Communist Party of Nepal (Pushpa Lal)
Encyclopedia
Communist Party of Nepal (Pushpa Lal), 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
. After the 1962 covention of the radical communist sector, which constituted the separate Communist Party of Nepal
, Pushpal Lal was supposed to have shared the leadership of the party together with Tulsi Lal Amatya. But the cooperation between the two had broken down. A large section of the party cadres followed Pushpa Lal in forming a new party. Thus, for a few years Pushpa Lal's party was the major communist group in Nepal. The party was politically close to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
(CPI(M)). Pushpa Lal's party upheld the line of 'People's Democracy'.
The party headquarters were established in Varanasi
, India
. Pushpa Lal called for unity in action together with the Nepali Congress
against the royal regime.
The organ of Pushpa Lal's party was Naya Janvad.
In 1971 a young party leader from Bhaktapur
, Narayan Man Bijukchhe
(alias Rohit), broke away from Pushpa Lal's party after the decision of the party to support the Indian intervention in East Pakistan
. Bijukchhe also criticized the line of seeking cooperation with Nepali Congress and the failure of the party to condemn the Soviet Union
as imperialist. Rohit would form the Nepal Workers Peasants Organisation in 1976.
In 1976 a prominent student leader of Pushpa Lal's party, Madan Kumar Bhandari
, broke away and formed the Mukti Morcha Samuha
. These splits contributed to dimuishing the influence of Pushpa Lal's party.
Pushpa Lal Shestra died in 1978. His funeral became a mass manifestation of the political opposition. His widow, Sahana Pradhan
, took over the leadership of the party.
Under Pradhan's leadership the party steered along a moderate course, endorsing Pushpa Lal's policy of cooperation with the Nepali Congress. The party worked alongside the Congress Party in the agitations against the Panchayat system in 1979, in the campaign for multiparty democracy ahead of the plebiscite of 1980 and mass protests against the royal government in 1985.
In 1987 the party merged with Communist Party of Nepal (Manmohan)
and formed the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist)
.
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
, 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...
. After the 1962 covention of the radical communist sector, which constituted the separate 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...
, Pushpal Lal was supposed to have shared the leadership of the party together with Tulsi Lal Amatya. But the cooperation between the two had broken down. A large section of the party cadres followed Pushpa Lal in forming a new party. Thus, for a few years Pushpa Lal's party was the major communist group in Nepal. The party was politically close to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
(CPI(M)). Pushpa Lal's party upheld the line of 'People's Democracy'.
The party headquarters were established in 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...
. Pushpa Lal called for unity in action together 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.
The organ of Pushpa Lal's party was Naya Janvad.
In 1971 a young party leader from Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur , also Bhadgaon or Khwopa is an ancient Newar town in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It is located in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone...
, Narayan Man Bijukchhe
Narayan Man Bijukchhe
Narayan Man Bijukchhe is a Nepalese politician. Bijukchhe is the president of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party.Bijukchhe was born in Sukuldhoka, Nepal. He became a communist sympathizer after seeing the relief work of Communist Party of Nepal cadres during floods in Rautahat around 1954...
(alias Rohit), broke away from Pushpa Lal's party after the decision of the party to support the Indian intervention in East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. Bijukchhe also criticized the line of seeking cooperation with Nepali Congress and the failure of the party to condemn the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
as imperialist. Rohit would form the Nepal Workers Peasants Organisation in 1976.
In 1976 a prominent student leader of Pushpa Lal's party, Madan Kumar Bhandari
Madan Kumar Bhandari
Madan Kumar Bhandari was a Nepali politician and communist leader.Bhandari was born in Taplejung. He studied in Varanasi, India and in 1972 was named central committee member of the Janabadi Sanskritik Morcha , a student's movement launched by Pushpa Lal Shrestha...
, broke away and formed the Mukti Morcha Samuha
Mukti Morcha Samuha
Mukti Morcha Samuha was an underground communist group in Nepal. MMS was formed in 1976 following a split from the Communist Party of Nepal of Pushpa Lal Shestra. MMS was led by student leader Madan Kumar Bhandari...
. These splits contributed to dimuishing the influence of Pushpa Lal's party.
Pushpa Lal Shestra died in 1978. His funeral became a mass manifestation of the political opposition. His widow, Sahana Pradhan
Sahana Pradhan
Sahana Pradhan is a Nepalese politician. She hails from a Newar family in Kathmandu. She resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal on April 16, 2008....
, took over the leadership of the party.
Under Pradhan's leadership the party steered along a moderate course, endorsing Pushpa Lal's policy of cooperation with the Nepali Congress. The party worked alongside the Congress Party in the agitations against the Panchayat system in 1979, in the campaign for multiparty democracy ahead of the plebiscite of 1980 and mass protests against the royal government in 1985.
In 1987 the party merged with Communist Party of Nepal (Manmohan)
Communist Party of Nepal (Manmohan)
Communist Party of Nepal was a communist party in Nepal, led by Man Mohan Adhikari.Man Mohan, an erstwhile leader of the radical faction of the Communist Party of Nepal, had taken part in organising the 'Central Nucleus'...
and formed the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist)
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist)
Communist Party of Nepal , formed through the unification of Communist Party of Nepal , led by Manmohan Adhikari, and Communist Party of Nepal , led by Sahana Pradhan, in 1987...
.