The new "Kot massacre" should not be accepted

Comrade Dr.Baburam Bhattarai,
Senior politburo member of CPN (Maoist)

On the 1st of June 2001, another 'Kot-massacre'(1) occurred in the history of Nepal. Since the true facts have not been made available to the public, it is natural for there to be a thriving market in doubt and suspicion regarding the horrendous event of the massacre of almost the whole royal family including King Birendra. As in the saying "sins cries out from the rooftops", the true facts will certainly come out one day. But, at this time, given the type of propaganda broadcast by government sources and their foreign masters, the Nepali people are not ready to believe the official pronouncements at all. In particular, by bringing the generated theories of "the love connection" and "an accident" into their propaganda, those on the side of the state power are trying to hide the serious political conspiracy that lies within the event. This is turning the arrow  of suspicion back toward them and is giving additional force to the right of the Nepali people to know the true facts. Therefore, at this time, history demands that all patriotic and democratic forces make united effort to bring all the facts about the event before the public and to unmask the villains of the new 'Kot massacre'.

The reactionary worldview tries to present any given historical event solely in the form of mere chance and tries to make the main causal factor of the event out to be a specific individual. Along with this, hiding the inner content of the event process, it gives one-sided emphasis to the aspects of the form of the event discernable from its outer surface. From this point of view, the love connection of a particular individual can appear to have played a decisive role in the new Kot massacre that took place within Narayanhiti Palace (2), which is just what the government media and especially the media of their foreign masters gave great emphasis to initially. Later, in yet more theatrical fashion, the villains of the massacre themselves put forth the absolutely absurd and illogical claim that an automatic weapon, exploding all on its own, picked out and killed the main members of the royal family. The fear of eye witnesses, experienced by surviving members of the Shah (royal) family, perhaps contributed to the publicization of this absurd and illogical claim. It is certainly the case that some historical events occur due to mere chance convergence of factors and that the unconscious madness of a particular individual can sometimes play a decisive role. But even in such exceptional cases there is a believable sequence of events; such a sequence cannot be discerned in the present event. A future king, love crazed , may relinquish claim to the throne, but he will not bring physical end to his entire extended family and to himself just for that reason. All the more then, to say that an automatic weapon can let itself into a highly secured room, pick out and kill all the members of one family including the country's national leader and leave all the members of another family untouched, is a gross insult to the basic intelligence of any simple living being, set aside science and logic! One hears that various kinds of robots have been invented in the world, but if anyone has invented such an aware and infallible robot, is it only the throne of Narayanhiti or the thrones of Delhi Palace and the White House as well that must be turned over to him?

In contrast to the reactionary worldview, the progressive dialectical materialist outlook understands any event to be an expression of the objective processes intrinsic to the continuous dynamics of life and the world and recognizes that this will manifest in the form of dialectical conjoining of historical necessity and chance occurrence. From this point of view one can understand that in any historical event the internal difference intrinsic to it will play the decisive and primary role while the externally visible characteristics are merely superficial characteristics or manifestations of the chance features of the event. Thus it is essential to look at and understand the new Kot massacre that took place within Narayanhiti Palace as an expression of the class struggle and class-based balance of power within Nepali society and in the international sphere. Since the time of the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 (3), passing through 2007 (1950 CE ) (4) and 2046 (1990 CE ) (5), and coming up to the present of 2058 (2001 CE) (6), in the kind of intense crisis besetting the central Nepali state founded under the leadership of Prithvinarayan Shah more than 225 years ago, it was not and is not possible for it to maintain itself in the same old form and under the same old class leadership. Moreover, in Nepal's special geo-political context and in the changing situation of the rapidly transforming balance of power in the world and in South Asia it was and is becoming extremely difficult to preserve Nepal's national unity and sovereignty in the old form. Here it is particularly helpful to recall that ever since the Treaty of Sagauli, first British-Indian colonialism and then Indian expansionist forces have exercised a hold over Nepal's central state power that is very nearly decisive in nature. Thus it is that Nepali history is witness to the fact that since the murder of patriot Bhimsen Thapa (7) and the rise to power of - to borrow Karl Marx's description of him - the "British Dog" Jangabahadur Rana (8) after the original Kot Massacre, the imperialists and expansionists have had a direct hand in practically every change of power in Nepal. Nepali patriots will have no difficulty in understanding that this latest "Kot Massacre" too, is just one more link in this chain.

