Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda): A shrewd politician capable of staying always at the central power

Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, is a great political player who has succeeded from guerrilla leader to Prime Minister of Nepal. Here, we will delve into Prachanda’s life Journey and significant achievements.

Prachanda’s role in the establishment of the Republic with the harsh war, violence, and destruction

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was born near Pokhara, but because he migrated from there, he spent his childhood in the Chitwan district.

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He did his Diploma in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) at Rampur, Chitwan.
After that, he also completed his master’s degree. But despite completing his studies, he was unemployed and was fed up with the then Nepal’s reality.

Prachanda’s rebellious sentiment:

Prachanda used to get frustrated seeing the extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy, backwardness, and unemployment in his country, Nepal. That situation created a revolt against him.

He thought that even though Nepal is a naturally rich country, its autocratic monarchy, feudal social culture, and archaic economic system made it the world’s poorest country.

He also thought that radical political change in Nepal was necessary to make the country prosperous by stopping all political distortions.

But to bring radical change in the country, Comrade Prachand decided that the only option is people’s revolt.

His party concluded that state power is everything to people; if it is not in people’s hands, they have nothing to say.

Prachanda’s party also submitted a political demand letter to the then-parliamentary monarchical government demanding fundamental change in the country.

However, the then-Nepal government could not fulfill the high political demand of Maoists.

Declaration of Maoist mass revolt:

So finally, on February 15, 1996, Prachand’s party started an armed people’s war. In the Harsh war that lasted for 12 years, more than 16 thousand people lost their lives, including the Nepali government army, the Maoist army, and civilians.

With the declaration of the stated people’s war (Jana Yuddha), all the leaders, workers, and guerrillas of that party went underground. Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Prachanda, and Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran’ led and operated their revolt, staying in the central bureau.

On the other hand, the government of Nepal had also put a price on the head of the Maoist leader. In other words, an immediate reward of 10 lakh Nepali rupees was also announced for anyone who could reveal the head of Prachand or a central leader like him, whether alive or dead.

The country was in a deplorable condition due to the war. The people were forced to live in turmoil and chaos. There was no way to say which person would be killed by whom and when.

In the people’s war that continued for 12 years, many army camps, police barracks, government offices, telephone towers, and other structures in Nepal were destroyed.

Nepal’s police chief and many high-ranking government officials and religious leaders were also killed.

Similarly, many Nepali people were disabled, many had to lose their property, and some had to migrate or even go abroad.

Thus, the people’s war for over a decade brought the country’s economy to a critical state. Poverty increased. Nepalese people were not able to walk freely. People had to live a harrowing life due to unrest, fear, pain, and poverty.

The Second People’s Movement and the Maoist Rebellion ended the monarchy and established the republic

With time, the repeated talks between the government of Nepal and the Maoist rebels ended with an agreement.

After that, other major parties in Nepal, such as the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, also agreed on the political agenda of the Maoist republic.

Thus, after all the parties agreed on the Maoist agenda of the Republic, all the parties joined together and started a peaceful people’s movement, also known as the People’s Movement of Bikram era 2061/62 or Second People’s Movement.

The first people’s movement was performed to overthrow the panchayat system in BS 2046. At that time, all the parties stayed together and started the people’s movement. As a result, Nepal’s Panchayat autocratic monarchy improved to a parliamentary monarchy.

In this way, the monarchy could not cope with the country’s vast mass second movement, which lasted for about a month. Finally, it was agreed to end the monarchy and establish the Republic of Nepal.

After that, two elections of the Constituent Assembly were held. And a new constitution was issued, taking a long discussion up to almost 12 years. As per this historical constitution, Nepal has become a federal democratic republic country.

In this way, after entering politics as a Maoist guerilla leader, living a long people’s war, and living a dangerous underground life, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachand’ also succeeded in becoming the elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Nepal.

Prachanda’s political and organizational career

Prachanda’s political career began in 1972 when he joined the Pushpalal Group of the Nepal Communist Party. In 1975, he established a Marxist study group with Badal, Mitra Dawadi, Khem Bhandari, and Pushpa Bhurtel.

In 1978, he joined the Nepal Communist Party (4th Congress) and was elected to the party’s Chitwan District Committee in 1980.

In addition to being a member of the Regional Bureau in 1982, Prachanda was elected as the General Secretary of the Akhil Nepal Yuva Sangh (Youth Organization) and its president in 1984.

The fifth congress of CPN Mashal in 1985 elected Prachanda as a central member. He later became a party member of the Polite Bureau and general secretary in 1990.

Prachanda led the Maoist rebellion as the central leader:

In 1992, Prachanda became the General Secretary of CPN Ekta Kendra (United Centre), and that party turned into CPN-Maoist. In February 1996, the Maoist People’s War was launched, where Comred Prachanda played a decisive central role.

Prachanda led the People’s War as General Secretary and later Party President and became the supreme commander of the People’s Liberation Army of CPN-Maoist.

Prachanda’s three-decade secret political life was made public in June 2006 due to the victorious mass movement of April 2006. Seven political parties, including CPN-Maoist, operated that historical mass movement.

