NEPAL: Election Boycott Campaign and the Role of the Red Youths

Election Boycott  Campaign and  the Role of the Red Youths

Rishi Raj Baral

With the beginning   of the second phase of election-boycott campaign, National Youth People's Volunteer, an youth organization of CPN-Maoist,   has launched  the  nationwide anti- election campaign.  It was started from Jhapa, the easternmost district of Nepal which lies in Tarai region. After the Jhapa rally, Red-t Shirts and  the youths volunteers have become an  issue of political  concern and curiosity. It has produced   a new type of  stirring   among  the politicians as well as in the public sector. For some one, it has become a source of  spirit   and  inspiration  and for some others, it has become an issue of  restlessness. The nationwide march-past of  youth  volunteers  indicates the  impending political situation of Nepal.  We all know youths from the former People´s Liberation Army (PLA), former Young Communist League (YCL) and the “disqualified militants” are united in the  National Youth People's Volunteer (NYPV).

At that time, when the People’s Volunteer Bureau  was established,  different types of questions and comments had been done by the national-international sectors. After the breakthrough with the  Prachand-Baburam clique,  the revolutionaries  reorganized and  named it as the  National Youth People's Volunteer (NYPV).  Since then, this youth organization has  become  the hot issue  on the medias as well as in the political sectors. Many national-international organizations,  NGOs and agencies like “International Crisis Group” and the  studies and analysis agency of India, “Institute For  Defense Studies and Analyses” (IDSA) have shown keen interest in this youth organization.

     In this short article there is no possibility of mentioning the comments of above mentioned agencies. Some of the websites particularly the supporters of revolutionary Marxism has focused the formation of NYPV as the pleasant moment for the followers of MLM, and anti-people websites and columnist   has reacted it as the formation of a new terrorist wing.  Restructuring   the party as the CPN-Maoist was itself a historical event and  it  was not unnatural that the  new formation of youths–NYPV to be the issue of new concern. The Seventh National Congress of CPN-Maoist made clear its party line as “People's Revolt on the Foundation of People's War”.  Afterward,  Central Committee meeting held in Pokhara valley passed the resolution to boycott the upcoming 2^nd CA election actively and vigorously. Then   providing   the additional responsibility to the NYPV,  party  putout the total plan and program for the election boycott campaign.

It shaped a great challenge for the followers of parliamentary system. Now the reactionaries of old and new types are making noise that “Baidhya faction has no strength to foil the election” and  in the mean time they have announced  that “there is the possibility of army deploy in the election”. In fact,  they want to cover up their frightened mentality. The nationwide march-past rally of the National Youth People's Volunteer has produced a tremor within the reactionary camp.

Here I would like to present the short history of National Youth People's Volunteer. Prachand-Baburam clique spoiled the revolutionary legacy of the Young Communist League, which had played  a tremendous role in the past.   They used  the youths as the tools for the corruption and smuggling. The revolutionary legacy of YCL was turned in to the activities  of  hooligan gang. Then the revolutionary faction within UCPN (Maoist) forced party leaders  to reorganize the youth force. After that it was  named as the People´s Volunteer Bureau. At that time it was  headed  by comrade  Biplav, member of the Standing Committee.  Though it was formed to launch “people’s revolt”,  the People’s Volunteer Bureau  remained inactive allegedly due to unwillingness of Prachand and his followers. That's why, it could  not succeed to move forward, as it was hoped.  After the restructuring of the CPN-Maoist, it took new direction as the National Youth People's Volunteer. Now Comrade  Biplav,  secretary of the CPN-Maoist is leading  this youth organization as the bureau  in charge, and comrade Udaya Bahadur Chalaune “Deepak” then PLA Vice-Division Commander of 3^rd Division is the chairman of this youth organization.

Now it is no more an organization of corrupted hooligans, it is the organization of  the revolutionary youths, who are dedicated to the revolutionary transformation of the Nepalese society. It has got its identity as the people's volunteers in real sense. As it has mentioned  in its document : “National Youth People's Volunteer, affiliated with the CPN-Maoist, is the organization of those  revolutionary youths, who are  struggling  on the side of oppressed people and the national sovereignty.”

