CPN-Maoist names new principal enemy

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Nov 1: In a major policy shift, the CPN-Maoist, the breakaway faction of the UCPN (Maoist), has named a combination of political, bureaucratic and ´comprador´ capitalist elements ´protected and guided by Indian expansionists´ as its principal enemy.

According to a political document presented at its central committee meeting by party Chairman Mohan Baidya this past week, the main contemporary contradiction of the Nepali people is with compradors, bureaucrats and capitalists guided and protected by Indian expansionists.

The newly-formed Maoist party also said that a significant change in the political and social situation seen during the past two years had compelled the party to redefine its principal enemy.

Defining of a principal enemy in a communist party´s official document carries special significance because all the activities of such a party are designed and executed to defeat the "principal enemy".

According to commentators, this latest process of redefinition floated by the CPN-Maoist demonstrates a major shift from a policy adopted two years back when the UCPN (Maoist) party was united. The party had then defined Indian expansionists blended with domestic reactionary forces as the party´s principal enemy.

Further explaining the nature of the presence of the principal enemy in different state organs, the CPN-Maoist said that a section of all major political parties including the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and Madhes-based parties are protected and guided by Indian expansionists.

Such a trend is also visible in those bureaucratic and business classes that work to serve the interests of Indian expansionists and act against the national interests, it is stated. Most of the bureaucrats coming from the elite classes also fall under the principal enemy category, said the documents seen by Republica.

Similarly, Chairman Baidya´s political document has pinpointed American imperialism and Indian expansionism as enemies and said that with the rise of the European Union and other regional alliances, the US had lost its superpower status and the world had become multi-polar.

Defining the principal enemy was the main issue in the debate among the three factions led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairmen duo Baidya and Baburam Bhattarai, during the Palungtar plenum two years.

Dahal and Baidya had taken a stance defining Indian expansionist as the principal enemy whereas Bhattarai had opposed that idea and had argued that it was not Indian expansionists but domestic reactionary forces, especially feudal ones, that should be defined as the principal enemy.

The plenum finally endorsed the version floated by Dahal and Baidya, forcing the Bhattarai faction to write a note of dissent. However, within three months, Dahal had turned to the Bhattarai faction and Baidya had written the note of dissent.
from Republica