Our party leaders, particularly Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and party chairman Prachanda, betrayed the contribution made by People’s Army by handing over the keys to the Integration Committee. This is unacceptable to us. Our leader Mohan Vaidya Kiran has already issued a statement opposing the decision of Dr. Bhattarai led government to take keys of arms stored in the cantonments. I consider the move of the government humiliated our People’s Army who fought ten years’ long People’s War against Royal Nepalese Army and reactionary forces. Thanks to their contribution, we were able to overthrow the unitary monarchical system and turn Nepal into a federal republic.


We are not against the peace and integration processes. What we want is the integration and peace processes should be based on equal footing or at par with Nepal Army. However, Dr. Bhattarai took the decision to hand over the keys of cantonment to integration committee against the spirit of peace process. The decision of our central committee and standing committee is that there is the need to make an honorable integration. The modality should not be discriminatory. Our party’s stand is that the handing over of the keys of arms and ammunition stored in the cantonment should take place only after an agreement on the number and modality and numbers of cantonment. Our key demand is that the People’s Army integration and promulgation of the constitution should be taken side by side.


It is very unfortunate that party chairman Prachanda and prime minister Dr. Baburam Bhattrai agreed to hand over the keys of arms and ammunition stored in containers without even thinking of the process. This is the breach of trust. I think our party leaders sold out the contribution, blood and sacrifice of our People’s Army.  After handing over the keys of containers, we don’t have any instruments to bargain. This is how we see it as the betrayal against People’s Army.


I don’t understand why our party leaders are so hurried in taking such a major decision. The integration package also includes the democratization of Nepal Army. The party leaders have taken the decision without getting any commitments from Nepal Army. This is also a mistake of the leadership. Prime minister Dr. Bhattarai and party chairman Prachanda should clarify this matter to our party workers.


Similarly, the keys of containers were handed over without determining the number of peoples’ army and modality for their integration. This is very objectionable.

We have announced our protest programs against the decision to hand over the keys just on the basis of the decision taken by the Special Committee. This is what we considered the humiliation to our People’s Army. Other objection regarding the decision is that such a major decision was taken without discussing it in the party’s central committee and standing committee. Our main objection is that the party president and the prime minister should have taken permission from the both the committees before taking this decision.


There is anger among party’s cadres over the decision. There are dissensions in the cantonment. One cannot rule out the possibility of rebellion in the cantonment.  Our young revolutionary comrades have already expressed their support to the cause raised by our leader Mohan Vaidya Kiran. They are preparing to wage another People’s War if necessary. No one has the right to play with the future of our People’s Army. If somebody wants to play with it, they will naturally retaliate.


The protest against the decision was spontaneous response of our party workers. We have not issued any statements to do so. As a revolutionary party, it is natural for its party workers to express resentment when their party leaders took decision against the interest of the party. Our People’s Army sacrificed their lives not to make somebody president and prime minister. Our aim is to transform the society and country and to write the People’s Constitution. This is our bottom line. Our party is not the personal property of party president and vice president but it is the party of the people of oppressed, excluded, workers and peasants.


Party leader Mohan Vaidya Kiran, CP Gajurel, and Dev Gurung have raised this issue in the meeting of party’s standing committee where they asked the party president Prachanda and prime minister Dr. Bhattrai to clarify this. It is the duty of loyal party workers to defy the decision if that is taken against the spirit of the party and interest of the party. We cannot sacrifice our interest just for the sake of international committees and other parties. We have our own ideology and belief.


The recent resentment against the party is just a curtain raiser. If they continue to undermine central committee and standing committee decisions, party leaders will have to take the responsibility for any incident.  This is not our threat but what I am speaking is the mind of our tens of thousands of party workers and cadres who sacrificed their lives for the sake of people’s revolution. I don’t mind raising arms against the regressive and reactionary forces if required. We have already spent our lives in chanting the revolution.


As dedicated and disciplined workers of the party, we cannot defy our leadership. This is the reason our party leaders took this decision in the party’s formal forum like in Standing Committee. The message of the recent opposition is to warn the party leaders that the decision related to the party’s future and its cadres must be taken with wider consultation in the party. Otherwise, party workers take the necessary actions against those who betrayed the party’s ideology.
(Chand is Maoist Standing Committe Member As told to New Spotlight)