Maoist leader Netra Bikram Chand, who will head the party´s People´s Volunteers Mobilization Bureau, announced formation of the organization amidst a press conference at party headquarters in Paris Danda.[break]
"It is a broad organization that includes leftists, progressives, patriots, businessmen and professionals. So it is different from the YCL that conducts regular activities of the party," said Chand who is from the hardline camp led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya.
The existing militant organization YCL would also come under the command of the Bureau.
But YCL leaders close to party establishment have opposed formation of the organization, saying Chand´s leadership would be unacceptable to them.
YCL Kathmandu in-charge Chandra Bahadur Thapa approached the journalists waiting for the press conference at Paris Danda and said the press meet was cancelled. He then left the place abruptly. But the party held the press meet in a few minutes.
According to sources, the YCL leaders are not happy as their opinion was not sought before announcing the organization. "Chand split the workers´ union. So how can we rest assured that he wouldn´t split the YCL?" said a senior YCL leader from the party establishment. It may be recalled that Chand had attended the program held by rebel union leader Badri Bajgai who is from Baidya camp.
But the YCL coordinator Ganeshman Pun stated that did not have objection to the YCL joining the bureau. According to sources, Baidya camp had forced Dahal to take a decision to set up such a mega organization to launch a revolt.
According to the bureau, the volunteers would be involved in three different sectors: (re)construction of physical infrastructures, production, and people´s security.
Chand argued that the volunteers would not infringe on the jurisdiction of the state in security sector.
"Self-defense is a universal thing. As the country is in a transitional phase, the government has not been able to provide security in every nook and cranny. So we will not contradict state function, but collaborate with the state to check criminal activities," he said.
He also argued that the volunteers would "provide great services" to the people, society, and the state.
"Today, our national sovereignty and democracy have directly come under the shadow of imperialism, expansionism, feudalism and comprador-bourgeoisie stooges. This has weakened the national economy, democracy and livelihoods of the people. The country may slip into dreadful crisis if the revolutionary parties and powers don´t pay timely attention to this fact," reads the statement handed out at the press meet.
It may be recalled that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had told party cadres during closed-door training sessions last January that the party would create an outfit of 500,000-plus youths as a final preparation for the revolt.
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