Why then, were King Birendra and his entire family murdered at this moment? What then, was his main "crime" in the eyes of imperialists and expansionists? Whatever ideology they may embrace, all patriotic and honest Nepalis must surely accept that in the eyes of imperialists and expansionists King Birendra's greatest "weakness" or "crime" was that, although a product of the feudal class he had a relatively patriotic spirit and liberal political character. The expansionists did not like one bit the commitment he showed during the unilateral Indian economic blockade of 2046 (1989 CE) and at the time of the subsequent People's Movement of 1990 to bow before his own people rather than before the expansionists. In the most recent stage, particularly after the start of the historic People's War under the leadership of the CPN (Maoist), when he hesitated to mobilise the army, which is traditionally loyal to him, against the People's War, that was considered by the imperialists and expansionists to be his greatest "crime". Although even some "priests" of Marxism have, on that basis, called us "royalists", we can now unhesitatingly say that on some national questions we and King Birendra had similar thoughts and that had been making an undeclared working unity between king Birendra and ours on some matters. It was entirely natural to be terrified the expansionists and their agents from this. It was all the more natural that, in the context of increasing contradictions between America and China and increasing cosyness between America and India, King Birendra who appeared "soft" toward China and us Maoists became dirt in the eyes of the American imperialists and especially the Indian expansionists. The old Indian expansionist dream of making Nepal into a "Sikkim" has now changed into a new grand design: instead of making a "Sikkim" all at once, to first make a "Bhutan" and then a "Sikkim". With the agreement of the CIA (via the FBI branch opened in Delhi), 'RAW' (9) planned this strategy. Like the deceitful jackal of folktale, raising a hue and cry that "an eagle has come" in order to steal a chicken, creating the spectre of the ISI (10), 'RAW' extended its reach even inside the palace and chose the new 'Jigme Singhe' (11) in order to carry out the "Butanisation" (12) of Nepal. Via that 'Jigme Singhe' this "Kot Massacre" was staged from within the palace itself. No one should now doubt that 'RAW', which already had its 'Lendup Dorje' (13) in the form of Girija (14), has now implemented its grand strategy: after bringing about "Bhutanisation" through the new coalition of "Jigme Singhe" and "Lendup Dorje", to ultimately achieve the "Sikkimisation" (15) of Nepal.

In this situation, what should be the new responsibility of a Nepali patriot? In the press statement released by our party's chairman, Comrade Prachanda, an appeal has already been made for all patriotic Nepalis to move forward by thinking along new lines and maintaining a new unity on a new basis. Encouraging all to take this call seriously, we humbly stress to all patriotic, democratic and left forces that it is necessary to raise our own thinking and activities to new heights at the same rapid pace as the current chain of events is moving forward. If we make even a small mistake at today's historic turning point it can bring terrible consequences for the country and the people while a wise step on our part will lead Nepal and Nepalis in the 21st century to a position of pride. Therefore, first of all, we must recognise well the grand design behind this new Kot massacre and its agents, expose these before the people, and resolutely refuse legitmacy to yet another "Kot massacre". For this is the year 2001, not 1846; in the interim not only has much water flowed in the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali, but much blood too. Despite our various differences of opinion, from Prithvinarayan Shah to King Birendra the Shah monarchs' main contribution has been, struggling first against the English colonialists and then against the Indian expansionists, to help protect Nepali sovereignty and independence. But if now some "Shah" has the terrible dream to begin the next "Rana dynasty" with the support of the expansionists by means of a new "Kot massacre", there is no question of the Nepali people granting legitimacy to that. The Nepali people will evaluate highly the patriotic work done by kings from Prithvinarayan to Birendra for many years to come. But under no circumstances will they acept a "Jigme Singhe" installed through a "Kot massacre". In this context, it is our hearty request that all Royal Army officers and soldiers dedicated to "country and king" (des ra naresh), although now unable to protect the king (naresh), should be active in a new way in the protection of the country and should support not the puppet of the expansionists born within the palace but the patriotic sons born of Mother Nepal. The country is in a serious situation and so the unity of patriots is at this time of utmost importance. Everyone is alerted....!(16)

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The first victim of coup.

After publication of this article cum appeal on the opinion pages of Kantipur Nepali Daily Newspaper, on Wednesday the government arrested the editor Yubaraj Ghimire, managing director Kailash Shiroiya and Director Binod Gyawali on the charge of treason. On Thursdaythe charge was changed to crime against the state. The freedom of press in Nepal and rights to assembly are the first victim after the massacre and coup d' etat.

