Nepal: PM Bhattarai degraded pride of People’s War

Mohan Baidya Kiran-Pokhrel

Chairman, NCP-Maoists, Nepal

Q1: The party has split. How you have been managing the financial aspect of the party after the split?

Mohan Baidya:  Yes. We are now in a divorced state. The split is there. Such a step has definitely disappointed our cadres and party workers. But let me tell you that when even we were together in the party, now split, the establishment used very much to ignore the nourishment aspect of those who were close to our ideologies. The problem has not arisen because we have split. The fact is that such problems were with us, I mean with those who differed with the establishment even when we were together in the same party for long. But as you have rightly pointed out that our party has some problems as regards the management of our party cadres. The problems are there for sure. To manage the party’s financial situation, we have brought in some new programs. For example, we would encourage the party cadres and workers to get themselves engaged in productive works, production oriented jobs, and also have planned to regulate and manage the levy for the party in a desirable manner. These decisions have already been taken. If this falls short then we will bring in some more substantial and effective measures and manage the affairs related with the party cadres and workers.

Q2: We have been told that you freshly met Maoists Chairman Prachanda. What transpired in between you two? Can you shed some light on your meet with Chairman Dahal?

Mohan Baidya: Our demand had been to initiate dialogue as regards to settle the differences on the issues of the party offices and its properties. He also acknowledged our proposal and accepted for the meet. In fact he-Dahal-provided positive nods for the next get together. At the meet we have agreed not to make our party cadres and workers to fight with each other. And also we have decided that the main issue would be settled with the participation of men from both the sides in an amicable manner.  Apart from this, Prachanda had asked for my party’s support for the revival of the now dead constituent assembly body. I said well, if the CA body is to be revived then let’s first have a round table conference. I also said that the CA body was kept alive for four years yet it could produce no positive results. Thus with the revival simply of the now dead body will make little difference. This is what I said to him. I also warned him that if you talk only with the three parties then the things might even go from bad to worse and thus I suggested him to seek the support of all those now ignored parties plus of those as well who have jumped to the streets with their fresh demands. I told him that let’s all meet together but not the three parties alone and initiate dialogues on issues that have been now confronting the nation and come to an all acceptable conclusion.

He said YES.  We will meet again, is what Prachanda assured me during the talks.  

Q3: Are you in favor of the revival of the CA body or not? What are your conditions for the revival of the now dead CA body?

Mohan Baidya: In the given circumstances, we will not provide our consent to the issue for the revival of the CA body.  And what we also believe is that in the existing situation, the holding of the election too were not a possible and acceptable proposition. These events will not bring out the country from the current political mess. Something new and substantial must be there. For this, I mean, at least the entire stakeholders should sit together and find out a common agenda. What then next? This is an entirely different matter.

We disapprove the attitude and the behavior of the “three party meet” which decides everything for the entire country. This syndicate system must go once and for all. We will not accept henceforth such decisions being made by the three parties alone.

Q4: You have split the party. Now tell us what were the agenda(s) taken up by the two parties, yours and Dahal’s, which were different than each other?

Mohan Baidya: We have dubbed them as rightist and novo-revisionist. We have taken the Unified Maoists party as a communist party in the history of Nepal which has taken up the wrong way. Likewise, there are issues pertaining to the constitution drafting processes. We entered into this system by announcing that we will draft a Federal Republican Constitution for the country to which Chairman Dahal too has/had his consent. He also speaks of the same which differs in his attitude and behaviors. 

We sharply differ with Dahal’s party on matters pertaining to the national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The differences in this regard are aplenty. We even differ on how to develop our inter-party relations in the days ahead and also on count of what sort of constitution be drafted? I would say, our differing opinions have even multiplied. We have stressed on the need of the draft of a constitution based on the premise of People’s Federal Republican order. Though in words they are close to our opinions yet in actual practice they find themselves now closer to the Nepali Congress line of thought. They just want a constitution the Nepali Congress desired. Thus analyzing these differing trends, I think we now have abundant theoretical and political differences. On many issues we have differing stances.

Q5: Some even allege you and your party that for an elevated position few people forced the party to this split? What say you?

Mohan Baidya: It is most insane talk who allege as the party saw a split because of grabbing party positions. It is just nonsense talk and nothing more than that. I don’t care as to what others have been saying of us after the split. If you talk of me having a desire to have some elevated post then you must understand that I was the one who pleasingly accepted Prachanda as the leader of the party. He was the party leader for long time. We had all accepted his leadership. This is a fact. We have worked under his command. This is also a reality. Thus I would abstain from talking on this issue as raised by you anymore.

Q6: Did some others tried? Some dared to do so?

Mohan Baidya: No. It is not that. Mind it that a new party doesn’t come into existence out of personal whims instead circumstance give birth to parties. Those who allege that the party was split for position and post are doing so with a deliberate aim to assassinate the characters of the men who were with us. This is summarily a nonsense talk. Such allegations crop up as a matter of fact when one doesn’t have any other factual allegations to be labeled upon.

The fact is that we split because we have had several theoretical and ideological differences. This is the bona fide fact.

Q7: So how you take or make opinions about the government now being led by Babu Ram Bhattarai?

Mohan Baidya:  From the very beginning of the formation of Dr. Bhattarai’s government, we had been airing that this government is not a good one. From day one we had been saying so. Though we are the declared opponents of this government, however, other parties too have come up against this government. They have brought up several protest programs.  But let me tell you that my party has no connections with their separate struggle programs.

We want several but suitable solutions confronting the nation as regards the change of government and other political issues. We wish that these both go together. But unfortunately the Nepali Congress has no such any agenda than that of controlling the command of the next government.  This is their single point agenda. This is what I presume. They just want to be in the government by replacing the current one.

Q8: You remained together with Comrade Prachanda for over three decades. Now you have divorced your relations with him. How you found him?

Mohan Baidya:  He was a nice man in the initial days. At time of MASHAL, I quit the post and made him the General Secretary. He was also the GS while serving the Unity Center. He was a fine person then and doing party job well. Even at time of the People’s War, he was doing well and provided the party with an able leadership; however, over these years we could observe dramatic changes in him.

Q9: Why it could have been so?

Mohan Baidya:  A human being has some iota of low capitalist mentality inside his or her inner heart. Even during the KHARA attack while the people war was going on, Chairman Prachanda began exhibiting his frustrated behaviors. He then began studying books on Imperialism. As a result, he began voicing that Imperialism is too strong which could in no way be dismissed and made redundant. He began analyzing Imperialism in just the opposite manner to our utter surprise. The main thing is that he got tired from the processes of revolution.  In the process his interactions and meeting with the Imperialist and also with the Expansionists took a new dimension. I think, it were these reasons that Dahal got tired and deviated from the path of revolution and thus the changes observed in him. This is what I presume.

Q10: How were you introduced with Babu Ram Bhattarai?

Mohan Baidya: I must admit honestly that Bhattarai did splendid jobs in the initial period of the people’s war.  But lately, he has deviated from the chartered part in a surprising and unbelievable manner. What is noticeable is that the line which is being observed in the Unified Maoists party, Dr. Bhattarai has been successful in even dragging Chairman Dahal to his preferred deviated line. But most importantly, some symptoms like, submitting and serving the expansionists by surrendering Nepali sovereignty completely to the mercy of the expansionist forces are some of his noticeable deviations. What Bhattarai has done over these recent months could be taken as the great insult to the spirit of the people’s war.  He has caused severe damage to the pride of the people’s war for his petty political reasons which could be observed in his behavior as well.

Text Courtesy: Jana-Ahwan National Weekly dated July 13, 2012: Sincere Thanks: Ed.

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