While addressing colleagues from his party’s sister wing, All Nepal People’s Cultural Federation, at Khanna Garments compound in the capital, he made some startling remarks. He has tried to paint his party colleague, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, as an Indian stooge, and not for the first time, but has ended up reinforcing his own image as a manipulator. By tying up his party colleague with India, he has tried to up the ante for nationalist (read anti-India) sentiments. His running feud with Bhattarai could be taken as the internal matter of a political party.
But not so the party’s real goals, as Dahal has repeated in his 26-minute address.
Phrases like “main issue”, party’s “real line” and “people’s revolt” are part of the one central theme that the party chairman has tried to emphasize yet gain: to employ all means, including causing more deaths, to realize a “nirnayak kranti” (decisive revolution).
Forming a government, writing the constitution, getting a two-thirds majority in the elections and only then launching a revolt is not a party line as is being suggested by some comrades, Dahal says at one point. “That is not the party’s line, not at all, and it cannot be the party line now.”
Equally ominous is the assertion that whether in the government or outside, “people’s revolt” is the only and unwavering goal.
The real and only line, Dahal clarifies, is employing the fronts of the street (protests), parliament and the government to move ahead for a decisive revolution.
If the past is any indicator, his remarks to his party colleagues would be explained away and defended. “Out of context” and “trying to pep up the morale of the Maoist PLA” (as in the case of the Shaktikhor tapes) or “satire”, the explanation for his New Baneshwar harangue on December 22. It might be a touch difficult to gauge his real intentions.
One thing is certain, though. Dahal is lying.
He is lying either to his party cadres or to the rest of the people in the country.
If he is committed to multi-party competitive democracy with accountability, rule of law, freedom of speech and expression and periodic elections as its hallmarks, then Dahal is lying to Maoist cadres and supporters. Is it another morale-booster? Or is this Dahal the appeasing manipulator?
If the real intention is to launch a revolt after controlling the reins of the government so as to establish an independent communist republic, then he is taking the rest of the country for a ride. He does not have courage to speak about his real intentions. He may think himself a brilliant strategist but all he manages to convey through such startling remarks is that he is an outright liar.
So who is he trying to fool? Dahal owes an explanation to the nation.
The Dahal remarks pose a serious challenge as well.
They have called into question the rationale for the ongoing peace process of which an integral part is the writing of the constitution.
The same goes for the election and its results. And that should worry those who believe in democracy. Two-thirds majority for any party would be a dream come true since it means a powerful tool to implement its agenda (however far-reaching they are) unhindered. A party commanding a two-thirds majority in a legislature can do a lot. It can appoint its own men and women to all the powerful posts. It can amend any clause in the constitution and it can impeach the justices of the supreme court who might be obstacles to any drastic amendments. The threat will be felt by everyone.
However, for Dahal, this seems not to be enough. Decisive revolution, no less, is the goal. Be clear about it, he insists and tries to reassure his party colleagues.
How about making things clear to the rest of the people? How about reassuring them?
damakant@myrepublica.com
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