Neil Kinnock (left) and Prachanda at the fourth Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on its second and concluding day, at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi on Saturday, November 18, 2006.

More Pictures of the Submit

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/625_0019000100174531,6.htm

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/625_0019000100174531,6.htm

couldn't have felt any more pride about being Nepali than to listen prachanda addressing the media in hindi.

Looks like the summit had a wide and interesting set of luminaries including Guiliani, former Labor leader Neil Kinnock and a whole bunch of others from varied fields. Prachanda did manage to get quite a bit of press it seems.

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Also from the Hindustan times:

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/leadership2006/ht_101106.shtml
Shy rebel with a tough cause

By all accounts, the man does not look even close to a tough-as-nails revolutionary, willing to shed blood for a cause. Instead, he has been described as mild, shy and avuncular.

But Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly referred to by his nom de guerre of Prachanda (The Fierce One) is the undisputed leader of the Maoists and the supreme commander of their armed forces. In February 2006, the Maoist insurgent movement in Nepal completed a decade of organised opposition to the government. During these ten years, the armed conflict has claimed an estimated 13,000 lives.

The 52-year-old former agriculture student, Prachanda, born in the Annapurna region of Nepal, has led the bloody 10-year war against the monarchy in the impoverished Himalayan nation. He has kept his flock together as his outfit now prepares to join the government.

It is rare for an underground, violent insurgent movement to change track and turn into a vehicle for a popular, peaceful change of government. While the last vestiges of the Shah dynasty of rulers in Nepal, particularly Gyanendra, must bear a great deal of the responsibility, the credit for seizing the opportunity of change, by transforming itself into a popular movement, would go to the course correction effected by Prachanda.

But once it became clear, a year after Gyanendra assumed direct power, that the people of Nepal would no longer tolerate the King’s rule, the Maoists, led by Prachanda, sent out feelers to the multi-party movement for democracy, promising to cease violence while seeking an alliance against the monarchy.

After the monarchy was all but overthrown and a seven-party alliance government came into being, the Maoists have actively engaged in a peace process to ensure the popular gains achieved during the “people’s movement” or “Jan Andolan” were not squandered away. Driving a hard bargain in direct “summit-level” talks with Nepal’s Prime Minister, Prachanda has ensured that Gyanendra is relegated to the fringes of Nepal’s polity. He has pushed to give themselves a better than “wild card entry” into the mainstream of Nepali politics.

Agreeing to join the government on their terms and entering the political mainstream, the transition from revolutionary insurgents to a mainstream political outfit that is willing to shun violence and arms is largely at the behest of the man called Prachanda.

Until recently, little was known about him. Nepalis knew Prachanda from only a couple of photographs, taken years ago in rural Nepal. The reclusive Maoist leader told the BBC in an interview in January that he has three daughters and a son, who all support the Maoist movement. His wife, whom he met through the party, is also a Maoist official.

The former rebel leader was rarely seen in public and is believed to have frequently slipped between India and Nepal. When he gave his first ever television interview, to the BBC in January, Prachanda looked more like the school teacher he once was, moustached, bespectacled and with a slight paunch.

The BBC's Charles Haviland, who conducted the interview, said he came across as surprisingly mild-mannered and shy — more humorous than intimidating and without the charisma of some revolutionary leaders. All this stands in sharp contrast to the perception of him as a ruthless leader responsible for executions and terrorising swathes of Nepal’s population.

His number two, Baburam Bhattarai, with a cloth cap and eagle eyes, and often seen flanking Prachanda, fits more easily with the traditional view of what revolutionaries should look like.

But in a sign that his mild manners could well conceal a tough interior, a year ago Prachanda expelled Dr Bhattarai and his wife from the party accusing him of being power-hungry. It took months to reinstate him. Yes, he was “saddened” by the death toll and by what he called the “accidental” death of children through bombs planted by Maoists. And the Maoists were “investigating” the shooting of a municipal election candidate and the killing of a taxi driver during a general shutdown.

But another election candidate had been an “informer”, he insisted, liable to be tried by a Maoist court and possibly “executed”. The same applied to villagers whom the Maoists deemed to be helping the army.

Prachanda derived his inspiration from Peru’s Shining Path rebels and dreamt of setting up a communist republic. He envisaged the erosion of class, caste and gender barriers. He has also been described as puritanical, outlawing alcohol, gambling and “vulgar literature” from India and the United States.

List of speakers (national and international): - http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/leadership2006/speakers_profile.shtml

What Prachanda said at the summit:

"There is no link between Pashupati to Tirupati"

and also:

Maoists to give peace a chance

- http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/leadership2006/coverage_18110603.shtml

Nilova Roy Chaudhury and Sutirtho Patranobis
New Delhi, November 18, 2006

The first thing Maoists in Nepal would like to see as they engage in the development of a democratic setup in that country is the abolition of, what they call, “the monarchical feudal autocracy”.

Top Nepalese Maoist leader Prachanda made this clear at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here on Saturday, speaking for the first time at an international public forum.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman, whose cadres fought a bitter battle for over a decade against the monarchy in Nepal, refused to abjure violence and chose to remain ambiguous about the use of violence to achieve political ends.

Prachanda said the role of violence needed to be viewed in “relative” terms. “Violence can be condemned in absolute terms. We do not see it in absolute terms, but in relative terms, depending on the situation. When there will be a conducive atmosphere for economic growth, there will be no need for violence,” he responded to a question.

“We are sorry for the killing of so many people,” he said, when asked whether the Maoists were comfortable being labelled terrorists. “Everywhere, in revolutionary movements, it is the people who have to sacrifice.”

