Kathmandu, September 9:

In what could be a blow to the CPM-Maoist, a group of dissatisfied Maoist leaders today formed Revolutionary Left Wing (RLW), merely within three weeks of the formation of the Prachanda-led government.

“We have formed the wing with the support of a large chunk of the hardliners within the CPN-Maoist,” said Prakash Gautam ‘Aditya’, one of the members of the wing. Gautam was the Kathmandu district secretary of the CPN-Maoist before he deserted the party two years ago after the signing of the Peace Accord.

He said the wing would take to the streets to revive the revolutionary spirit of the people’s war as as the CPN-Maoist has turned a “rightist” force.

“All the power centres have surrounded the government now,” he said, adding that a power to create pressure from the streets was essential to safeguard the national interests.

According to Gautam, the RLW includes former Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) fighters and ex-Maoist leaders, who faced discrimination within the party, and those who revolted against the party due to different reasons.

The 15-member executive committee headed by former Brigade Commissar Krishna Adhikary ‘Ravi’ includes Shreeram Khaiju, Prakash Gautam ‘Aditya’, Chet Narayan Shrestha, Shailendra Maskey, Govinda Rai, Niranjan Shrestha, Dinesh Fuyal, Bishal Suwal, Sanjita Thapa Magar, Sushil Maharjan, Manjil Thapa, N Gurung and Puskar Thapa.

A statement issued at a press conference organised here to announce the formation of the party stated that the RLW would oppose integration of PLA into the Nepal Army

before they were cleared from their political and ideological stance. “The PLA was formed to establish the ideology of Marxist, Leninist and Maoism,” it said.

Criticising the CPN-Maoist, the statement said, “The Prachanda-led government is a bourgeoisie reformist government. It can never be termed as leftist revolutionary government

as it has been heading towards

capitalist multiparty political system and cooperating with inner and outer reactionaries.”

“We would organise a national conference soon,” said Krishna Adhikary, the convener of the RLW. He claimed that around 1,000 leaders and cadres, who deserted the CPN-Maoist, would join the party.