Netra Bikram Chand led CPN outfit ready to hold talks with government


The Communist Party of Nepal led by Netra Bikram Chand ‘Bilpav’ has formally stated that they are ready for talks with the government.

The government imposed restrictions on all the activities of the Chand-led CPN on 12 March, 2019 and called it an illegal outfit following its violent activities.

Ever since, the government has arrested hundreds of the party’s cadres and kept a close eye on those connected with the party. Police have also shot dead a few CPN cadres in encounters.

General Secretary of the party Chand, issuing a notice on Saturday, said his party was positive about holding talks with the government.

Explaining the party’s movement, the notice said, “Our struggle is a conscious effort made for the betterment of the country, society, progressive transition and to secure the rights of the public.”

“In this context, we notify all, that we are positive for talks with the government so that we could have better relations with the public,” the notice read.

Many top leaders of the Chand-led outfit were repeatedly arrested from the gates of courts after the courts denied their judicial custody.

In early August, 2019, RSS, a state run news agency, citing a politburo member in captivity, Mohan Karki, had said that the party was ready for talks.

Karki, in an interview, had said that he was arrested for trying to initiate dialogue between the government and his party.

He also said that they were focused on integrated people’s revolution, not a guerilla warfare, and the current situation must be addressed through dialogue.

However, the request was not taken seriously by the government. But, the tension in national politics took a new course following the December 20 move of the government dissolving the House of Representatives.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has split into two factions after House of Representatives dissolution, and the Oli faction is trying to get support from the Chand-led CPN.

On February 2, Minister of Water Supplies Mani Thapa had visited Nakkhu prison to meet the Chand-led CPN’s senior leader Hemanta Prakash Oli, to win favour of the outlawed party.