Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention)
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention) ) was a communist party
in Nepal
1974-1990. It was the major communist group in Nepal during the latter part of the 1970s, but gradually lost influence due to internal disputes. The party actively participated in the struggle for democracy in 1990, and its leader took part in writing the Nepalese Constitution. It later merged with other forces to form the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)
, out of which the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) emerged.
and Nirmal Lama organized a "Fourth Convention of the Communist Party of Nepal" at the Srikrishna Dharamshala, Varanasi
, India
. Other CPN fractions did not recognize this '4th convention', and effectively CPN(4th Convention) became a separate party. At the time the Central Committee
of the party consisted of Mohan Bikram Singh (general secretary), Nirmal Lama (politburo
member), Jaya Govinda Shah (politburo member), Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha (aka Sher Singh, alternate politburo member), Khampa Singh (alternate politburo member), Mohan Baidhya, Rishi Devkota
, Suryanath Yadav, Khubiram Acharya, Chitra Bahadur K.C.
, Gangadhar Ghimire and Bhardhwaj.
Prior to this conference both Lama and Singh had belonged to the 'Central Nucleus' group, gathering leftwing elements from the Amatya-led Communist Party of Nepal
. The Central Nucleus, which initially had also included Manmohan Adhikari and Shambhuram Shrestha, had tried to reorganize the party and reunite with the Pushpa Lal group
. However, such a merger never took off, partly due to Pushpa Lal's hesitation to merge his own faction into another party (since he claimed to represent the legacy of the original Communist Party of Nepal) and partly due to Pushpa Lal's wish to collaborate with the Nepali Congress
against the royal regime (which MBS did not accept). In the end the Central Nucleus was divided.
By the mid-1970s, CPN (4th Convention) was the largest and most well-organised communist group in Nepal
. The party would however disintengrate in internal divisions. In 1976 the Dang District
Committee of the party revolted against the party leadership. The group published a document called Antar Party Sangarshkalagi (For inner-party struggle). The Dang District Committee broke away, and merged with the All Nepal Communist Revolutionary Coordination Committee (Marxist-Leninist)
.
In 1979 the Central Committee
of the party published a document called Ranjinitik Simhavalokan (Political Appraisal), analysing the state of crisis inside the party. The party was unable to play any significant role in the emerging popular movements in Nepal (see 1979 student protests in Nepal). In 1980 a Central Committee member, Rishi Devkota (alias 'Azad') resigned from the party, accusing it of reformism
and being soft on Soviet social imperialism.
. Amongst those who followed MBS were Chitra Bahadur K.C., C.P. Gajurel, Mohan Baidhya, Khampa Singh, Bachaspati Devkota, Bhairav Regmi, R. Shrestha as well as future Maoist leaders like Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai
. The remainder, led by Nirmal Lama, continued to work under the name of CPN (4th Convention). The party held a National Organising Conference in December 1983. This was followed by a First National Conference of the party. In the conference there were 31 delegates from 17 districts, 17 observers and two representatives of the CPN(Masal) group. Notable members who stayed with CPN(4th Convention) were Jaya Govinda Shah, Suryanath Yadav, Dil Bahadur Shrestha, Nara Bahadur Karmacharya
, Niranjan Chapagain, Shyam Shrestha and Kaila Ba (Devendra Lal Shrestha).
In a simplified manner one might say that the key issue behind the split was diverging opinion on who was the main enemy of the party. MBS claimed that the main enemy was India expansionism, which was backing up the royal house in Nepal. Since the Nepali Congress, according to him, were Indian puppets cooperation with them was not feasible. According to Lama was feudalism
as the main enemy, and that the royal regime was proping up the feudal system. The main priority was to fight against the royal regime for a democratic opening, and thus fight against feudalism itself. To Lama, the Nepali Congress was a potential ally in this struggle.
In November 1990, CPN (4th Convention) merged with Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal)
and other smaller fractions, forming the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)
.
