Dr. Bhattarai has been in the news lately. And he fired a rebuttal of his own. I always look forward to reading his statements. They are tightly written. And they offer a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Maoist organization.
Some observations I make:
- He misreads the "movement" as the one for a democratic republic. The parties are agitating only for democracy. He and his party are two months behind schedule. But they continue to have the option to campaign for a democratic republic within the framework of a constituent assembly.
- He has written to the Maoist central committee asking for an investig
ation into the Prachanda "voice" in audio tape format that basically calls Baburam an "Indian agent." Prachanda has not denied his words but he has said new developments have made him look at his comrade differently. But that "flash" is revealing. Looks to me like Prachanda has something in common with the Monarchists after all. The India bhoot is the favorite weapon of the false nationalists in Nepal. My personal concern is the same weapon is also used to incite ethnic hatred against the Madhesis. Maybe Prachanda is just another Bahun after all. - He also takes a swipe at Prachanda's past attacks on his "intellect." I am not about to argue on that point with a man who has a Ph.D. I don't myself.
- He says he is "hurt" Prachanda questioned his nationalism.
- Differences in opinion and political differences should be talked out politically and within the basic rules of decorum, Baburam insists. Instead Prachanda chose to hit beneath the belt. He resorted to administrative measures.
- Prachada, meaning "The Fierce One," perhaps thinks of Stalin, "Man Of Steel," as his role model. Baburam quotes Lenin often and perhaps thinks of him as his role model. Like Trotsky said of Stalin, "He is just a bureaucrat."
Lenin spent much of his adult life in libraries. If he had socialized more, perhaps his autocratic instincts could have been blunted. - When Baburam says Democratic Republic, he really means it. Like in India. India is a Democratic Republic. His line is that that is what the Maoists should gun for for now. It is unreal to think in terms of a communist republic given Nepal's current socio-economic conditions. That is Baburam's line. He claims that is also the party's line.
- He comes hard on Prachanda for transforming "healthy debates and discussions" into issues of personal enmity. Looks like the two have found some new common ground. They are comrades again. But Baburam is not about to compromise on his basic premise of democracy and freedom of expression within the Maoist central committee.
- I personally do not want to see the Maoists formally splitting. Prachanda on his own might become less manageable. Baburam is the best watchdog one can ask for to keep Prachanda's dictatorial instincts in check.
- And Prachanda himself is an unknown quantity. I don't want to paint him one way or the other. The fact that he too is for a constituent assembly is important, and shows he is capable of reason.
- Baburam sees the common minimum program as (1) democratic republic, and (2) constituent assembly.
- He says it is true he has been working to reach out to national forces and forces beyond based on that CMP.
- That is good news. That provides some common ground between the seven parties and the Maoists. The seven parties are also for a constituent assembly now.
- He is critical of Prachanda's use of administrative measures and an outright use of force.
- I don't think he wants to get even with Prachanda, as in also try and send him into "protective custody," but he is uncompromising on the issue of democracy and freedom of expression within the Maoist central committee.
- That is good news for the democrats. The democrats can hope to do business with Baburam.
- I don't mean to make light of the loss of the Nepali Congress that has lost 1,000 of its workers to the insurgency. But peace making requires painful compromises. It is that or it is losing more workers to the insurgency.
- Delhi Bombshell, Baburam In Delhi Kantipur
- Most Political Detainees To Be Released Tomorrow Alliance For Peace ..... all remaining political detainees across the country to be released tomorrow, with the exception of Janamorcha party members.
- Nepal Becoming No-Go Zone Embassy .....100,000 people have been displaced since the rebellion...... So far, aid workers in Nepal aren’t being driven out of the country by attacks, like their peers in other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan
- Tightened Screw On Press Freedom Reporters Without Borders ..... a new edict adopted by the council of ministers on 18 May ..... a licensing clause banning cross media ownership so that a private company can no longer own a TV station, radio and a newspaper ..... edict now awaits ratification from King Gyanendra
- Karat denies meeting Nepal Maoists Financial Express, India
- India and Nepal Maoists deny mutual ties
Islamic Republic News Agency Bhattarai earlier had been accused by the Maoist hardliners as being soft on New Delhi after he insisted on fighting the king first before taking on India in the wake of February 1 palace coup..... Bhattarai added, "To call someone a foreign agent immediately after differences over ideological matters is the height of political bankruptcy." - India wakes up: we condemn Maoist violence, they have to lay down ...
Indian Express Nepal Frees 20 Political Detainees ABC News Thursday's prisoner releases followed an emergency security meeting - Nepal police detain 50 protesters Reuters AlertNet, UK .... authorities have freed 700 people so far.
- Nepal: Time for India to Undo Wrongs
Navhind Times It is difficult to understand why India has welcomed the lifting of the emergency as a “first step” towards democracy when people are still being arrested, press censorship is in place and the executive powers of the King remain undiluted..... Has New Delhi forgotten that the entire autocratic panchayat system of Gyanendra’s father, King Mahendra, with its arbitrary arrests and disappearances, functioned without the declaration of any emergency? ..... Monarchists in Nepal have time and again equated Nepali nationalism with anti-Indianism. It was this class which let loose urban terror in Kathmandu reacting to the infamous Hrithik Roshan episode. A patently false rumour was given currency to target Indian establishments and whip up anti-India hysteria. Although instability in Nepal has always been blamed on political parties and external forces (read India), history shows that monarchy and its institutions have been at the centre of all political controversies and upheavals...... While the double U-turn of the Indian foreign policy establishment on arms supply was bad enough, now there is loose talk from the Indian Army about a ‘brother army’ needing ammunition. ...... October 4, 2002, when he dissolved the Parliament. That decision was fundamentally flawed ..... the King’s agenda has to be understood first. His top priority is to delegitimise the political parties ..... help the political parties understand that unless they offer a political and economic solution to the Maoists, the restoration of democracy will fail..... India already has channels of communication open with the political parties. It must also start talking to the Maoists...... Senior diplomats bound for Nepal BBC News, UK ..... Indian foreign ministry official Ranjit Rae and Zhou Gang, a senior official of the Chinese foreign ministry, are both arriving in Kathmandu simultaneously. - Indian, Chinese diplomats to hold talks with Nepal authorities:- Webindia123, India
- Nepal tightens media curbsmjournalism.co.za, South Africa ..... prohibiting any news item that causes "hatred or disrespect" against King Gyanendra and his family members ..... provisions to fine up to Rs 1,00,000 and sentence jail term of up to one year ...... government's intention to "totally control free press and to convert it into government's propaganda machinery."
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