CPN-Maoists debate people's war vs revolt

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 12: Expressing agreement with the main thrust of the political document presented by party Chairman Mohan Baidya, representatives to the CPN-Maoist General Convention on Friday asked for clarity whether the roadmap is for ´people´s war´ or ´people´s revolt´. The representatives discussed what to make the main goal: ´revolt´ or ´people´s war.´

Baidya´s political document is for completing the ´people´s revolt´ on the foundation of the ´people´s war.´

The party formed 21 groups on Thursday for discussing the political document and the party statute presented by Secretary Dev Gurung. The group leaders will present their groups´ comments on the document and the party statue from tomorrow.

"The main discussion is based on what should be the main issue, people´s war or people´s revolt," said a Magarat state committee member. The arguments on both sides were presented forcefully.

Those cadres for people´s war argued that there was no foundation now for a people´s war. The PLA, the people´s government and people´s courts were already dissolved.

"The main issue is people´s war but how to make it unique for Nepal and different from the previous people´s war? The document is unclear about people´s revolt, just like Prachand [Pushpa Kamal Dahal ] was," said a participant quoting another participant.

They argued that only after the formation of the PLA and people´s courts and government could they launch an armed revolt.

Referring to Nepal´s situation, they said that the then USSR was not the right model for armed revolt as Nepal is still semi-feudal and semi-colonial. They argued that Nepal is not neo-colonial as stated by the party but semi-colonial and that "people´s war is the character of Nepal´s revolution." The party has concluded that Nepal is semi-feudal and neo-colonial.

"The people´s war should be launched after deciding where we are right now. We fell from the peak of Everest and do not know how far we have fallen. We should first find that out and start anew from there, not from zero," a participant quoted someone as saying at the discussions.

Those who argued for people´s revolt said that there was no going back to people´s war. So, the party should form the party organization and its army for a revolt.
"But the bases for this should be clear," a participant was quoted as saying at the discussions.

The representatives also said that the document´s analysis of people´s war and people´s revolt was just eclecticism.

The participants further argued that the party should guarantee that there would not be any betrayal of the revolution and that the leadership would not morph into another Dahal or Baburam Bhattarai.

For this, they argued that the party leaders should change their livestyles and make public their property and its sources. And all property of at lest those from the central committee level up should be handed over to the party.

The cadres from Rolpa, the cradle of the decade-long Maoist people´s war, argued that the people´s war should now start from the cities.

"We can win. We should not abandon our agenda. We should start where we left off in the people´s war. The general convention must make clear the stage we are at now," a participant quoted a Rolpali cadre as saying.
from Republica