Nepal-Interview with Com Gaurav for The Next Front

From The Next Front;

(Chandra Prakash Gajurel, popularly known as ‘Gaurav’ was  born in April 29, 1948. Now he is a member of the Standing committee and Secretary of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Before this, he was the Head of the International Bureau of the Party.

He is from Sindhuli district of Eastern Nepal. His contribution is always remembered for spreading and developing the revolutionary politics in Sindhuli.  He has been contributing relentlessly for almost four decades as a professional revolutionary in developing the Maoist movement in Nepal. Since his early political life, he has always presented himself in the revolutionary camp and fought against wrong lines in all the line struggles in the Party’s history. In the Fifth Congress, 1985, he eloquently pleaded against M.B. Singh’s right opportunist line document, which argued that the Party was falling back due to the majority’s centrist weakness. Comrade Gaurav’s stand in the Fifth Congress played an important role in safeguarding the revolutionary spirit of the Party and navigating it safely from M.B.’s eclectic and opportunist positions. He is one of the main leaders in defeating opportunism of different shades and establishing a correct Maoist line until now. He stood against the rightist opportunism and centrist eclecticism line in the Kharipati and Palungtar plenum. We all know him as one of the senior leaders of the revolutionary camp.

He has written many theoretical and political writings on various issues in the national and international field concerning economic, social, political and literary questions. He is also known as a short story-writer.  His writings are collected in various books. His proletarian internationalism has made him a popular leader among the entire Party and the revolutionary Nepalese people across the country.

On his way to do Party work abroad, the Indian expansionist rulers arrested Comrade Gaurav at Chennai airport and allegedly charged him for “conspiracy against India”. After the CPN(M) and the government of Nepal signed a Comprehensive ‘Peace Agreement’, India dropped charges against him. He was released on November 28, 2006 and returned to Nepal.

In current politics, we all know that things are not moving towards correct direction. There is a sharp two line struggle within the party. Revolutionaries are fighting against the rightist opportunism and centrist utilitarian tendencies – Now they are in the same boat. At present, safeguarding the achievements of ten years People’s War and marching forward to achieve the goal of New Democratic Revolution is the main task of the revolutionaries. But the situation is very complicated. We are at crossroad : liquidation or revolution?

The Central committee meeting of UCPN–Maoist is concluded. And We all know the official line of People’s revolt, which was passed by the Palungtar extended meeting and the CC meeting which was held immediately after the extended meeting, has abandoned by numerical decision . The ‘centrist’  and rightist groups within the party are united in the name of ‘Peace and constitution’ . They have adopted the line of bourgeoisie democracy. Comrade Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran,  who had presented separate document of the revolutionary line, wrote a note of decent.

Concerning to the present situation within the UNCP(Maoist) and national–international issues, we had put some questions to Comrade Gaurav. Here are the answers. We believe it will be beneficial to the viewers and readers abroad and across the country.

What will be the future plan, policy and program of revolutionaries is a matter of wait and see.  But Comrade Gaurav says :” It is widely felt that if the party was sincerely unified in the correct line the ‘people’s revolt’ would have been succeeded. But the wrong lines at the level of leadership sabotaged this golden opportunity. Our party is the party of heroes who have shed their blood and sacrificed everything for the revolution. This quality of the party still prevails at different levels. We hope that the revolutionary line will prevail and party will be able to lead the revolution.”  Rishi Raj Baral)

Question: It’s been almost five months since the sixth extended meeting or the plenum of the party was held in Palungtar of Gorkha district. It has been widely felt that things are not moving towards correct direction.  No change has taken place and no sense of newness has been felt in the party. Only stereotype of working style exists. What is your view about this situation?

Ans : Yes. Five months have been elapsed after the Sixth Expanded meeting of the Central Committee of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) held in Palungtar of Gorkha district. High level of polemic in the midst of around seven thousand leaders and cadres was a very significant event in the history of our party and whole political movement of Nepal as well. There were many new things to be noticed in the expanded meeting. One peculiar event was that none of the three documents among that of Chairman Com Prachanda, which the press likes to call ‘the Supremo’ of UCPNM was passed in the historic meet. However, ‘there is no option to unity’, ‘there is not option to the people’s revolt’ and ‘there is not option to transformation’ were agreed as the catch words of the historic meet.

The CC meeting which was held immediately after the historic meeting approved a plan of action based on the general line of ‘people’s revolt’. But this plan was completely aborted and there was no progress in implementation of this line. It is true that no significant change has taken place even after that. It caused a new debate in the party, who was responsible for the failure of this line? Many opined that it was the main leadership which was mainly responsible for the failure of implementing this plan of action. It was one of the main points of debate in the historic CC meeting held at the last week of April.

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