Warns of another phase of revolution

Kathmandu, October 25:

A central committee member of the CPN-Maoist, Dev Gurung, today accused the two democratic forces — the Nepali Congress and Nepali Congress (Democratic) — of presenting themselves as the most regressive forces in the ongoing government-Maoist talks.

“The NC and the NC-D are playing the most regressive roles in the talks. They are not ready to do what the mass movement has assigned them to,” Gurung said at a tea party organised by the Newar National Liberation Front to mark New Year 1127 Nepal Sambat.

“During the talks, the political parties have come up with three orientations: The five left parties are ready to go for a democratic republic with a federal system and ethnic autonomy, the CPN-UML is still unclear and the democrats are still not convinced about doing away with the monarchy,” he said, adding that the two parties also will have to go for a republic as most of their cadres now support the republican thoughts.

“If ‘surrenderism’ continues, the third round of people’s movement will follow. Nobody, not even the army, will be able to prevent another revolution from taking place,” he said.

He also suggested the government to go for a unified command till the election to a constituent assembly. “Thereafter, the seven-party alliance and the Maoists would sit together to make one democratic and fully responsible army,” he said, adding that the arms of the People’s Liberation Army will not pose a hurdle to talks or solution to the crisis.

“”We are ready to lock up our arms on a reciprocal basis. We are ready even to lock up 40 per cent of our arms if the government locks 25 per cent of arms belonging to the army.”

“If the government locks 100 soldiers, we will do the same,” he said, adding, “but the government is trying to lock up Maoist’s arms only. The government must think about decommissioning the ‘Royal’ army, which is more dangerous to Nepal’s democratic process than any other force.”

So long as the monarchy exists in any form, there is a threat to the seven-party government of a royal coup.

He also said that Nepal Sambat should be recognised by the state as the national calendar because it is related with the people’s power and the country’s cultural identity.

“It is tragic that the state has not recognised the country’s 1100-year-old legacy. This makes the indigenous people feel they do not belong to the state mechanism. And revolution of one kind or another is obvious in this kind of situation,” he said, adding, “The Newars have contributed for thousands of years to make Nepal a civilised country but still they are not in the state, they have to live like internal refugees.”

Deputy Prime Minister Amik Sherchan said the cabinet would declare Nepal Sambat the national calendar, adding, “We need only a proposal with the historical background of the Sambat and its significance to come up with the declaration.”

Member of the drafting committee of 1990 Constitution, Damannath Dhungana,

urged all the parties favouring referendum on monarchy to think over it twice because it would only make the regressive forces active.

General secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal said Nepal Sambat will have due recognition along with discussion on restructuring of the state and defining the state policy on language, religion, culture and calendar.

Chairperson of the Manka Khala Padma Ratna Tuladhar demanded that the House or Representatives declare Nepal Sambat the national calendar.