After that, Prachanda and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala signed a comprehensive peace agreement on 21 November 2006, ending the decade-long Maoist civil war.

The peace agreement ended the monarchy and declared Nepal a federal democratic republic in 2008 through the Constituent Assembly.

To whom go credit for the establishment of the republic in Nepal?

However, the end of the monarchy in Nepal was achieved through the people’s movement led by the 7-party coalition, which included the Maoists, and a democratic republic was established.

But special credit for establishing the Republic is given to the Maoists because, first of all, the agenda of the Republic is the agenda raised by the Maoists. Other parties later came up with an agreement.

Secondly, before the mass movement part 2, the Maoists waged a ten-year people’s war to establish a republic in Nepal. They also made many martyrdoms and sacrifices in the war.

At the time, while Maoists were playing with fire and bombs to establish a republic in Nepal, being starved, other parties were licking the honey of regn power at the capital’s Palaces.

That is why if the republic’s credit is not given to the Maoist movement, then it will be an incomplete analysis or unjust judgment.

So, one can say that Maoists built a building of a republic in Nepal, and at last, all parties stayed together and opened the door of the republic building.

Prachanda’s Major achievements and prime minister tenures

Prachanda’s achievements can be seen as playing an important role in political stability, strengthening democracy, and the overall development of Nepal. Although he spent a long time underground, experiencing violence, destruction, and sorrow, he also achieved extraordinary political success in life which are as follows:

• First Premiership (2008–2009): Prachanda was elected as the Prime Minister of Nepal on August 18, 2008, after the unified Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) emerged as the single largest party in the Constituent Assembly elections. He served his first term until May 25, 2009.
• Incomparable role in making the democratic constitution of Nepal: Prachanda’s leadership and role in drafting the new constitution of Nepal, which was released in September 2015, were important.
• This constitution established Nepal as a federal democratic republic and laid the foundation for a secular, inclusive, and federal system of governance.
• The new constitution enshrines the principles of social justice, human rights, and equality. It also recognizes the rights and representation of various marginalized communities, including ethnic minorities, women, and Dalits.
• Second Premiership (2016–2017): Prachanda was elected as Prime Minister for a second term on August 4, 2016, and held office until September 15, 2017. His second term was necessary as the government successfully completed local elections for the first time after the new constitution and laid the foundations of federalism.
• Other vital achievements achieved during the country’s 10-month democratic republic tenure include implementing the new constitution, ending load shedding (power cuts), and achieving economic growth above 7 percent.
• Executive chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP): On May 17, 2018, Prachanda became the executive chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), formed by the merger of the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Center).
• Chairman of CPN (Maoist Center): The Supreme Court’s decision on March 7, 2021, canceled the unity of both communist parties. Again, Prachanda continued to work as the Chairman of CPN (Maoist Center). In January 2022, he was re-elected as party chairman at the Eighth Congress of the CPN (Maoist Centre).
• Third Premiership (2022–Currently serving): Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ took charge of the post of Prime Minister for the third time on December 26, 2022. After being supported by almost all political parties, he was supposed to receive a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives on January 10, 2023. Among the 270 members of the current House, Prachanda received a historic 268 votes.

Prachand’s Personal Legacy: Criticism and Appreciation

However, the violent Maoist movement led by Prachand is viewed from both negative and positive perspectives. Thousands of Nepalis lost their lives in that disaster, and a lot of people’s wealth was also destroyed.

But the achievements of this people’s war with Nepal and the people of Nepal are not less.

Without the Maoist people’s war, it was unknown how many years Nepal’s archaic monarchy and feudalistic social system would have remained in Nepal. Therefore, it is considered that Prachanda or his party’s sacrifice was behind the establishment of the republic in Nepal.

Nepalis and foreigners have also appreciated the contribution made by Maoism to eliminate the Social distortions, inequality, caste and gender discrimination, corruption, superstition, and biased justice system that has been in Nepal for centuries.

Even after Prachand reached the highest position of power and politics, he suddenly lost his only son in one night. Because of that son, his wife Sita Dahal died mentally disturbed for many years.

But Prachand was never disturbed even though he had to lose the main character of his family one after the other. Nor did he talk about political retirement during this separation and Bereavement. Rather, he said that he would work till the end of his life for this country to realize the dream of people’s war, revolution, and martyrdom.

Even though Prachand has reached this position by doing Maoist violent politics, he never performs violent cruelty, arrogance, frenzy, and anger in interaction with anyone.

Rather, he presents a leader’s behavior, such as being calm and patient, having a revolutionary spirit in development, and showing flexibility in everything.

In The End,

Overall, Prachanda is not just an ordinary leader established by violent politics. His sacrifice for the country and dedication of his entire life to the politics of Nepal confirm that he is a true nationalist and visionary leader of radical change.

The history of a country rarely gives birth to such a leader like Prachanda; only 2/4 of the leaders in a century usually have been born as politicians with such unprecedented abilities.

It cannot be said whether Nepal will produce leaders with radical revolutionary ideas like Prachanda in the future. But Prachanda’s Political life journey as a revolutionary, courageous, and sacrificial nationalist leader will certainly be written in golden letters in Nepali history.