– By Sudheer Sharma

Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai was in New Delhi in mid-May hobnobbing with the Indian leadership and officials. In a statement on May 27, Maoist supremo Prachanda said the party had given special assignment to Comrade Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Comrade Baburam Bhattarai to assess the standing of various political parties in India including that of the Indian government and conveying the party’s views to them.

According to sources, Dr. Bhattarai’s team also had the under-cover presence of another politburo member who was none other than Kishan Pyakurel, the pseudonym of Top Bahadur Raymajhi who leads the Maoist organization in India. The Maoist plenum last year had transferred Raymajhi to India from the post of commissar of ‘Lisne Gam Third Brigade’. Similarly, Mahara, who was promoted to the party’s standing committee, is in India to take care of the party’s foreign affairs.

Mahara is considered a Prachanda supporter while Rayamajhi favours Bhattarai. Mahara also had the responsibility to monitor Rayamajhi’s activities in India. As of now, on behalf of the headquarters he is assessing the activities of both Bhattarai and Rayamajhi in Delhi, according to sources.

According to sources, the team led by Dr. Bhattarai’s team primarily held talks with three sorts of people. Firstly, various political leaders in India. Secondly, high level Indian government officials. And, thirdly, the Delhi-based representatives of the Nepalese political parties.

Dr. Bhattarai and his team met many leaders- from the newly-elected general secretary of the Marxist Communist Party Prakash Karat to general secretary of the Indian Communist Party, A.B. Bardhan, and former defense minister George Fernandez, according to a source. But, no one has formally confirmed the reports. Though Karat confirmed the news reports about his meeting with Nepali Maoist leaders to The Times of India on May 26, he refuted the authenticity of the same news that he had “met Nepalese Maoists in a meeting arranged by Indian security agencies” the very next day by circulating a press release.

It was on May 18 that the Dubai-based Gulf News broke the news about the meeting between Dr. Bhattarai, Mahara and Kishan Pyakurel alias Rayamajhi and the Indian intelligence officers, Karat, Bardhan and so on. Eight days later, The Times of India ran a news items saying the Indian intelligence service had arranged the Bhattarai-Karat meeting. However, according to informed sources, their relationship dates back to the 70’s when both of them were studying at the Delhi-based Jawaharalal Nehru University.

Maoist chairman Prachanda

Maoist chairman Prachanda
(File Photo)
The Indian intelligence department, RAW, has had its hands soiled in many political episodes in South Asia right from Sikkim’s integration (into India) to the establishment of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’s Tamil rebellion. P. K. Hermiz Tarakan who was appointed chief of RAW early this year is reputed to have an in-depth knowledge about Nepal’s politics. Under the garb of an Indian diplomat, he was the RAW chief in Nepal until May/June 2001. Has Tarakan, who was set to retire this month had he not been promoted, chosen to make some political maneuverings so as to make his importance felt? Some do think along this line. But Dr. Bhattarai has flatly denied the fact that the Indian intelligence officers had a role in his Delhi mission.

Irrespective of whoever he met through whatever medium, it is clear that after Bhattarai’s latest Delhi tour, the Maoists have received political recognition from the Indian government, in an undeclared fashion though. It is worth mentioning here that it was India, before the Nepal government itself, which declared the Maoists as terrorists way back in 2001. Prachanda has used Baburam, who is said to have “Indian leaning”, with a conscious effort of making India positive towards himself. On his part, to that end, Bhattarai is giving more emphasis on trying his luck through the Indian leftists who are in the government.

Democratic coalition

The principal accomplishment that the Maoists have harvested in Delhi is nothing but the coalition with the agitating political parties in Nepal. The news source claims, based on the discussions held between the Maoist representatives and the Nepalese political parties, a possibility of working together for a ‘democratic republic’ has emerged. The visit of Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala this week is being seen in a similar perspective.

Dr. Bhattarai had held talks with the Delhi representatives of Nepali political parties in various stages. Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Dr. Shekhar Koirala of Nepali Congress, Pradip Giri of Nepali Congress (Democratic), Rajan Bhattarai of CPN (UML), Hridayesh Tripathi and Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhawana Party and Chandradev Joshi of United Left Front and so on are in Delhi right now. The Nepali politicians are actively working through the ‘Nepal Democracy and Human Rights Advocacy Center’, which has its office at Yusuf Saraya of New Delhi.

In the words of a Delhi-based Nepali leader, ‘The discussions with the Maoists have been very positive. Though there have not been any immediate formal agreement, some common agenda might be reached to fight for a democratic republic.’ If it is so then (elections to) the constituent assembly could be a point of departure for them, and for this the seven parties have already opened the ways.

Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai

Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai
(File Photo)
The moment it began, the Royal Nepalese Army tried to sabotage Dr. Bhattarai’s Delhi visit by making public the audio tape carrying the voice of Maoist leader Prachanda. In the tape that was played on May 19, Prachanda said, ‘After the news that Baburam was expelled for taking Indian side, it has been suggested that Gaurav and Kiran cannot be released without clearing this from the level of the (Indian) government. They are trying to make a covert suggestion that Gaurav and Kiran would be released only after Baburam is reinstated.’

The Indian embassy in Kathmandu strongly reacted when the army made the tape public. It said that India had been in touch with the Maoists; that India was taking Baburam’s side and that India was desirous of talking directly to Prachanda. ‘As the Nepali authorities have not shared the information they have with the Indian government as yet, India has no knowledge of its authenticity,’ a press release issued by the embassy said. ‘

Despite India’s refusal, the Maoist supremo authenticated it. In a press statement dated May 21 he said, ‘In our audio tape belonging to completely different circumstances, time and from a distant past,’ people knew that the voice that the tape contained was indeed of Prachanda’s. Following this the Maoist dispute took roots once again because it had been never sorted out.

Issuing another press release on May 24 Dr. Bhattarai claimed, ‘The internal dispute has been used as a tool to dismantle the ongoing movement against the monarchy.’ Not only this, he also dwelt at length on the fact that he is not pro-Indian. Also, hinting the party establishment, he slammed a serious charge that the ones who name him pro-Indian are the ones who are pro-palace.

Pro-palace or pro-India? This is the only serious dispute that has been disturbing the Maoist outfit at the moment.