There is no reason to reverse the cabinet decision to legitimize the settlement made by defunct Maoist Local People’s Government. During the period of conflict, people’s government settled many land related disputes. During the height of the conflict, local people could not go from one place to another and there was a threat to go to the district headquarters. People had no choice other than to go to Local People’s government for settlement of various petty issues. Realizing the importance of People’s Government, even Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Interim Constitution recognized it. During the peace process, parliamentary parties also accepted this fact. Actually, the cabinet decision paves the way to formalize the only petty family disputes on confiscated property of landlords and feudals.  One of the aims of People’s War was to establish a classless society to wipe out the feudal system. However, the recent cabinet decision has not allowed all land related issues, but just a minor issue. The people had confiscated the property of landlords and oppressors. The lands which were held by workers and farmers are those of the absentee landlords. During ten years long conflict, Local People’s Government took many progressive decisions. Handing over the lands to tillers was one of them. Our party believes that the ownership of the land should go to tillers, not absentee landlords. There are large numbers of landless people, but few landlords and feudals are holding big chunks of land. Even during the constitution writing process, these groups of people are opposing revolutionary and scientific land reform projects. We still believe on that. This is also one of the major achievements of the peace process. These lands should be given to landless.  Opposition leaders are creating a hue and cry without verifying this. We joined the peace process following the acceptance of parliamentary parties to recognize our works, which are completed by favoring workers, farmers and oppressed people. This is nothing but a small issue. The intentions of the parliamentary parties are clear as they don’t have any interest in writing the constitution and completing the peace process. Otherwise, they would not have created the hurdles in the constitution writing process.  Instead of opposing this, political parties should have supported us.

Although parliamentary political parties are holding us as responsible for delaying the peace process and constitution writing, it is completely false. Our party’s internal problems have nothing to do with the delay in the constitution writing and peace processes. However, it is the parliamentary political parties which are creating hurdles after hurdles. They are trying to reverse the change brought by the People’s War and People’s Movement II. Our party cannot compromise on certain core and fundamental issues. It does not mean that we are opposing and creating the hurdles on the constitution writing. The recent decision of parliamentary parties to gang up against us is an example. So far as our party’s internal differences are concerned, this is no more than an internal democratic exercise. We have never opposed what our leaders agreed upon. This is time to institutionalize the achievements of People’s War and Janandolan II. UCPN-Maoist also has decided to support strengthening and institutionalizing People’s rights through constitution writing and peace process. Our party has one voice so far as the issue related to constitution writing and peace process. If parliamentary parties conspire and create hurdles, we will call for rebellion from streets. This is open for us.  As the wound of conflict has already healed, we don’t want to open the past cases. This is the reason we are proposing amnesty to all the persons involved in conflict. If we open the chapter of conflict, it will create more trouble in society.


Bishwokarma is UCPN-Maoist Politburo Member. As told to Media.