, peasants (ranging from poor to rich), petty bourgeoise and national capitalists as friendly classes, and saw feudal
landlords and comprador
-bureaucratic capitalists as class enemies.
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
1974-1990. It was the major communist group in Nepal during the latter part of the 1970s, but gradually lost influence due to internal disputes. The party actively participated in the struggle for democracy in 1990, and its leader took part in writing the Nepalese Constitution. It later merged with other forces to form the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)
Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)
Communist Party of Nepal , was a communist party in Nepal. CPN was formed on November 19-20 1990, through the merger of Communist Party of Nepal , Communist Party of Nepal , Proletarian Workers Organisation and Communist Party of Nepal . Soon thereafter a group led by Dr...
, out of which the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) emerged.
Founding
On September 15, 1974 Mohan Bikram SinghMohan Bikram Singh
Mohan Bikram Singh , often referred to as MBS, party name Gharti, is a Nepalese politician. His father was a wealthy landlord in Pyuthan District who was close to King Tribhuvan. MBS however joined the opposition Nepali Congress, and took part in the 1950–1951 uprising for democracy.MBS...
and Nirmal Lama organized a "Fourth Convention of the Communist Party of Nepal" at the Srikrishna Dharamshala, Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Other CPN fractions did not recognize this '4th convention', and effectively CPN(4th Convention) became a separate party. At the time the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the party consisted of Mohan Bikram Singh (general secretary), Nirmal Lama (politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
member), Jaya Govinda Shah (politburo member), Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha (aka Sher Singh, alternate politburo member), Khampa Singh (alternate politburo member), Mohan Baidhya, Rishi Devkota
Rishi Devkota
Rishi Devkota , alias Azad , was a Nepalese communist leader. He was a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of Nepal , but resigned from the party in 1980, accusing it of reformism and being soft on Soviet social imperialism. He formed a group known as the 'Rebel Unity Centre' around him...
, Suryanath Yadav, Khubiram Acharya, Chitra Bahadur K.C.
Chitra Bahadur K.C.
Chitra Bahadur K.C. is a Nepalese politician. He is the chairman of the Rashtriya Jana Morcha and the general secretary of the All Nepal Peasants Association linked to RJM....
, Gangadhar Ghimire and Bhardhwaj.
Prior to this conference both Lama and Singh had belonged to the 'Central Nucleus' group, gathering leftwing elements from the Amatya-led Communist Party of Nepal
Communist Party of Nepal (Amatya)
Communist Party of Nepal, also referred to as Communist Party of Nepal was a communist party in Nepal. It emerged out of a split in the original Communist Party of Nepal in 1962...
. The Central Nucleus, which initially had also included Manmohan Adhikari and Shambhuram Shrestha, had tried to reorganize the party and reunite with the Pushpa Lal group
Communist Party of Nepal (Pushpa Lal)
Communist Party of Nepal , a communist splinter group led by Pushpa Lal Shestra. The party emerged in 1968, as Pushpa Lal organized a separate party congress in Gorakhpur, India...
. However, such a merger never took off, partly due to Pushpa Lal's hesitation to merge his own faction into another party (since he claimed to represent the legacy of the original Communist Party of Nepal) and partly due to Pushpa Lal's wish to collaborate with the Nepali Congress
Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress is a Nepalese political party. Nepali Congress led the 1950 Democratic Movement which successfully ended the Rana dynasty and allowed commoners to take part in the polity. It again led a democratic movement in 1990, in partnership with leftist forces, to end monarchy and...
against the royal regime (which MBS did not accept). In the end the Central Nucleus was divided.
By the mid-1970s, CPN (4th Convention) was the largest and most well-organised communist group in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The party would however disintengrate in internal divisions. In 1976 the Dang District
Dang district
Dang is a district in the state of Gujarat in India. The administrative headquarters of the district are located in Ahwa. The Dangs have an area of 1764 km² and a population of 186,729 ....
