General Strike and Demonstrations Ended but Political Crises Will Continue
18 days long general strike and protest demonstrations ended on Tuesday, as the King Gyanendra reinstate the Parliament which was dissolved in 2002. Opposition parties celebrating this “victory” but Maoist rebels have rejected this deal. People are celebrating on the streets with disbelief. Many young people express their disbelief as saying “This is not full victory, the king is there but we want to see him dead”.
It is true that king is forced to make more concessions by the heroic and courageous struggle of working masses. But the seven party alliances have made a clear compromise with the King as they retreated from their main demand of elections for Constituent Assembly to draw up a new constitution. The Parliament will meet on Friday to elect the new Prime Minister. The opposition alliance has nominated the ex-prime minister Prasad Koirala as new prime minister. Koirala is senior leader of Nepalese Congress party and 3 time’s prime minister. He is pro king and has a history of implementing the neo liberal economic policies of free market economy. There is no time frame mentioned to hold the new elections for Constituent assembly.
Revolutionary Situation
Many protesters are wondering that why the opposition parties have made this compromise when the clear victory was insight. The main reason of this compromise is that both the opposition and king were frightened from the revolutionary upsurge and determination of the working masses. The situation was completely out of the control of king. It was clear that the king will not be able to hold power for more than few days.
The protest demonstrations started to pick up the momentum in last few days. The General Strike was very solid and on Friday the public sector workers also joined the strike. All the trade unions took part in the demonstrations and street protests in last few days. This movement was wide spread compare to the 1990 pro democracy movement which was mainly in Khatmandu. The numbers of protestors were in thousands in the first 10 days of the movement, but situation rapidly changed in last few days.
The leading newspaper Khatmandu Post describe the situation in this way “The protests were small in the beginning, but state repression and excessive use of force increased the anger. The situation was changed when security forces opened fire and killed 12 protesters and injured hundreds. The people lost the fear of death and situation radicalized to the levels of revolutionary insurrection”. The working masses clearly showed their potential power and strength. They forced the king to bow down on his knees. A revolutionary party and leadership with having clear programe and strategy could have easily been over thrown the crown to establish the democratic workers state.
One Japanese journalist Kiyko Oguru (she spent 13 years in Nepal and also wrote a famous book on the democracy movement) explained the situation in these words “I was here in 1990 to cover the pro democracy movement. But this time it is more radicalized and wide spread. The mood is angrier and people are more determined. They want to sacrifice every thing to over throw the king. The situation is far more dangerous than what I thought in the beginning”.
The most popular slogans during the movement were “Hang the king”, “leave the palace, we will run the country”. “Burnt the king burnt the palace”. “We have the power not the king”.
King Lost the Control
It was very clear in the last three days of demonstrations that king has lost control over the situation. It was the leadership of opposition alliance which helped the king to retain the power. It can safely be said that the opposition alliance including Communist party Unified Marxist Leninist (CPUML) handed back the power to king which he lost during the movement. It was not possible for the king to retain the power for more than few days. But the opposition alliance was not happy with the increasing influence of Maoist rebels and radicalization of masses.
The statements of different diplomats clearly reflect that situation. The Indian special envoy Karan Singh ( a relative of king Gyanendra and ex ambassador in US) describe the situation “ The prime minister has asked me to go to Nepal to take a message to the king and to asses the situation. I am convinced that civil unrest against the monarchy was spinning out of control. We do not want to interfere in the internal affairs of a country, but we are deeply concerned with situation. We have open border with Nepal and worsening situation will spin into our areas. A lot of violence is growing and there is a lot of unrest spreading throughout the kingdom and king has certainly lost some control”.
One Chinese diplomat said “Time appeared to be running out for Monarch”. According to one European diplomat “We could see him (king) toppled, if he does not do something in next few days. I am very afraid we are moving into a revolutionary situation”.
The king held talks with US, Chinese and Indian ambassadors on Sunday 23 rd April to defuse the situation. American Embassy official said after the meeting “we have gave him a clear message that you do not have a lot of time, you have to move and make concessions. You have not only endangered your rule but also whole system”.
American ambassador James Moriarty put it more bluntly “The king of Nepal must act fast to save his crown. I have a gut feeling that ultimately the king will have to leave if he does not compromise. And by ultimately I mean sooner than later. The king will lose his kingdom, if he does not move fast”.
AFP reporter said “I talk to different diplomats, police and army officers in Khatmandu and they all fearing a revolutionary insurrection in next couple of days if situation will not be improved. They fear that Maoist rebels will exploit the situation.
American and Indian governments not only put pressure on the king to make copromise with opposition but same pressure were also implied on opposition parties to accept the deal. The Indian special Envoy Karan Singh met several times with the leadership of Nepalese congress party and king to make this deal. Karan Singh also met with the leaders of CPUML to reach on some sort of compromise.
Unity or Class Collaboration
The Communist Party Unified Marxist Leninist (CPUML) still follows the bankrupt Stalinist theory of Stage Revolutions. This was reflected very clearly during this protest movement. The main demand of the CPUML was to establish a democratic Republic to achieve full democracy before moving towards Socialism. CPUML and other left parties in Nepal formed alliance with capitalist parties to launch struggle to establish democratic republic and to make monarchy more like a ceremonial one. The left parties in Nepal have adopted a class collaborationist policy, but they disguise it on the name of political unity. The CPUML is not putting forward the independent class position and policies, but instead supporting the capitalist class to establish democracy. The communist parties in Nepal are following the same bankrupt class collaborationist policies of CPI and CPIM of India.
The events in Nepal have once again proved the relevance of Trotsky’s Theory of Permanent Revolution. The ruling class in Nepal is so closely knitted with international ruling class that they can not take a step against their interests. The ruling class is not capable of carrying through the main tasks of National Democratic Revolution. The land reforms, stable parliamentary democracy, over throw of monarchy and establish a democratic republic with full democratic rights including the right of trade union and strike. These rights can not be fully achieved and enjoyed under monarchy, capitalism and feudalism. The over through of rotten capitalist and feudal system and transformation of society on Socialist lines is necessary to achieve full democratic rights. The experience of democracy under monarchy has clearly showed in the past that nothing can be achieved for the working class and poor.
The 18 days long general strike and protest movement showed that potential for a revolutionary insurrection was there, but there was no revolutionary party and leadership existed to carry that task forward. The general strike and street protests paralyzed the state machinery and whole system was stand still. But leadership of communist parties in Nepal was not willing to organize that insurrection. But they were frightened from increased radicalization and confidence of the masses.
Political bankruptcy and coward ness of the leader ship of CPs have lost an opportunity to over through the monarchy and to establish a guanine workers democracy and state.
The celebrations will turn into big disappointment soon. The Maoist Guerillas can take advantage of the situation to further consolidate their position. The Maoist fighters can attract a layer of youth which have been disillusioned by the pro democracy movement leaders.
Political crisis is not yet over in Nepal. This compromise will lead to a new crisis in the country. This is a beginning of new profound crises. The new government will not be able to strike a deal with Maoist Rebels ton end more than a decade old civil war in the country. The new government under the umbrella of the king will not be able to solve any fundamental problem faced by the working masses. The capitalism and feudal aristocracy will continue to super exploit the working class and the poor.
The working class needs a revolutionary Socialist party to end this exploitation and repression. A revolutionary party with having clear program and strategy can end this endless crisis and uncertainty. This party under the democratic control of the working class and with having democratic bodies can fulfill the aspirations of masses. Workers and peasant committees elected democratically should be formed to take this struggle forward. This revolutionary party will practically implement this popular slogan “ we will burn the crown and we will run the country”.