Maoist chairman and the man slated to become Nepal’s next prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, has said he would strive for balanced foreign relations with neighbours India and China. He added that Beijing too wants Nepal to have good ties with India, and China’s main concern was the role of western powers.
In an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times at his Kathmandu residence — his first to any media outlet since the process of government change began — he made a clear commitment that Nepal would not use one country against the other.
The 61-year-old leader emphasised the unique nature of Nepal-India relations, saying the southern neighbour is a stakeholder in the post-2006 political process of the Himalayan nation. But he warned New Delhi against political micromanagement, and underscored a perception that India took up development projects, but its delivery was weak.
His remarks came in the backdrop of contentions that the outgoing KP Oli government tilted strongly towards Beijing to counter Delhi.
He said his priority would be concluding the peace process, especially the question of war-time cases; making the Constitution as widely acceptable as possible; and accommodating Madhesis and other communities.
So how is the second stint going to be different?
The Maoist chairman said he made mistakes in the past, and there were now four major differences.
“Last time, I was inexperienced in the ways of competitive democracy. We still had a war mindset from the insurgency years. It took us 10 years of war to understand the nature and rules of war. Now, after 10 years in open politics, I have learnt the rules of competitive democracy. I have more experience and maturity.”
Second, at that point, the Maoist alliance with its key peace process partner, the Nepali Congress, had broken. “I could not take all parties along, especially NC and its late leader, Girija Prasad Koirala, who had signed the peace agreement with me.”
Prachanda recalled Koirala’s advice that if you lose your way in a jungle, it is best to go back to the starting point. “We got diverted, but I returned to the point of origin and roots now, and am in partnership with Nepali Congress.”
Three, Prachanda admitted that in his first stint, there was “lack of ideological clarity” in his party. The Maoists were torn between factions committed to the peace process and those who believed in protracted people’s war. This time, the leader said, there is fundamental unity and maturity in the party.
