expect?

If the Maoist tactics are so "completely counterproductive", how come both Nepali Times and Narayan Wagle in Nagarik are now calling on NC to accept a Maoist led government? Were either of them saying so before the threat of revolt?

Wouldn't it be a lot more counterproductive to pretend that there will be no revolt if military or "Presidential" rule is imposed instead elections. There is obviously no way Maoists could be believed if they promised not to revolt under such circumstances but it would be unbelievably stupid for them to encourage military or "Presidential" rule by pretending that there is the slightest possibility it would not result in revolt.

There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the likelihood of success in carrying through a constitution and elections without a people's revolt. But in the event of military or "Presidential" rule without elections does anybody seriously doubt that both Prachanda and Bhatterai will be among those leading the revolt?

Posted on: 21 JAN 2011 | 11:58 PM NST

6. Satya Nepali

Right, same old refrain from the past 5 years: the Maoists should "transform" themselves. Back in 2005 we were told, by the likes of Mr. Dixit, that the Maoists were more than willing to transform. Only a dictatorial king (who was trying to hold long-delayed elections, by the way) stood in the way. 2011 now ( = nearly 6 years), and the Maoists still show little sign of "transforming".

Who really has been, is being, insincere to the people of Nepal?!

Posted on: 22 JAN 2011 | 5:04 AM NST

7. kabulekanchho
Kaamred Prachande has now finished all dogmatic rhetoric in his arsenal. Intellectually he was a cipher before and all these years "overground" did not help him to wipe out the deficit and create a reserve he could use in a saner world. His never ending fight with Lalldhoj for supremacy would definitely hit the last nail in the coffin (read Maobaddies' chances of forming a government). Looks like there is no country (and hope) for this ageing Stalinist from our beloved Gaijatraland!

Posted on: 24 JAN 2011 | 5:58 AM NST