NYPV played and plying the vital role to seize the land occupied by the landlords from the poor peasants. NYPV has launched Mechi-Mahakali awaking campaign for the safeguard of the national sovereignty and integrity.  It has condemned  all unequal and  unfair treaties between India and Nepal and has demanded to  be   annulled.  NYPV always denounces Indian hegemony and  stands against the American imperialism and   Indian expansionism. So that, this youth organization  is objectionable for the foreign reactionary forces. Not only this,   Prachand the betrayer of Nepalese revolution and his followers also abominate this organisation, because of its  anti-corruption, and  anti-revisionist ideological stand. In many places the followers of Prachand and government supported vigilantes jointly have done physical attack upon  the members of NYPV.

We all know that the CA election is not being held to write people’s constitution, rather it is based on the design of taking the country towards Sikkimisation.  Decision of CA election is not based on the interest and opinion of the Nepalese  people. This is a designed agenda directed by the American imperialism and Indian expansionism  against the  revolutionary transformation of the Nepalese society. And it is the matter of irony  that the four party  syndicate is working as their tools.  That's why,  the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist has decided to boycott this so-called second CA election actively and vigorously. CPN-Maoist has called  the masses of the people to make the boycott movement effective and a grand success. In this course, youths of the people's volunteers have stood  in the forefront. As the scale  of election boycott campaign further increases,  as the Party  intensifies the anti-election campaign,  the  four party alliance government will come out in its full strength to suppress  the election boycott campaign. Then there  will result  a clear  cut polarization between  the political forces.  No doubt, there will be a strong confrontation between the patriotic-progressive forces and the reactionary forces. At that very moment, the role of NYPV will be extremely momentous.

We have the right to boycott election as others have the right to take part in it. Currently the reactionary government is scheming the  psychological terror that they are going to deploy the army in the election. We all know former king Gyanendra also had declared general election  at that time.  And we know it too that the revolutionaries have gained the experience of how to foil this type of elections.  We have the leading team of matured  and revolutionary  leaders and we have  the organization of youths like NVPV, where most of the former PLA commanders and cadres are united. They are prepared to complete their course of sacrifice in any time and action.

The   main thing is the ideological question, which leads the oppressed people in the correct direction. We have a glorious history in this regard. When we waged the People's War, we had just a small team of people's volunteers, but later on,  we had seven division of PLA.  Similarly,  in the beginning we had only one home made gun and later on, we gained  the experience of modern rocket launcher. As Comrade Mao has mentioned that the decisive factor is the party line. Yes, the decisive factor is  the revolutionary line, revolutionary spirit and the will power, not the number.

To fight for the safeguard of the national sovereignty and to achieve the goal of New Democratic Revolution is our motto. We know  the government forces along with all types of revisionists and opportunists, including  UCPN (Maoist),  will come out against  our mission and we are fully ensured that we can overcome all these obstacles. As Comrade Mao has mentioned in his article “The Orientation of the Youth Movement”, “Young people, full of vigor and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning.”  Yes,  The National  Youth People's Volunteer means the organization of the revolutionary youths,  who are ready to face each and every challenge loaded by the reactionary forces, inside the country and abroad.   History has taught us how to fight against reactionaries and  the opportunists.

CPN-Maoist has put out  the issue of  “High Level Consensus”. This must  be taken with seriously. Not to take this issue seriously  means  to call for a new confrontation. In fact, election without national consensus means declaration of war on the people.  Second phase of election boycott campaign is going to be concluded  and  no doubt, the third and final stage  will take a new step–a new leap. Then it will not be the matter of surprise that the colour of  Red t- Shirts will be  changed into  the  “Green Shirts”. The youths of the National  Youth People's Volunteer,  are waiting for their  commander's direction. It must be kept in mind that it is not  the period of 1996,  now it is 2013.

September 10, 2013                 000