Nepal Politics: Do Maoists Have A Hidden Agenda?

Note: I wrote this email today to a dear and respected friend of mine. I have removed his name to respect privacy; everything else is presented unedited.

Dear ...... ...,

Thank you for sharing the interview. Interesting interview.

It seems like the Maoist leadreship is mentally struggling between two choices: 1) Stay the dogmatic course of their party namesake, Mao, or 2) Become a modern political party with the characteristic of UML.

They may dream of going down the dogmatic and ideologial path of Mao in their often-repeated phase-wise revolution and arriving at what I consider to be a forever-elusive communist utopia. If they chose to go down that path, the unyielding demands of a modern society for free will shall crush them like it has in Mao's own homeland China. People will suffer during their campaign for a utopia, but they will not reach their goal. I am less afraid about their achieving ultimate goal of shoving their utopian goal down people's throat, for I don't believe they will be successful, than the suffering that their campaign (not their achievement) will unleash on the general public, especially the middle class. I'm afraid some in their leadership might still harbor a strong belief that to achieve a classless society is possible only by eliminating the middle class rather than by uplifting the poor and downtrodden. If Maoists chose this path, NC and UML will have to fight to put up a challenge by winning the hearts of the masses.

If they choose the second option, they can endure politically, earn the label of a pragmatist party, and be accepted by the global community of nations. Personally, I have no problem with such a political dispensation.

The coming days, months and years will show which path they will chose to walk on.

Regards,

Ajay