KATHMANDU, Feb 26: Members of the Young Communist League (YCL), who have been demanding equal treatment on par with PLA members, have accused Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal of using them to secure place in the capital´s power corridors, and leaving them in the lurch.
YCL members had met Dahal at the party headquarters at Paris Danda on Saturday to talk about demands including rehabilitation packages to the YCL members from PLA.
“You talk big about revolution and sacrifice. Mao sacrificed his son for the cause of revolution, but you did not. Wives of the comrades abandoned their husbands. But all the senior leaders had the company of their spouses. And now you talk about ideal!” a participant quoted Dhruba Ghimire, coordinator of YCL Magarat State Committee, as telling Dahal.
According to party insiders, over 3,500 PLA members were recruited in YCL back in 2007 to foment an urban insurrection for capturing state, and they are unhappy as the PLA members are receiving hefty paychecks while many of the former fighters in the YCL are struggling for two square meals a day.
“An ordinary school teacher became Prachanda using 10,000 people as stepping stones. Now those people are being kicked away,” Ghimire stated at the meeting.
Top office bearers, including Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, were also present at the meeting.
The party had collected Rs 1,000 from the PLA members for YCL members, but the latter say they have not received that money.
On February 20, they had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the party to address their demands.
Some other members had asked Dahal to speak out his mind and not lie to them. “You state clearly whether you can lead the revolution, and we will choose our path. How long will you deceive us? You took away important years of our youth. We can not stand it any longer,” a participant quoted Indra Angbuhang, YCL leader from Limbuwan, as saying.
According to leaders, YCL members had also talked to Dahal on Friday, but the meeting turned tense after Dahal told them not to encircle him. Later they had agreed to meet on Saturday.
“It should be us YCL members who should be frustrated and angry, not you. You have a house, clothes and food. But we don´t have,” Angbuhang told Dahal.
"I´ve not received the money meant for the YCL," YCL member Shyam Kumar Budha Magar quoted Dahal as saying.
Dahal, however, conceded that he had received part of that amount during the indefinite general strike in 2010.
The YCL leaders say they don´t trust the chairman´s verbal commitment. “We´ll not stop our agitation until we are promised in writing,” said Sabitra Dura, coordinator of YCL Tamuwan Sate Committee.
The YCL have been staging protest demanding that the party fulfill its commitment to treat YCL cadres on par with the PLA personnel.
They are scheduled to encircle the residence of Dahal at Lazimpat indefinitely from March 6. | |
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