Committee of the party revolted against the party leadership. The group published a document called Antar Party Sangarshkalagi (For inner-party struggle). The Dang District Committee broke away, and merged with the All Nepal Communist Revolutionary Coordination Committee (Marxist-Leninist)
All Nepal Communist Revolutionary Coordination Committee (Marxist-Leninist)
All Nepal Communist Revolutionary Coordination Committee was a revolutionary communist movement formed in Nepal in 1975. ANCRCC had its roots in Jhapa District Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal as well as the Morang-based Nepal Revolutionary Organisation...
.
In 1979 the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the party published a document called Ranjinitik Simhavalokan (Political Appraisal), analysing the state of crisis inside the party. The party was unable to play any significant role in the emerging popular movements in Nepal (see 1979 student protests in Nepal). In 1980 a Central Committee member, Rishi Devkota (alias 'Azad') resigned from the party, accusing it of reformism
Reformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
and being soft on Soviet social imperialism.
Split
In 1983 the party suffered a serious split. In November 1983 the followers of MBS held a separate conference, and formed Communist Party of Nepal (Masal)Communist Party of Nepal (Masal)
Communist Party of Nepal , was a communist party in Nepal. CPN was formed in 1983, following a split in the Communist Party of Nepal...
. Amongst those who followed MBS were Chitra Bahadur K.C., C.P. Gajurel, Mohan Baidhya, Khampa Singh, Bachaspati Devkota, Bhairav Regmi, R. Shrestha as well as future Maoist leaders like Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai
Baburam Bhattarai
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is a Nepalese politician who became the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal in August 2011. He is a senior Standing Committee Member and vice chairperson of Unified Communist Party of Nepal . His party started a revolutionary People's War in Nepal in 1996 that ultimately led to the...
. The remainder, led by Nirmal Lama, continued to work under the name of CPN (4th Convention). The party held a National Organising Conference in December 1983. This was followed by a First National Conference of the party. In the conference there were 31 delegates from 17 districts, 17 observers and two representatives of the CPN(Masal) group. Notable members who stayed with CPN(4th Convention) were Jaya Govinda Shah, Suryanath Yadav, Dil Bahadur Shrestha, Nara Bahadur Karmacharya
Nara Bahadur Karmacharya
Nara Bahadur Karmacharya is a Nepalese communist politician, belonging to Communist Party of Nepal . Karmacharya is one of the most senior political leaders of the communist movement in Nepal being the only surviving founding member of the Communist Party of Nepal, which had been born in...
, Niranjan Chapagain, Shyam Shrestha and Kaila Ba (Devendra Lal Shrestha).
In a simplified manner one might say that the key issue behind the split was diverging opinion on who was the main enemy of the party. MBS claimed that the main enemy was India expansionism, which was backing up the royal house in Nepal. Since the Nepali Congress, according to him, were Indian puppets cooperation with them was not feasible. According to Lama was feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
as the main enemy, and that the royal regime was proping up the feudal system. The main priority was to fight against the royal regime for a democratic opening, and thus fight against feudalism itself. To Lama, the Nepali Congress was a potential ally in this struggle.
People's Movement and Transition to Democracy
CPN (4th Convention) was a member of the United Left Front and took part in the uprising against the autocratic regime in 1990.In November 1990, CPN (4th Convention) merged with Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal)
Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal)
Communist Party of Nepal , was an underground communist party in Nepal. CPN was formed in November 1984, following a split in the Communist Party of Nepal . The new party was founded at a congress in Gorakhpur, India...
and other smaller fractions, forming the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)
Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre)
Communist Party of Nepal , was a communist party in Nepal. CPN was formed on November 19-20 1990, through the merger of Communist Party of Nepal , Communist Party of Nepal , Proletarian Workers Organisation and Communist Party of Nepal . Soon thereafter a group led by Dr...
.
Social analysis
The party considered Nepal as a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country. The party identified the proletariatProletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
, peasants (ranging from poor to rich), petty bourgeoise and national capitalists as friendly classes, and saw feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
landlords and comprador
Comprador
Comprador or Compradore is a term used to describe native managers of European business houses in East Asia.-History:...
-bureaucratic capitalists as class enemies.