Chairman of CPN-UML and former Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikary has won almost every battle he fought in his life. Without Adhikary’s direct guidance, whether the UML be able to retain its prospects in the election and after remains to be seen

-By KESHAB POUDEL

It was 10:30 a. m. on April 19, Monday when a cheerful crowd of about 1000 people of Gothatar Village Development Committee (VDC) in Kathmandu-1 constituency suddenly panicked as former Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikary collapsed as he was to board his vehicle after addressing them in an election campaign.

Adhikary’s sudden illness sent shockwave to all UML workers and leaders. Their panic was understandable as the party has no other leader who has such a towering personality and can match the charisma of Adhikary.

Adhikary was immediately taken to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) where doctors attending at the Emergency Department noted that he had no heartbeat, pulse and respiration. After a hurried Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and attachment to artificial ventilator, doctors could see signs of life in his body.

Even after 24-hour-long intense medical observation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), medical experts are not in a position to say anything about his health. “He is in an unconscious situation and his situation is serious and critical,” said Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Executive Director at TUTH, on Tuesday.

At a time when people were praying for speedy recovery of their ailing leader, senior leaders of UML called an emergency meeting of their powerful standing committee to discuss the future course of actions to be taken by the party.

The collapse of the septuagenarian leader has sent shock waves in the rank and file of the ten year old Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist.

Political analysts believe that collapse of Adhikary may result into an irrecoverable damage to the party. “As the young generation leaders of UML do not have any mass appeal, it will be difficult for them to seek majority by showing new leaders,” said Prof. Krishna Khanal, a political analyst.

Although Adhikary is criticized as a ceremonial leader of the party, his presence has helped balance the struggle of power among different factions within the CPN-UML. Rivalry between party general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and influential leader Khadga Oli to hold control within the party is a well known fact.

Others see it differently. They claim that being a party of young cadres and youth leaders, the UML will manage every crisis effectively as in the past. There is a bunch of capable leaders like Nepal, Oli, Pradeep Nepal, Ishwor Pokhrel, Amrit Kumar Bohara, Jhal Nath Khanal and Bharat Mohan Adhikary, to name a few, in the party.

Problems for the CPN-UML is not the shortage of capable leaders but that of a leader acceptable to all factions. “Man Mohan Adhikary had everything the young UML leaders are lacking. After the sudden demise of charismatic leader Madan Bhandary, it was the veteran leader Adhikary who could carry on that legacy in the party,” said another analyst.

Coming days will not be easier for UML as they might witness infighting between different factions within the party. The breakaway CPN-ML is already posing great challenge to them and their relations with other communist parties are also strained.

The life of the veteran communist leader Adhikary is a history of ups and downs. The man, who was virtually deserted after the split of communist party in 1962, came back in the center-stage of national politics in 1994 as an elected communist Prime Minister with support from young communist leaders who have had love and hate relation with him.

Although Adhikary’s party participated in the people’s movement as one of the eight leftist factions, it later merged with then CPN-ML which comprised mostly young leaders.

Yet, the paradox is that his absence will make it difficult for the UML to get majority. For months, eyes of all those who are worried about UML’s future will be more painful. Adhikary was, after all, the party’s biggest vote catcher as well as its prime ministerial candidate.

It will now take weeks or more for the party to choose a new leader to replace Adhikary. But for the time being, the reformist faction in the UML seems to have received a blow.

“The party can remain in a transition phase for months till the result of parliamentary elections are out. But whoever takes over the party ‘s leadership, it will not be easy,” said Dr. Manik Lal Shrestha, a leftist intellectual.

Adhikary’s absence will also be felt for long in the national politics. Known for his commitment toward people and democratic ideals, Adhikary had the capacity to directly appeal to the people whatever the situation.

Amidst speculation that Adhikary’s absence will result into a leadership crisis within the UML, party leaders are putting up a brave face. “Ours is a revolutionary Communist party which believes in collective leadership,” general secretary Madhav Nepal told Budhabar weekly on Wednesday. “We have a very long row of leaders and workers and our party has given birth to several fighters.”

Whether the UML will be able to give birth to a popular Communist leader like Adhikary in the days to come is only a matter of speculation. Meanwhile, there is seen a big void in the national political scenario with the absence of Adhikary which is very hard to be filled in.