But he stressed that the Maoists would adhere to the broad time-line agreed to in the comprehensive peace agreement, due to be signed on November 21, and would join the multi-party mainstream of democracy. “The recent political agreement between the Seven-Party Alliance government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is aimed at conducting free and fair election to the Constituent Assembly under an interim government to institutionalise the democratic republic,” he said.



The main leadership of the Maoists — Prachanda himself, Baburam Bhattarai and Badal — will not join the interim government, but will definitely contest elections. Prachanda also conceded his desire to be the first head of a republican democracy — not for himself, but “if the party wants it”.

Speaking on the future of the monarchy, Prachanda said, “The king will have no hold over anything. Possessions would be nationalised. If the present king is found to have been involved in corruption, he would be tried accordingly.”

“He is likely to be removed in the first session. If the people vote for the monarchy to remain, even as a symbol, we would carry out a non-violent campaign. We do not want the monarchy to remain even as a symbol,” he added.

On the issue of disarming the Maoist cadres, Prachanda said, "The arms will be locked up in iron boxes with keys with the United Nations' observers. The cadres would, of course, retain some arms and ammunition for self-defence, according to international standards and under the supervision of international observers."

Responding to questions on the future of the army and his armed cadres, he said, "After the elections, both would be merged into a new national army. The old army would be democratised and the cadres professionalised. They would be jointly trained under UN observation. The new national army would be a small one — between 20,000 and 30,000 personnel."

Prachanda dismissed the Indian government's apprehensions of possible links with the Maoists in India. "There are ideological differences between the movement in India and the Nepalese movement. We never had any working link. There is no link between Pashupati to Tirupati," he said.

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Yes Hukka_nepai

you are right

adress of prachanda in hindi is not good.

It seems we are entering into Hundustan to be a part of this big country. And if you guys remember said by actress Madhuri Dixit "I think Nepal is one of the state of India" will be true in few years.

Yup just as much we hate to admit it, you might be right on katmandu_np!

Well if not part of big hundustan, definitely the next bhutan. india has already laid out the ground works for it and the sad part about it is, it makes perfect sense. because we share an open border with a nuclear power nation and because of our failure to maintain law and order in the country from an arm conflict, it makes perfect sense to india and rest of the international community to have Nepal sign military treaty which will have india taking charge and control of all security needs and arrangements in Nepal (trust me at that time you won't need UN or any other SOB to come over and monitor maoists arm management because i don't think it is anymore a mystery that source and root of maoists power is india).

So, yes even if some of us don't want to, for the rest and most of the international community there will be a very strong case for nepal to sign the military treaty with india. Along the same line, it also makes perfect sense for Nepal to sign another treaty to have india take care and control of Nepal's foreign policy. I mean what's the point of having your own foreign policy when you don't have your own military....plus it will only be a formality since most of Nepal's foreign policy right now is dealt via new delhi anways (from US ambassador to UN representative, all first meet with new delhi to discuss Nepal policy and then make their way into Nepal.....hell even the greatest thing to ever happen in the history of our glorious, SPA-Maoists peace agreement took place where??....exactlyyyy new delhi)

P.S. hey last i checked, weren't we still looking for new national anthem to lead our country into this new era?? may i suggest importing india's national anthem (i mean of course translated into nepali just like them indian tv commercial)

Nepali politicians are "jun jogi ayee pani kaan chireko"; then Prachanda is not even jogi, he is daka. So what to expect from him rather than he answering in Hindi to impress the Indian media (are they impressed?).

I think, there are very little thing good about Prachanda. He is Political DANKA.

He spoke in English, not in Hindi. Though his English was hard to understand, you people are pathetic to say that he spoke in Hindi without even listening to what he had to say.

Do u guys have the link for the press meet after his speech? some u are discussing about him talking in Hindi. If you can please I want it.

Did you guys even listen what he said.His speech was in English. In my knowledge His 7 min long press meeting after his speech was in English. Even if he had used Hindi, Would it make any difference? So I just want to say " Please dont make ourself new Kalidash following the crow without looking at ears". - Kag le kaan lagyo bhandaima kag pachhi nadugarau!

Prachand spoke in English. Read this news.

http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=52806

So what if he spoke in Hindi to the press? It seems his grasp of spoken Hindi is a bit better than his English and I don't see what's wrong with speaking in a language you know.

Hukka_Nepali -

P.S. hey last i checked, weren't we still looking for new national anthem to lead our country into this new era?? may i suggest importing india's national anthem (i mean of course translated into nepali just like them indian tv commercial)

We have heard that for fifty years but it has never happened. In any event, I am sure we have quite a few creative people still left in the country who can come up with a new anthem.

:)

DON'T WORRY GUYS, SOON EVERY NEPALI WILL BE FOLLOWING PRACHANDA PATH, SPEAKING HINDI.

"DON'T WORRY GUYS, SOON EVERY NEPALI WILL BE FOLLOWING PRACHANDA PATH, SPEAKING HINDI."

Why only Prachanda path? Why not Girija path or Madhav Nepal path? After all they too speak in Hindi too to the Indian media. And my guess is as good as anyone else's about what Prince Paras speaks when with his in-laws.

Bottom line, I don't get what the big fuss is about speaking in Hindi - especially if you know the language.

And why would all of Nepal want to start speaking in Hindi? I don't want to and I don't know a whole lot of people, besides those in the Terai who already speak the language, who want to take it up either.

Why blow it out of proportion?

Hey guys...I don't see any point discussing about the language he used in press conference...It is not wise to discuss about how he was modelled by Indian leaders in few days..he started barking about ISI offers for their movement just to satisfy INIDIA...

Let's discuss about positive and negative of his speech not about the communication medium he had used...