UCPN(Maoist) out to re-activate YCL

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 15: The ruling UCPN (Maoist) is soon to revive the long inactive Young Communist League (YCL) in its previous form.

The political document endorsed Saturday for the party´s upcoming general convention on February 2 has stated that the party should take steps to activate the YCL immediately in its previous form.

The YCL had been made inactive following criticisms by the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (UML) and their demands for the dissolution of its paramilitary structure.

"The party should take steps immediately to develop the YCL as a leading organization of youths and an auxiliary organization of the party," reads the party´s political document under the sub-heading Short-term political slogan, joint front and work plan.

In fact, the YCL was made inactive not only in response to the opposition parties but also because of intra-party rifts.

Questions had been raised within the party about the YCL, saying it had defamed the party and would be still more harmful for the party´s image. Party leaders had mainly questioned the YCL´s hooliganism and this was the main criticism of the Mohan Baidya faction and even of those close to the Dahal faction.

After the Palungtar plenum, UCPN(Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had shifted closer to Mohan Baidya´s political line of people´s revolt.

The party had then brought in a new formation, People´s Volunteers, with Netra Bikram Chand in charge.

Some YCL leaders including Chandra Bahadur Thapa had objected, and finally, the YCL had ended up becoming inactive.

Before the YCL became inactive, the opposition parties made it part of their agenda to criticize the YCL not only at mass meetings but also in talks among the various poilitical parties.

The political parties had demanded dissolution of the para-military structure of the YCL, which had been housed in groups in the some industrial buildings.

The Maoists had formed the YCL just before the holding of the Constituent Assembly elections.

They brought the cream of the People´s Liberation Army out of the cantonments, saying they were forming 21 divisions, including the seven divisions in the cantonments.

The YCL comprised the cream of the PLA in the sense that they were mostly commanders and were politically knowledgeable. They were used by the UCPN(Maoist) for the CA elections.

The Maoists had formed the YCL under the leadership of Ganesh Man Pun, who was then PLA fourth division commander.

The opposition parties accused the YCL of interfering in state powers, mainly with their hooligan activities.

There had also been some clashes with the UML youth organization Youth Force and the Nepali Congress sister wing Tarun Dal. 
from Republica