Retrospection of Communist Movement in Nepal
By Yuba Nath Lamsal
The April 22 and September 15 are the momentous days for Nepal’s communists. Different communist groups in Nepal mark these two days with enthusiasm and fanfare. The April 22 is the founding day of the Communist Party of Nepal while the September 15 is the day when the manifesto of the communist party of Nepal was first declared.
Controversy
As Nepal’s communists lock horn on every issue, these two dates are also not free from controversy. The Nepali communists are divided on the date of founding day of the communist party in Nepal. Most communist parties including the CPN-UML and the Maoists are of the belief that the April 22 is the founding day of the Communist Party in Nepal. They claim that the September 15 is the day when the manifesto of the Communist Party of Nepal was issued.
But some other groups do not agree with this and claim that the communist party was formally formed with the announcement of its manifesto which falls on September 15, 1949. According to them, the communist party is the party of ideology and programmes and the birth of the Communist Party of Nepal marks with the issuance of political doctrine or manifesto.
Until 1961, the communist party was one and unified. There was no divided opinion on the issue of the party’s founding day. The communist party split in 1962 and the process of fragmentation continued. After the split, different groups came into existence and they professed diverse arguments and opinions on different issues. On the issue of the founding day as well, views differed. In 1974, a faction came into being in the name of Communist Party of Nepal (Congress Congress), which kicked off the controversy regarding the founding day of the communist party. This group claimed the September 15 as the birth of the Communist Party of Nepal.
Whatever the arguments and counter arguments, the facts have proved that the Communist Party of Nepal was formed on April 22, 1949 as the youngest communist party of Asia. Late Pushpa Lal Shrestha took the initiative to form the communist party in Nepal and is, thus, regarded as the father of Nepal’s communist movement. Pushpa Lal Shrestha, who is the party’s founder general secretary, has written that the party was formed on April 22, 1949 in Shyam Bazar area in Calcutta. In the beginning there were only five members, who are revered as the founding members of the Communist of Nepal. The five founders are Pushpa Lal Shrestha, Nar Bahadur Karmacharya, Narayan Bilas Joshi, Niranjan Govinda Vaidya and Moti Devi. Accordingly, the manifesto of the communist party was prepared and announced in September 15 of the same year.
When the communist party was born, Nepal was under the Rana’s oligarchic rule. All civil and political rights had been denied during that period. The feudal system was strong and it was protected by the state. It was, thus, necessary to fight two-pronged war simultaneously—one against feudalism and other against the then ruling Rana regime. During that period, some other political organizations had already been established and they were mobilizing people against the Rana rule. The Nepali Congress was among them and it was the largest and strongest force during that time. Those organizations had only political motive and aimed at overthrowing the Rana regime and establish the multi-party democracy.
For a communist party, this was not sufficient. The initial objective of the Communist Party of Nepal was, of course, the overthrow of the oligarchic Rana rule and establishment of democracy in the country. However, it was also necessary to liberate people from all forms of feudal exploitation and discrimination and ultimately establish a communist government.
The manifesto of the Communist Party minutely explained the historical background of Nepal’s political, social and economic situation, analysed the existing political scenario and underscored the need for liberate the country and the people from the feudal and dictatorial regime and external domination. The manifesto also emphasized to empower the economically, socially and culturally exploited and discriminated people and make them the real masters of the country and also to guarantee democratic rights and total freedom to the people. The contents and language of the manifesto prove that unlike other parties the communist party, right from the beginning, has been championing political freedom, democracy and economic rights and equality.
After the communist party was born, it slowly started expanding its organization and mobilizing people in the country. The party became the attraction for the masses especially the poor and downtrodden. Many young revolutionaries soon joined the communist party. The fast growth of the communist party was perceived as a serious threat not only to the then regime but other political organizations as well. As political organizations and activities were banned in Nepal, most political parties and organizations were active in India from where they had been launching their activities against the Rana regime. But it was the communist party that decided to work secretly within Nepal and organize people for the movement.
