Nepal: The Tactic of General Insurrection
by Gary Leupp / November 2nd, 2009
[N]ow we are focusing on the mass movement… [N]ow we [can] really practice what we have been preaching. That means the fusion of the strategy of PPW [Protracted People’s War] and the tactic of general insurrection. What we have been doing since 2005 is the path of preparation for general insurrection through our work in the urban areas and our participation in the coalition government.
– Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, interview with the Britain-based World People’s Resistance Movement, October 26, 2009
Today (November 1) Nepal’s Maoists initiate, with torch rallies in Kathmandu, a mass movement to bring down the regime. This is the regime that succeeded the one their chair Prachanda headed as prime minister from August 2008 to May 2009–a compromise arrangement, always understood to be temporary and transitional, that collapsed when the Nepali Army refused to take orders from the Maoist prime minister.
The following is a very intersting theoretical article from the newspaper of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the Red Star. Originally called “On Dogmatism“, it is singed by Laxman Pant. I have made some very minor formatting changes to help clearify things for the readers.
Ever since the advent of revolutionary Marxist philosophy the revisionists and opportunists of different shades and colors in the international communist movement have labeled as dogmatists against the partisans of class struggle and dictatorship of proletariat, the cardinal principles and two pillars of Marxism. It goes without saying that being a revolutionary social science, Marxism, like any other branch of science has to pass through the series of application and practice to prove itself. As the principles of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism are not like the arithmetical formulae nor these are biblical sermons, merely memorizing or chanting the same will not bring about the revolution in the nations. These formulations have to put into the furnace of class struggle, of the revolution in order to attain the liberation of mankind. Marxism-Leninism-Maoism develops constantly with the practice. That is why practice is called the acid test of revolutionary theory. Necessary changes or adjustments in certain features i.e. tactics are needed as per the changed space and time in a given country in order to carry out successful revolutions. But “under no circumstances is a Marxist-Leninist party allowed to use the pretext of certain new social phenomena to negate the fundamental principals of Marxism-Leninism, to substitute revisionism for Marxism-Leninism and to betray communism.” (The differences between Com. Togliati and Us-The Documents of Great Debate, Antarrashtriya Prakashan, Vol- Page-77 )
The following is reposted here from the Kasama blog and is originally from Red Star #19, a newspaper of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The CPN-Maoist held a national convention in November to determine the way forward from their current position in the lead of a revolutionary coalition government following a ten-year people’s war. This article, from the Report section of Red Star #19, was originally titled “National convention paves the way“ and is one of several from Red Star on the National Convention, a major meeting on the future of the revolution in Nepal. The article provides a clear example of the practice of the Leninist principle of democratic centralism and the method of unity-struggle-unity, which according to Mao Zedong “means starting from the desire for unity, resolving contradictions through criticism or struggle, and arriving at a new unity on a new basis.”
by Dipak Sapkota
KHARIPATI, BHAKTAPUR — The ‘People’s Federal Democratic National Republic’ is now the working policy of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The six-day long national convention of the party concluded on Nov. 26, and decided on the new policy, which in short can also be called the ‘Republic of the People’. The party went through very intensive inner struggle but, at the end, the party came out more united and galvanised.
The convention was held in Kharipati, about 15 KM from Kathmandu city. Roughly 1100 regional bureau level cadres from all 13 state committees and party central advisers took part.
The following article by Indra Mohan Sigdel ‘Basanta’ is from The Red Star, a newspaper of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The CPN-Maoist is at the head of a revolutionary coalition government following a decade-long people’s war. This article goes into the results of the recent national convention of the CPN-Maoist which set itself the task of debating how to move forward with the revolution:
The Nepalese People’s Revolution is now at a crucial juncture, full of opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the possibilities are so great that the party’s success to develop a scientific ideological and political line consistent with the present objective condition could lead the Nepalese people’s revolution to a victorious accomplishment. And also, it could be a new opening of the world proletarian revolution in the beginning of the twenty-first century. While on the other hand, its failure to do so would lead to a disastrous consequence leading to an extensive demoralisation of the oppressed classes not only in Nepal but the world over. Therefore, in short, the recent National Convention of our party, the CPN (Maoist), has had an international dimension.
The following article is from the Red Star, a newspaper of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a party that after waging people’s war in that country for over a decade now leads a revolutionary coalition government:
Mao Zedong with Korean revolutionary leader Kim Il Sung
Jucche ideology leading to socialism
- Krishna Bahadur Mahara
After meeting with the Ambassador of Democratic People’s Republic (DPR) of Korea in Nepal, I accepted the invitation to go to Korea in September 2008. I was specially invited by the department of Information and Communication of DPR Korea to share bilateral experiences in information and communication.
The Korean political power was established through the accomplishment of a historic revolution and the continuous struggle against the remnants of the domestic feudalism inside and against imperialism outside.
The following article, “The party debate : revolution or reform” by Kul Prasad KC ‘Sonam’ is from The Red Star, a newspaper of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The CPN-Maoist are now leading a coalition government to draft a new constitution after fighting a decade-long people’s war with their People’s Liberation Army. This article reflects a very important two-line struggle within the CPN-Maoist that has come into the open about how to move forward. For some background on the revolutionary struggle in Nepal please see my other posts on Nepal.
