United Revolutionary
People’s Council (URPC) the revolutionary united front led by CPN(Maoist) and an
embryonic Central People’s Government Organising Committee, has announced a
two-month long programme of action culminating in a two-day Nepal Bandh (General
shut-down) on February 22 and 23 to mobilise the masses against the so-called
emergency and the royal military dictatorship. In an appeal issued by Com.
Baburam Bhattarai, Convenor of URPC, and titled "Wage United Struggle Against
the Royal Military Dictatorship", the URPC has exhorted all the patriotic,
democratic and leftist forces to fight unitedly against the military
dictatorship headed by hated Gyanendra. The appeal distributed in hundreds of
thousands all over the country makes an objective analysis of the current
situation and says: "In the context of the specific political balance of power
at present and the possibility of external imperialist and expansionist military
intervention, we, with full sense of responsibility, deem it imperative to build
a broad democratic national unity to smash this fascist and anti-national royal
military dictatorship and institutionalise the republican form of state in the
country. Because it has once again been proved that so long as this fake
‘monarchy’ and the royal army under its command remain in the country it is
impossible to safeguard the fundamental and political rights of the people and
the true sovereignty and independence of the country. Hence it has become an
immediate political task to institutionalise the republic and to draw a new
constitution by the elected representatives of the people. For this, it is
quintessential to have different kinds of dialogues, understanding, tactical
unity or united front, or whatever is feasible, among different forces on the
basis of immediate common minimum programmes and slogans and launch struggle,
unitedly or separately, against this so-called emergency, black ordinance and
deployment of the royal army. On behalf of URPC, we make an earnest appeal to
all for the same." To mobilise every section of the masses for the purpose, the
following immediate slogans have been advanced.
1. Terminate the so-called emergency
rightaway; stop the royal army deployment!
2. Abrogate the so-called
anti-terrorist ordinance; stop countrywide white terror!
3. Dissolve the present constitution
and government; constitute an interim government and hold elections to a
constituent assembly!
4. Guarantee all the fundamental rights
of the people; restore freedom of speech and publications!
5. Uphold the right to
self-determination; implement national & regional autonomy!
6. Carry out revolutionary land
reforms; enforce the principle of ‘tiller-the-owner’!
7. Stop all sorts of injustices and
atrocities against women; grant parental property rights to daughters on equal
footing with sons!
8. End all Manuite discriminations
against the dalits; uproot the system of untouchability!
9. Stop commercialisation of education;
grant free and quality education to all !
10. Guarantee employment to all inside
the country; provide unemployment allowance right now!
11. Promote national industry and
commerce; nationalise comprador and bureaucratic capital!
12. Abrogate unequal treaties including
the 1950 Treaty; stop imperialist and expansionist interventions!
The two-month long programme of action
launched by the URPC is as follows:
1. December 30 to January 8 : Publicity
Campaign (leaflets, posters, wall-writing etc.)
2. January 9 to January 22 : Mass
mobilisation (meetings, seminars, rallies, torch-light processions, etc.)
3. January 23 to February 6 : Mass
Actions (in support of demands of peasants, women, students, dalits and
others)
4. February 7 to February 21 :
Shut-downs in Autonomous Areas
5. February 22 and 23 : Countrywide
General Shut-down (Nepal bandh)
Also, February 13
would be observed with special programmes as the 7th anniversary of the
initiation of the great People’s War, and martyrs memorial programmes would be
organised from February 26 to March 5.
