Commentary: CPI (Maoist) Open Letter on Nepal Maoists

Focus on my commentaries regarding article with comments linked below:

Stephen David Mauldin said
July 3, 2009 at 1:20 am

Quoting the article first:

Today any slight mistake on the part of the Maoists would result in grave disaster. The reactionaries in Nepal, with the active aid and assistance of US and India, are hatching conspiracies to unleash a blood-bath to wipe out the Maoist forces. The only way to resist these reactionary attempts is to rely on the revolutionary masses, organize them against the state and prepare them for street battles basing on the base areas in the vast countryside. At least now the leadership of the CPN(M) should realize the futility of the parliamentary path and resume the people's war to achieve complete victory by smashing the old state and reactionary forces, and establishing the people's democratic state.

The author(s) need to be informed that the threat of the NA is not significant. The PLA has instant access to weapons and during the recent years the All Nepal Federation of Unions has developed a very close affiliation to the Maoists and they have become a militant force. See my report on meetings with the Union and its leader Ganesh Regmi recently in Kathmandu covered in my blog entries here. The growth of the YCL has been phenomenal - it is only the restraint by the Maoist leadership that these forces have not already suppressed violently the NA. Ganesh Man Pun, formally commander of the PLA 4th Division also explained to me that there are significant internal rifts in the NA which is part of why there is no fear of any coup attempt - My blog entry on the discussion with YCL leaders is posted here

Best of all Azad, please read the recent analysis of Bhattarai by Rosa L. Blanc:

http://mikeely.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/bhattarais-new-type-of-state-and-the-maoist-re-envisioning-of-communism/

then:
Stephen David Mauldin said
July 6, 2009 at 3:21 pm

Dear Comrades,

I have simply reported what was said to me directly by Ganesh Regmi, Ganesh Man Pun and C.P. Gajurel

Short of claiming I have made it all up, any arguments of whether the combined militant capacity of the PLA ANTUF and YCL is a successful deterrent to the NA should be taken up with those parties.

The point made is that the NA is not the degree of threat pictured by the CPI writer if you listen to what the CYL and Union leadership are saying.

Some observation and logic also are important. Could the Maoists continue to dictate from the streets and from their seats in the CA unless they had a strong deterrent at hand? This is exactly why the UML government will not last and the UCPN(M) will return to the leadership of the government with civilian supremacy over the NA - which is a pretty easy prediction the CPI fails to make.

If we don't see the Maoists back in leadership of the government soon then I would guess that means I was in fact over optimistic - lets see.

My optimism extends to some faith the Maoist led coalition of parties representing oppressed classes will in time further weaken and dominate the NC oppressors and the oppressor factions in the UML and Terai parties; the integration process will occur, with some internal support of nationalist factions within the NA itself; and, the CA with vanguard leadership of the Maoists will complete the constitution for a New Nepal on schedule.

It is a matter of opinion, yes, atheistic faith as I see it - which is far different than a Pollyanna optimism as it awaits the confirmation of what was believed, the confirmation that it had been true. The future path beyond the establishment of the New Nepal state is really what is most problematic. Will the collaboration with nationalists (and their unfortunate patriotism), along with the primarily regional and ethnic group agendas hamper the withering away of that state? Will some, even within the Maoist camp fall to sugar bullets as development projects in cooperation with global capitalists ensue? Will "a long process of reorganization based on a free association of producers" (Badiou) occur?

These are the questions that need our attention... but I see how some may not be able to address them if their own faith is in the military supremacy of the imperialists.

Note: These responses to the posted article and other commentaries refer to the entry at the South Asia Review:

CPI (Maoist) Internationalist statement on the recent turmoil in Nepal

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