At that time, the communist movement was vibrant globally. The victory of the Bolsheviks ‘s revolution led by V I Lenin and establishment of the communist system in the Soviet Union (now Russia) inspired the communists and revolutionaries all over the world to push for armed revolution. Several countries in the Eastern Europe, too, had already established communist governments. In the neighbouring China, communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong launched a successful armed revolution and established communist regime. Even in India, the communists had been rising vibrantly and they were seen as a threat to the ruling elites mainly the Congress party’s government in New Delhi. As communists in Nepal had strong links and had received sympathy and support from Indian communists and revolutionary groups, the Indian establishment started casting evil eyes on Nepal’s communists. As a result, a nexus was built between the Indian establishment and Nepal’s feudal elements and other anti-communist groups including the Nepali Congress against the communist force in Nepal.
As the mass movement was in its height against the Ranas, a tripartite agreement known as the ‘Delhi Agreement’ brokered by India was reached among the Nepali Congress, the then King Tribhuvan and the Rana regime. As per the tripartite agreement, the Nepali Congress gave up the movement and joined the Rana-led cabinet. But the communist party opposed the Delhi Agreement and termed it as a betrayal of people’s movement. The party called for a continuous movement to overthrow the Rana regime once and for all. The communist party also flayed the Nepali Congress for joining hands with the Rana regime against which the people had been fighting.
The open defiance of the ‘Delhi Agreement’ further unified India, Nepali Congress and the King against the communist party in Nepal. As the communist party intensified its movement, the government banned the party and its activities. It was a big irony that a political party that fought to establish the multi-democracy was banned after the democratic system was established. Although banned, the communist party continued to exist and carry out its activities secretly. Even after the ban, the anti-communist elements both within and outside the country conspired to infiltrate into the party and fragment it. As a result of infiltration, the communist party split in 1962.
Competition
Now there are more than a dozen communist parties in Nepal each claiming to be the genuine representatives of the people and accusing the other of deviating from the communist principles. Now there are two streams of communist movement in Nepal—one is a parliamentary stream represented by the CPN-UML and the other is a radical stream led by the UCPN-Maoists. These two groups have stiff competition to prove their worth in the Nepali politics. But time will tell which one genuinely represents the feelings of the people.
The April 22 and September 15 are the momentous days for Nepal’s communists. Different communist groups in Nepal mark these two days with enthusiasm and fanfare. The April 22 is the founding day of the Communist Party of Nepal while the September 15 is the day when the manifesto of the communist party of Nepal was first declared.
Controversy
As Nepal’s communists lock horn on every issue, these two dates are also not free from controversy. The Nepali communists are divided on the date of founding day of the communist party in Nepal. Most communist parties including the CPN-UML and the Maoists are of the belief that the April 22 is the founding day of the Communist Party in Nepal. They claim that the September 15 is the day when the manifesto of the Communist Party of Nepal was issued.
But some other groups do not agree with this and claim that the communist party was formally formed with the announcement of its manifesto which falls on September 15, 1949. According to them, the communist party is the party of ideology and programmes and the birth of the Communist Party of Nepal marks with the issuance of political doctrine or manifesto.
Until 1961, the communist party was one and unified. There was no divided opinion on the issue of the party’s founding day. The communist party split in 1962 and the process of fragmentation continued. After the split, different groups came into existence and they professed diverse arguments and opinions on different issues. On the issue of the founding day as well, views differed. In 1974, a faction came into being in the name of Communist Party of Nepal (Congress Congress), which kicked off the controversy regarding the founding day of the communist party. This group claimed the September 15 as the birth of the Communist Party of Nepal.
Whatever the arguments and counter arguments, the facts have proved that the Communist Party of Nepal was formed on April 22, 1949 as the youngest communist party of Asia. Late Pushpa Lal Shrestha took the initiative to form the communist party in Nepal and is, thus, regarded as the father of Nepal’s communist movement. Pushpa Lal Shrestha, who is the party’s founder general secretary, has written that the party was formed on April 22, 1949 in Shyam Bazar area in Calcutta. In the beginning there were only five members, who are revered as the founding members of the Communist of Nepal. The five founders are Pushpa Lal Shrestha, Nar Bahadur Karmacharya, Narayan Bilas Joshi, Niranjan Govinda Vaidya and Moti Devi. Accordingly, the manifesto of the communist party was prepared and announced in September 15 of the same year.