The party debate : revolution or reform
- Kul Prasad KC ‘Sonam’
Nepal is still in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal state. No drastic change has occurred; there can be no change in contradiction in the political situation until there is a fundamental change in the mode of production. Therefore, in this type of political situation, there are still the same solutions; national and sovereign independence against semi-colonial domination. So, this is the situation of the Democratic People’s Movement.
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda, now Prime Minister of Nepal, pictured here with the People's Liberation Army
Thanks to Revolution in South Asia for posting this significant interview, by the World Peoples Resistance Movement (Britain), with Comrade Bastola, a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) central committee. It is a little dated, from June 2008, but it is packed with interesting information and analysis. This interview was published on the Maoist Revolution e-list.
Q: What is the situation in Nepal?
A: Regarding the Constituent Assembly elections, they did not expect that results in the election would be like this. The biggest party, the CPN (Maoist), is in such a position that if you aggregate even the number of elected persons of the Congress [Nepal Congress party] and the UML [United Marxist-Leninist party] they are smaller in number than the [Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)] CPN(M) candidates in the elections. Why did this happen, when they didn’t want to be in a position to hold the election unless they are ensured that they would win. That was the situation. What happened then? News agencies were investigating as to who was going to win the election and these agencies were suggesting that the Maoists would win just ten to fifteen seats. They predicted that Maoists in any condition would not win more than twenty seats. That’s what the critics were expecting. (more…)
Thanks to Revolution in South Asia for posting these videos from the Q&A section of Comrade Prachanda’s speaking event at the New School in NYC, September 26th. After leading the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the People’s Liberation Army in a decade long People’s War to topple the hated monarchy, Prachanda was elected Prime Minister of a revolutionary coalition government charged with writing a new constitution. The audio of the program is available as well. The video below is in five parts.
The following interview is from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)’s paper, The Red Star:
We are being encircled by the reactionaries
– Indramohan Sigdel ‘Basanta’,
Central Committee Member, CPN (Maoist)
The CPN (Maoist) is now at the stage of peaceful revolution. Revolution in itself is meant to politically overthrow the enemy from state power. How can you recognize your enemy at this peaceful stage?
Generally speaking, the revolution is meant to violently overthrow the class enemy from the state power. However, one must not one-sidedly understand that the revolution necessarily takes a violent form all through its course. The form of struggle is determined not by the subjective wish of the struggling forces but of course by the objective condition and the balance of forces at the given period. At a certain juncture and certain condition, the revolution can develop in a peaceful way. Our participation in the two negotiations in the past and the present peace process are examples of peaceful development of revolution. Nevertheless, it is wrong to categorically separate revolution as two distinct stages, the violent or peaceful, as your question points to. (more…)
In the Sigur Center’s Lecture Series on Subnational Asia
Speaker: Dr. Baburam Bhattarai,Minister of Finance, Nepal
Baburam Bhattarai is Nepal’s Finance Minister. He was the second in command and chief ideologue of the Maoist guerillas, who led a decade-long armed uprising against the state and the monarchy. Dr. Bhattarai was instrumental in bringing his party to a successful peace process. Dr. Bhattarai is a senior member of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist’s Secretariat, the highest governing body of the party. After just one month in the Finance Ministry, he has released an ambitious 2009 budget aimed at poverty alleviation. He is the author of The Nature of Underdevelopment and Regional Structure of Nepal: A Marxist Analysis (2003), Politico-Economic Rationale of People’s War in Nepal (1998) and Nepal’s Principles of Revolution. Bhattarai received his B.A. in Architecture from Chandigarh (India) in 1977 and completed his Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi) in 1986.
Date: Thursday, October 9, 2008
Time: 11:30 – 12:45 pm
Place: Lindner Family Commons, The Elliott School of International Affairs, 6th Floor, 1957 E Street, NW
RSVP: Please RSVP with your name, organization/GW affiliation, and e-mail to gsigur@gwu.edu by Tuesday, October 7, 2008.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and its People’s Liberation Army waged a ten year people’s war that deposed the Nepali monarchy. Now the CPN-Maoist is in the lead of a popularly elected revolutionary coaltion government charged with drafting a new constitution for the Himilayan country. Their leader, Prachanda, was elected to the post of Prime Minister. Now the Central Committe of the CPN-Maoist is meeting to discuss these questions. The following article is from Nepal CA Portal. Please see also my post, Towards a People’s Republic of Nepal? along with my other posts on Nepal.
We’re for people’s republic: PM
04/10/2008
CPN-Maoist Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that a federal democratic republic is his party’s transitional objective and its long-term goal is to go for a people’s republic, according to a member of the party’s central committee.
In a political paper presented at the party’s central committee today, Dahal said a people’s republic is suitable for Nepal’s geo-politics, adding, his party would not accept parliamentary democracy as practiced in Nepal. (more…)
The following is reposted here from the 
The following article by Indra Mohan Sigdel ‘Basanta’ is from 
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