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People's
Republic can only guarantee Nepal's national pride |
Narayan Kaji
Shrestha United Maoists Leader
Nepal - 2009-05-13 |
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TGQ1: Your party-the Maoists-has stepped down from the
government front. You could have fought the battle by being in the government.
Isn't it? If the President did an act that you dub as unconstitutional
one and the Chief of the Army staff defied the government's order, wouldn't
it have been better to fight with them by being in the power structure?
Isn't it a defeated mentality of your party? What say you? Your comments
plvease.
Narayan Kaji: No! it is not that we became unable to
fight and quit the government. Instead, we eased the process for a solution
and thus resigned from the government. We felt that there remained some
thing to be fought for which we have had to quit the government.
The President took steps that we dub as an unconstitutional act. We thus
have to fight against the President's erratic moves for which we concluded
that it would be fair to fight with such unconstitutional moves by remaining
out of the government corridors.
We appointed Kul Bahadur Khadka as the new Army Chief but the President
reinstated the sacked Army Chief Katwal which created a tremendous moral
pressure on us because we felt that Nepal now had virtually two power
centers.
More so, the Maoists are not like those traditional political parties
who wish to stick on the chair in any circumstances. We are not that shameless
party as others are and thus we came out from the government.
Yes! We could have struggled as your have rightly said. We pondered over
that very option as well, but wisdom demanded that it would be more realistic
and opportune to wage the struggle from both street and the parliament.
A sort of moral pressure was on our party because of the reinstatement
of the sacked Army chief which also forced us to opt for the resignation
option which has now facilitates us to heat both the streets and the parliament.
Take it this way but not as a defeated mentality.
TGQ2: It is rumored that your party was awaiting a
ruse to quit the government as your government had become unable to
perform. Is the Army Chief episode just the ruse to quit the government?
Now also tell us that the emerging situation is bit different and thus
where the people's war and the Nepal 's Communist Movement stood at
the moment? Your opinions please.
Narayan Kaji: This allegation is hundred percent baseless.
Albeit, the expectations that the people have had from our government
could not be fulfilled. I agree to it. The transitional phase and the
coalition sort of government came in the way. We were thinking on how
to work for the people in a much more effective manner. We haven't fled
for fear of any sort of mis-performance.
The people's war is not like the one what we have had in the past but
then yet the revolutionary struggle remains intact. Keeping the strategic
objectives of the people's war, we are at a different stage of struggle.
The mode has only changed, the essence remains the same. The already
stated strategy remains as it is. Rest assured.
As regards the Nepali revolution, well! It is proceeding with its own
unique identity and in the process we have come to this stage of peace
process and for the drafting of a new constitution.
Now our entire efforts will be aimed at integration of the Armies and
draft a constitution and establish a "People's Democratic National
Federal Republic". We will write a constitution that will
be against feudalism and imperialism. But the reactionaries and the
imperialists have been impeding the drafting of the new constitution.
This is the main issue where the fight between the two forces is on.
We believe in the safeguarding of national pride and are engaged in
this regard, however, others are blocking our way in their own styles.
If the domestic and the international reactionary forces continue to
put hurdles in our main objectives, we will have no option left other
than to wage a final decisive war against those forces-the reactionaries
indeed.
TGQ3: While forming government, your party claimed
of several miracles to happen. However, those were not forthcoming.
Now you say that the constitution will be made in favor of the people.
How come this? Is it only a hollow assurance to the people or some thing
else?
The way, as you claim, you were not allowed to function in the government,
the same manner other parties may not allow you to draft the constitution
of your liking in the coming days. What say you?
Narayan Kaji: You look at the chain of political events
that have unfolded in the mean time. We proved ourselves correct when
we said that elections to the constituent assembly were possible. It
became a reality as against what others claimed then. It was basically
our agenda which was later beamingly followed by all those who had been
against such an election.
The constitution which we prefer may not be allowed to be written but
we will succeed in the long run. The people themselves will force others
to take our line then though obstacles may crop up in the process.
The attack or say the main target of the People's War and the last Revolution
was not only the Monarchy but also the traditional parliamentary system.
What the people need today is the forward looking People's Republic
which is in essence the People's Democratic Republic where people remain
sovereign and their supremacy prevails. People's Republic can only guarantee
national pride which obliterates the entire feudal and imperial symptoms
prevailing in the society. This is the best system that suits to the
needs of the common workers, peasants and the exploited ones of this
country.
Those who will prefer to object to proceed in this regard will be automatically
sidelined by the people. We can thus hope that we will be able to frame
a people's constitution of our preference.
As regards to your supplementary question, let me tell you frankly that
no force on earth can challenge the strength and the will of the people.
However, this does not mean that our aim will not pass through obstacles,
but will be sidelined by the people themselves ultimately.
But if the people feel that their preferences are being challenged by
some quarters they will wage a sort of final battle against those who
come in their way. The revolution in that case will be imminent.
TGQ4: You have been telling the people that the President
staged a Coup d'etat. But how is it a Coup? If so then how will you
proceed in the days ahead against the Presidential decision? Why would
be your comment?
Narayan Kaji: That is crystal clear. The President
wanted to find his role going out of the ambit of the constitution.
His decision has established that we have two equally powerful centers
in the State. This in itself tantamount to a Coup d'etat. Yes! It was
not a military Coup d'etat although.
We demand that the President's decision must be taken back at any cost.
We have already declared our struggle against the decision. We will
coordinate the struggle of both the streets and the parliament. We will
force him to take his decisions back come what may. If he doesn't come
to terms as demanded by our party then indeed the peace process and
the drafting of the new constitution will see a major set back.
We just want to bring the derailed interim constitution on track. We
will thus restore the lost people's supremacy.
TGQ5: What the President should do now? What if the
President doesn't retract from his previous decision? How the politics
will go then? Your remarks please.
Narayan Kaji: The President should reverse his decision.
For that he should make null and void the decision that facilitated
the sacked Army Chief Katwal to retain his post. More over, if the President
wants to keep up to the prestige and pride of the Presidential institution,
he must apologize to the people unconditionally.
Well, if he doesn't then we will not allow the parliament to run. We
though want a new government in place that honors the people's supremacy
but not that of the Army's. In fact, the interim constitution has been
derailed. The formation of a new government with the constitution derailed
will not get sanction of our party. That's all.