Magar, 35, like many other Rolpalis, became disheartened the most when Dahal, who was elected in last year´s Constituent Assembly polls from Kathmandu-10 and Rolpa-2, decided to vacate his Rolpa constituency for the by-election to be held on April 10. This has led Magar to contest the seat against a Maoist candidate, Santosh Budha of Thawang Village Development Committee.
"Dahal has ditched the people of Rolpa in deciding to give up the Rolpa constituency for Kathmandu," Magar told myrepublica.com in the capital just before leaving for Rolpa for his electioneering. "Had he been true to the Rolpalis and to the martyrs, he would have left the Kathmandu constituency for Rolpa. We have concluded that this is an insult to the people of Rolpa."
When the CPN-Maoist (now Unified CPN-Maoist) started its underground movement from the hills of Rolpa in the 1990s, Kulman left his home, his education, dreams of going abroad and everything else for the sake of the party. He was in the Maoists´ cultural wing before he decided to quit the party just before Jana-andolan-II of 2006.
"The party didn´t understand our feelings," said Magar, who was flanked by four aides – all former Maoists. "They held out promises of communes, people´s governance and people´s cooperatives, among other things, but all of these were later dissolved."
Magar is standing as an independent communist candidate in the by-election. He has high regards for Santosh Budha of the Unified CPN-Maoist, his main rival. "The party hasn´t honored his contributions," said Magar. "He should have been given an election ticket last year. Giving him the ticket this time is just a perfunctory gesture."
Magar hails from remote Mirul VDC, which is a two-day walk from district headquarters Liwang. Among the 1,000 people, mostly Magars, who live in Mirul, some 40 were killed during the Maoist "People´s War". "The Maoist chose not to pick any Magar from there to become a member of the Constituent Assembly," Magar said expressing his anger. "Barsha Man Pun (from Madichour) and Jayapuri Gharti (from Rangsi) were not made ministers in the government despite their contributions."
He said many Maoists from Rolpa have left the party out of frustration with the leadership. "We are seeing their true faces now," he said. "They are now mired in nepotism and favoritism." Like many Maoist cadres, he is angry about the tussle for power at the highest leadership level. "For example, the tussle between Dahal and Mohan Baidya has created divisions among grassroots cadres."
Magar says people in Rolpa and other hill areas are bracing for another struggle, a peaceful one this time. "We are thinking of forming a party of Magars," he said. "We are not in favor of waging an armed struggle again, but we don´t rule one out in due course. We extend our full support to the ongoing agitation launched by the Tharus." He said ordinary people as well as the families of martyrs (Maoists killed in the war) are in a mood to wage a new-phase struggle to safeguard the achievements of the "People´s War".
Magar said Maoist dissidents like himself may join the "restructured" CPN-Maoist party led by Matrika Yadav. "He (Matrika) is courageous and willing to make sacrifices," Magar observed.
tilak@myrepublica.com
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