Harka and Bhrasta,
It was nice reading two different attitude regarding Maoists, and further reading some American history. I assume both of you are in America(as both of you are so familiar with American history). It's just an assumption...
To understand Nepali Maoists, one needs to understand the history of Nepali Maoists revolution, which is just 10 years old. I have been closely watching their movement since their revolution started. Dont get me wrong, I have been watchig them as an ordinary Nepali citizen nothing else.
When their revolution started, no one thought they would get this far. In their initial stage, they started community works in remote villages where government contribution was nominal. This gave them a huge popularity in the villages then. Those were the days when their activities was mostly political. They would punish the fatahs of villages, which made the majority people happy.
I have even heard that during those days, you would need to pass a rigorous test (endurance, discipline, and attitude) for a membership in Maoists. They continued with their strategy for 3-4 years.
After 3-4 years, they found that they were not getting anywhere. Since they didnt have sufficient cadres, they had no choice except to accept anyone who was interested to join their party.
This was perhaps one of the biggest mistake of Maoist leadership. When the masses began to flock to their camp, it was difficult to evaluate their cadres and monitor them. They never cared whether the new cadre had good records or not. They were happy as long as the masses flocked to their camp.
Then came another problem like funding for the party and cadres. When they were small, they were fed by villagers. When they grew, they had to ask for food and even threaten the villagers. Some of the rowdy Maoists would love to eat "masu+bhat", but I have also heard of some Maoists surviving on maize alone.
"Aama khane kura kehi chha ghar ma? Chhaina babu, yehi makai matra ho, yehi pisera aato banai dina sakchhu, Pardaina Ama, tyo makai dinus, hami tesai khanchhau"
They would eat sukeko makai and water. I had only seen animals eating in such fashion.
And there are some of them who would take away goat, hens, or whatever they liked to eat.
As the time passed on, they started expanding their militia, and began attacking soft targets like police posts in villages. Girija tried to mobilize army at that time because he knew police wouldn't stand any chance. As far as I know, King Birendra didn't let him mobilize army. Things were going slowly for Maoists. General public thought they would not stand any chance against Royal Nepal Army.
After Narayanhiti massacre, things got worse for whole country. An aimbitious Deuba got into Singha Durbar. He wanted to negotiate with Maoists, but he had little authority. So Maoists pulled out of peace talks and attacked Army barrack in Dang. That was the birth of Commander Pasang, and beginning of ascendancy of Military wing in Maoist Party.
Soon after they were declared Terrorists, and state of emergency of declared, and house was dissolved. I guess every one knows the chronicle of these events.
Pasang went on attacking headquarters and destroy them (argakhanchi, Beni, and others). Maoists wouldn't stand any chance against RNA---people were wrong here too. Today even when the army is deployed, nothing has improved. Instead it has gotten worse.
At that point in time, Maoists started their autonomy policy. It was like afno Gajasa afai banau. The local committe was free to raise fund on their own way. This was the second mistake of Maoists. By letting autonomy prevail in their organization, they failed to regulate their cadres. Today, even if Prachanda issues an statement, the local cadres defy it.
Things have gotten out of Maoist leadership. The military wing controls most of the things, political figures like Bhattarai and Mahara are in minority.
The parties achived multiparty democracy, Can Maoists achive republican? Even if they achieve election to constitution assembly, that will be more than enough, and boost the multiparty democracy. There is no way, they are going to impose a communist state like Mao's China. They know that very well that without Deng Xiaping's reform policy, Mao's china would have been like Russia.
Let us wait and see what time holds for all of us including Maoists and King G.
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