Nepal is burning

Top revolutionary leader and second in command of banned outfit Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Dr Baburam Bhattarai has described King Gyanendra’s new year message as “an attempt to hoodwink the world opinion and perpetuate his unconstitutional and autocratic rule.” In an exclusive interview, the Maoist leader spoke at length about problems gripping Nepal and their struggle for getting Nepal rid from Monarchy.

Q: Do you think King Gyanendra’s declaration of holding elections in Nepal is a positive step towards restoration of democracy?
A: The real issue is transfer of sovereignty and state authority to the people through the election of a genuine Constituent Assembly. The talk of election to Parliament at this moment does not make any sense. So it is wrong and misleading on the part of certain media to see the King’s statement as a positive move. The King’s statement has been rejected by the CPN (Maoist) and the Seven Party Alliance. The people’s movement will continue until the monarchy is toppled and a democratic republic set up in the country.

Q: Indian Intelligence reports say that they are seriously working towards countering the growing nexus between Nepal Maoists and Indian Naxalites…
A: The reports of so-called nexus between the Maoists of India & Nepal are not only highly exaggerated but also mischievous and preposterous. Being proletarian internationalists by ideological persuasions, Communist revolutionaries of all countries, including India and Nepal, have ideological affinities to each other, but nothing more than that. It is highly irresponsible on the part of certain forces both in India and Nepal to spread such baseless romours and vitiate the political atmosphere in the midst of the decisive anti-monarchy democratic movement in Nepal.

Q. They also say that there was a hand of Nepali Maoists in the recent hijacking of train in Jharkhand and supplying of arms to Naxalites…
A: It is the concrete example of a motivated disinformation campaign on the part of certain pro-monarchy forces in India to scuttle the growing sympathy for the Nepalese democratic movement there. We challenge these forces to prove the veracity of such baseless allegations with concrete evidence.

Q. Aren’t you concerned about the situation of Nepal. Most of the areas in Western Nepal are facing an exodus of men. Because of the fear of Maoists, they are fleeing Nepal for India. (Perhaps, if you do a census of some districts in the apple belt of Himachal Pradesh, Nepalis will easily outdo the local Himachalis in terms of numbers.)
A: Yes, we are seriously concerned about the large-scale out-migration of the unemployed youths from the hills of Nepal. However, it is not because of the Maoist People’s War (PW), which started only ten years back, but because of ‘development of underdevelopment’ under the feudal monarchical rule for the past two and a half century. The millions of poor Nepalese seen in the streets of India doing sundry menial jobs or joining as mercenary soldiers in Indian and British armies have been forced to leave their hearth and homes because of lack of economic development in the country under a semi-feudal and semi-colonial set-up. Our revolutionary democratic movement currently spearheaded in the country is basically aimed at ending this pathetic situation and creating a democratic, peaceful and prosperous Nepal.

Q. Tourism, which contributes to Nepal’s economy in a big way, is affected by this war considerably. Don’t you think people of Nepal suffer from this movement?
A: Not only tourism but the entire economy is suffering for long. It is wrong to say that economic decline started after the Maoist PW. If you look at the growth trend of the economy for the last 40 or 50 years, it hovers around one or two per cent per annum. That is why we are fighting for a progressive restructuring of the society and economy by overthrowing the feudal monarchy.

Q. Do you think that King Gyanendra will be perturbed by these activities (like strikes, demonstrations, etc.) and you will achieve success?
A: If Nepal is to develop and prosper, the monarchy has to be abolished. The rising tide of people's movement seen for the past week is enough proof that the monarchy's days are numbered.