There is massive protest against this from inside and outside the country. The one of the senior most creator of massacre US (as above referred) foreign minister also appealed to release the journalists and commented they have hot connection with Nepalese government. Leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress and former prime ministers, KP Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba also strongly condemned the cowardly act of the government against the democracy in the history of party and
country. Likewise all the political parties and organisations, organisations of intellectuals, writers and journalists from Nepal, South-Asia and around the world have condemned it.
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Notes: (provided by the editor)

1- Kot-massacre: (original Nepali word Kotparba). In 1846 a army senior officer Janga Bahadur Rana massacred hundreds of patriotic members of the royal council and army officers who were against the British colonialists, fought them and wanted to defend the country. Thereafter he become powerful in Royal Nepali army and was able to establish the Rana Oligarchy which lasted 104 years as a puppet regime of the British and reduced Nepal to the status of a semi-colony.

2- The name of the residential and administrative building complex (Royal Palace) of the King.

3- The first unequal treaty between the British East India Company government and Nepal which brought more than half of Nepali territory under the control of the British East India Company and still continuing even after the independence of India in 1947. It is known as Sagauli (Segowlee) Treaty of 1816. Before the treaty there was an intensive war in such places as Nalapani, Kangada and Tista, ultimately lost due to the traitors inside palace and Royal Army.

4- In B.S.2007 (1950) the struggle of the Nepali people and the initiatives of monarch together succeeded in ending the above mentioned Rana Oligarchy regime but the just recently (in 1947) liberated Indian rulers forced another unequal treaty called Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1950 upon Nepal. In 1950 the re-empowered King Tribhuvan agreed to stay as constitutional monarch and promised to make a election of constitutional assembly but this never took place.

5- In 1989 India imposed an economic blockade which lasted for 21 months by saying Nepal purchased some weapons from China and threats to India. During the Blockade the Nepali people fought the partyless Panchayati system directly ruled by the king, a system which was forceably imposed by the Late King Mahendra (the father of massacred King Birendra) in 1960. The struggle of 1990 known as the People's Movement succeeded to achieve the constitutional monarchy. King Birendra instead of collaborating with Indian monopolists, reduced his power.

6- Nepali calendar is according to the name of king Bikram and known as "Bikram Sambat". It is 57 years in advance of the English calendar.

7- Bhimsen Thapa was a first Prime minister of Nepal. He was strongly against imperialists and was a great patriot. He tried to modernise the Nepali Army with the assistance of France and started to make a united front between Nepal, Panjab (which was independent until his time), China and Afghanistan to throw out the British from Asia, but British got hints and staged the conspiracy. He was imprisoned and killed in prison but it was propagandized that he committed suicide.

8- Karl Marx gave the title "the British dog" to Janga Bahadur Rana while explaining the eastern history and colonialist powers. Janga Bahadur rose to power by the support of British India.

9- RAW -Research And Analysis Wing- is a branch of India's intelligent service specially known as a political conspirator in Indian sub-continent to control the other neighbouring countries.

10- ISI -Inter-Services Intelligence- is Pakistan's intelligent service. India always blams all those political organisations who are not agree with the Indian interst as a ISI agent or connection.

11- Jigme Singhe is a king of Bhutan who ruled under the direction of Indian monopolists and acted against the interest of Bhutan and own people. An Indian puppet. See no.10 also.

12- "Bhutanisation" means to reduce Nepal to the condition of Bhutan. Bhutan is also a small Himalyan South Asian country which is surrounded by India on three sides borders China to the north through snow mountains. Bhutan is in condition of India's command by several unequal treaties and activity of Indian monopoly capitalists. Bhutan is forced to repress it's own people, consequently hundreds of thousands of people are being refugees and rest of people are facing the barbaric autocratic dictatorship of King. The goal of India is to intensify the ethnic conflict in Bhutan to fulfil Indian interests.

13- Lendup Dorge was the power holder of Sikkim sent by India and working for India as broker. He lobbied for Indian interests  in Sikkim which created the favourable situation for intervention of the Indian army despite people fought and willing for independence.

14- Girija: Girija Koirala, the present prime minister of Nepal who represents the interests of Indian expansionists is well known to be corrupt and is a right wing conservative leader of ruling Nepali congress party. People are suspecting him of being part of the conspiracy in the Narayanhiti massacre.

15- Sikkim was also a small independent Himalayan Kingdom up to 1960, but then through the broker (agent) placed in the government of Sikkim by conspiratorial manner and through use of military, it was captured by India. It is the process of expansionism like Nazi Germany did during the Second World war but lost later.

16- This terms was used by king Prithvi Narayan Shah in his commandments "Dibyopadesh" refering to fights against the imperialists.