When the communist party was born, Nepal was under the Rana’s oligarchic rule. All civil and political rights had been denied during that period. The feudal system was strong and it was protected by the state. It was, thus, necessary to fight two-pronged war simultaneously—one against feudalism and other against the then ruling Rana regime. During that period, some other political organizations had already been established and they were mobilizing people against the Rana rule. The Nepali Congress was among them and it was the largest and strongest force during that time. Those organizations had only political motive and aimed at overthrowing the Rana regime and establish the multi-party democracy.
For a communist party, this was not sufficient. The initial objective of the Communist Party of Nepal was, of course, the overthrow of the oligarchic Rana rule and establishment of democracy in the country. However, it was also necessary to liberate people from all forms of feudal exploitation and discrimination and ultimately establish a communist government.
The manifesto of the Communist Party minutely explained the historical background of Nepal’s political, social and economic situation, analysed the existing political scenario and underscored the need for liberate the country and the people from the feudal and dictatorial regime and external domination. The manifesto also emphasized to empower the economically, socially and culturally exploited and discriminated people and make them the real masters of the country and also to guarantee democratic rights and total freedom to the people. The contents and language of the manifesto prove that unlike other parties the communist party, right from the beginning, has been championing political freedom, democracy and economic rights and equality.
After the communist party was born, it slowly started expanding its organization and mobilizing people in the country. The party became the attraction for the masses especially the poor and downtrodden. Many young revolutionaries soon joined the communist party. The fast growth of the communist party was perceived as a serious threat not only to the then regime but other political organizations as well. As political organizations and activities were banned in Nepal, most political parties and organizations were active in India from where they had been launching their activities against the Rana regime. But it was the communist party that decided to work secretly within Nepal and organize people for the movement.
At that time, the communist movement was vibrant globally. The victory of the Bolsheviks ‘s revolution led by V I Lenin and establishment of the communist system in the Soviet Union (now Russia) inspired the communists and revolutionaries all over the world to push for armed revolution. Several countries in the Eastern Europe, too, had already established communist governments. In the neighbouring China, communists under the leadership of Mao Zedong launched a successful armed revolution and established communist regime. Even in India, the communists had been rising vibrantly and they were seen as a threat to the ruling elites mainly the Congress party’s government in New Delhi. As communists in Nepal had strong links and had received sympathy and support from Indian communists and revolutionary groups, the Indian establishment started casting evil eyes on Nepal’s communists. As a result, a nexus was built between the Indian establishment and Nepal’s feudal elements and other anti-communist groups including the Nepali Congress against the communist force in Nepal.
As the mass movement was in its height against the Ranas, a tripartite agreement known as the ‘Delhi Agreement’ brokered by India was reached among the Nepali Congress, the then King Tribhuvan and the Rana regime. As per the tripartite agreement, the Nepali Congress gave up the movement and joined the Rana-led cabinet. But the communist party opposed the Delhi Agreement and termed it as a betrayal of people’s movement. The party called for a continuous movement to overthrow the Rana regime once and for all. The communist party also flayed the Nepali Congress for joining hands with the Rana regime against which the people had been fighting.
The open defiance of the ‘Delhi Agreement’ further unified India, Nepali Congress and the King against the communist party in Nepal. As the communist party intensified its movement, the government banned the party and its activities. It was a big irony that a political party that fought to establish the multi-democracy was banned after the democratic system was established. Although banned, the communist party continued to exist and carry out its activities secretly. Even after the ban, the anti-communist elements both within and outside the country conspired to infiltrate into the party and fragment it. As a result of infiltration, the communist party split in 1962.
Competition
Now there are more than a dozen communist parties in Nepal each claiming to be the genuine representatives of the people and accusing the other of deviating from the communist principles. Now there are two streams of communist movement in Nepal—one is a parliamentary stream represented by the CPN-UML and the other is a radical stream led by the UCPN-Maoists. These two groups have stiff competition to prove their worth in the Nepali politics. But time will tell which one genuinely represents the feelings of the people.
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