Kathmandu, April 5:

Revolutionary Left Wing (RLW) — a front formed by the dissidents of Unified CPN-Maoist — and three other fringe parties — CPN-Unified, Janamorcha Nepal and National Liberation Movement — have jointly called Nepal bandh tomorrow to celebrate the people’s movement in a different way.

According to a Maoist dissident Prakash Gautam ‘Aditya’, Matrika Yadav’s CPN-Maoist has also lent its moral support to the bandh.

On the very day the Unified CPN-Maoist is also organising mass meets at eight different parts of the country, including Kathmandu, to celebrate the people’s movement day.

This development clearly indicates possible confrontations among the Maoists cadres and bandh organisers. However, the intensity of the clashes will depend on the strength of the dissidents. A district level leader of UCPN-Maoist, wishing not to be named, claimed that a handful of dissidents would be crashed in no time if they tried to interrupt the mass meets. The UCPN-Maoist are making vigorous preparations for the success of the mass meets, while the rebels are preparing to make their bandh successful.

Convenor of CPN-Maoist Coordination Committee Mani Thapa claimed that the UCPN-Maoists, who is leading the government, had announced the mass meets so as to coincide with the bandh called by the four parties.

“They just want to discourage other parties in the opposition from taking to the streets and invite confrontations because we are the Maoist dissidents. We have already informed all the major political parties, including PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, about our plan and programmes,” Thapa said. The RLW has formed a National Red Guard under the leadership of former Brigadier Commander of PLA Lokman Gharti. Thapa also said the bandh was called after putting forth a number of demands to PM Dahal.

“Our demands include interrupted supply of electricity and drinking water, end to network problems in telecommunication, control of black market and white terror unleashed by the government forces among others,” Thapa said.