People’s War, Royal Massacre and Peace process

In 1995, Prachanda and his comrades began to make preparations for an armed struggle. It was the result of historical and dialectical processes. One group which was focussing on armed revolution since the establishment of fourth congress was now headed by suitable leadership. On the other side, fraction of unity centre took part in the election but got only few seats. Baburam Bhattrai and other parliamentarian put forwarded their demands, but couldn’t get their demands fulfilled and left the parliament to join the armed struggle. They went underground and organised themselves for a protracted war that lasted for a decade. In the initial period, those who would later be fashioned as the Maoists did militant work in Rolpa and Rukum districts in Western Nepal. This mass work was met with state repression. It is fair to say that it was the state repression that forced the Maoists to declare an open people’s war on February 13, 1996. Until then, they were prepared to build their bases through open militant work. This was seen by the state as a provocation. It led exhorably to war. 

During the decade of the people’s war, the Maoists were able to run a successful parallel government in more than half of the Nepali territory – almost all rural Nepal. The motivation of the peasantry was lifted by these reforms in the countryside who took even brutal actions against feudalism. They joined the People’s Liberation Army to defend these gains. At its highest, the People’s Liberation Army was comprised of 20,000 troops. The war was hard fought. Over the decade, 17,000 were killed, thousands went missing and many thousands were displaced from their homes and livelihood. Imperialist and the right wing government in Nepal tagged them as terrorist groups and suppressed the struggle. 

In 2001, Royal massacre took place killing all the family member of the king. Only the family of then king’s brothers were alive. His brother Ganendra Shah became a new king. The new King was unable to regain the trust of the people. He was ambitious and attempted to seize all power. When he started absolute Monarchy, people knew about the undue ambition. But he went against people’s will and dissolved the elected government. He awakened in the Nepali people a revulsion at the absolute monarchy which was already campaigning by people’s war. Royal massacre and undue ambition of new king created a conducive environment for the political change in Nepal. 

In one side, the war exhausted the Nepali people. The corruption of the state and the venality of the royal family turned the exhaustion into disgust. It was clear that there was a popular mood not only for a peace process to end the war, but for a political process to set aside the monarchy in favour of a federal republic. This was the political direction opened up by the people’s war. On the other hand, the parliamentary parties – to defend democracy – formed a seven-party alliance[1] to fight against absolute Monarchy, but people fed up of political instability were not much supporting the alliance. 

And there comes a turning point, the alliance of Maoist and seven party alliance against the absolute Monarchy.

Some UML leaders were in close contact with the leadership of the Maoists. They held a few secret talks to see about the launching a joint movement to establish democracy in Nepal. These conversations led to a 12-point agreement between the Maoists and the seven-party alliance. The right-wing parties hesitated to join hands with this alliance. They did not want to sign an agreement with the Maoists to establish a republic. But, they had to recognise the popular sentiment against the autocratic monarchy and for a multi-party democracy. Similarly, as the leader of Unity Centre, Comrade Prakash (Narayan Kaji Shrestha) was in close contact with Maoist. He was also facilitating the underground party and the ruling force to find a peaceful solution.  Thus, a favourable time came.  

The seven-party alliance had engaged in resolute peaceful protests across Nepal. In April 2006, the Maoists declared a ceasefire for 90 days. Many of their cadre and supporters joined in the peaceful movement. On the 19^th day of the struggle, the King felt compelled to negotiate with the parties. He agreed to re-establish the parliament, form the interim government of struggling forces and to hold elections for a Constituent Assembly. It was a major victory. 

The Government of Nepal – therefore – signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)[2] with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to end the war. The UN observed the ceasefire that began with the management of arms and peaceful transformation of People’s liberation army. The agreement put on paper the commitment of the government to hold an election for a constituent assembly and to end the monarchy. It affirmed the long struggle by the Nepali people, from the 1950s, to establish a multi-party democracy. At the heart of the CPA was the twelve-point agreement reached between the seven-party alliance as well as the Maoists. 

Constituent assembly election and Overthrow of Monarchy 

The re-established parliament decided to go for new constitution by constituent assembly. It declared that Nepal would henceforth be a Republic. This meant that the monarchy would be totally abolished by the popular vote. What a historical and model peace process was that. It democratically and peacefully decided to end both the people’s war as well as the Monarchy. In 2008, the elections for the Constituent Assembly was held. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) emerged as the largest party in the Assembly. The first meeting of the Assembly on May 28, 2008 declared that Nepal was to be a Federal Republic. The monarchy was now abolished and King decided to leave the palace. His most of the property along with Palace was nationalized. The Constituent assembly also transformed the unitary state to federal state. Nepal’s political sovereignty would be divided a federal system with three tiers of governance, local, provincial and federal. The country was divided into seven provinces. Elections came fast and furiously, all towards the production and ratification of a new constitution. Though the first constituent assembly couldn’t come up with constitution, the second election was held. Two years after the election of 2013, Nepal had a new Constitution of 2015. This Constitution of 2015, is one of the most progressive such documents. Some features of the Constitution include:

a.     Paving Nepal’s way forward to socialism.

b.    33% representation of women in all public offices.

c.     Food sovereignty as a Constitutional guarantee.

d.    Land reform and resource reform guarantees.

e.     Provisions for social security and for a robust welfare state.

f.      Right to health care, to employment and to education.

The Constitution, in some ways, has offered a glimpse towards socialism. It is now up to the Left political forces to fight the battles for socialism, to confront the bourgeoisie and the aristocratic remnants that will prevent any gradual transition to socialism. It is, therefore, the time of the Left in Nepal.