KATHMANDU, Sept 19: CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has offered a rare moment of self-criticism, acknowledging that his party faltered in turning its ideas into action. On the eve of Constitution Day, Dahal issued a message admitting that while the Maoists’ ideology and policies were sound, they fell short in practice—weakening the party’s once-strong bond with people.
“On this Constitution Day, I accept that there were weaknesses on our part. We did not adopt wrong ideas or policies, but somewhere along the way we erred in practice,” Dahal said. He admitted that the party failed to meet the expectations of martyr families, the disappeared, the injured, the disabled, and victims of torture. “Our numbers never sufficed to lead the government alone,” he added, suggesting the limitations the Maoists faced in power.
Change of Guard and OBOR
In a striking connection to the present, Dahal linked the ongoing Gen Z protests with the Maoist insurgency of the past. He argued that both arose from the same frustration: delayed responses to popular demands for change. “Looking at recent events, sometimes it seems that if our differences had been accepted and successfully implemented back then, today’s youth would not have had to rebel or shed blood,” he reflected.
He further warned that the consequences of neglecting people’s voices have been costly. “When traditional parties delayed listening to calls for change, the ten-year-long people’s war suffered great losses. And now, in the Gen Z revolt, the country is again paying a heavy price.”
