C. P. Mainali

Chandra Prakash Mainali more commonly known as C. P. Mainali (born August 22, 1951, in Chokpur, Taplejung District) is a communist politician in Nepal and former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal.

C. P. Mainali
चन्द्र प्रकाश मैनाली
General Secretary of CPN (ML)
Assumed office
2002
Preceded byBam Dev Gautam
Deputy Prime Minister
and
Minister for Women and Children
In office
4 November 2015  4 August 2016
PresidentBidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime MinisterKhadga Prasad Oli
Preceded byNilam K.C.
Succeeded byKumar Khadka
Minister for Local Level and Supplies
In office
1994–1995
MonarchBirendra Bir Bikram Shah
Prime MinisterMan Mohan Adhikari
Personal details
Born (1951-08-22) August 22, 1951
Chokpur, Taplejung
NationalityNepali
Political partyCPN(ML)
Parent(s)Dhanpati Mainali
Chandrakumari Mainali[1]
Residence(s)Kathmandu, Nepal
ProfessionPolitician

Political life

Jhapa revolt

In the early 1970s he was one (along with his brother, R.K. Mainali) of the radical communists who led the Jhapa rebellion, inspired by the Naxalite movement in India.

Early politics

From 1965 onwards he was involved in the student movement. In 1970, Mainali joined the Communist Party of Nepal. During his years as a political activist, he had aliases ('party names') such as Jay, Subhas, Devi and Kanchan.[1]

In 1971, Mainali was one of a group of young leaders of the Jhapa District Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal. The other main leaders of this group were Radha Krishna Mainali, Mainali's brother, and Mohan Chandra Adhikari. The group was inspired by the Naxalbari rebellion in India and its leader Charu Majumdar. In May 1971, the group initiated an armed rebellion, killing landlords and other perceived class enemies.

The party's leadership did not approve of the methods used by the Jhapa movement, and Mainali and his fellows were now an independent grouping. The state forces rapidly crushed the rebellion and hundreds of its followers were killed, jailed or forced into exile. Nevertheless, the group continued to conduct clandestine political work amongst the peasants of Jhapa.

In 1975, the survivors of the Jhapa movement took the initiative to found the All Nepal Communist Revolutionary Coordination Committee (Marxist-Leninist). Other small groups merged with ANCRCC (ML). On December 26, 1978, ANCRCC (ML) organized the founding congress of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist). Mainali was elected general secretary of the party. CPN (ML) was an underground party, and conducted small-scale, armed activities against the regime and feudal landlords.

However, the tactics of armed struggle did not prove to be successful for CPN (ML). The party changed its political approach and started to focus more on mobilizing mass movements for a democratic change. Mainali, clearly identified with the initial militant phase of the party, was removed from his post of general secretary and replaced by Jhala Nath Khanal.

Later CPN (ML) would merge into Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

First term as minister

When CPN (UML), under Man Mohan Adhikari's premiership, formed a minority government in 1994, C.P. Mainali was nominated to become the speaker of the legislative. He was, however, defeated by the Nepali Congress nominee, Ram Chandra Paudel.[2] Mainali was then named Minister for Local Development and Supply.[3]

CPN (UML) split

In 1998 CPN (UML) was torn by internal strife.[4] Mainali and Bam Dev Gautam led a break-away group that was named Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist). CPN (ML) briefly joined a Nepali Congress government led by G.P. Koirala. In the 1999 parliamentary elections CPN (ML) failed miserably to challenge the domination of CPN (UML).[5] The party did get an impressive 6.4% of the national vote, but failed to win a single seat.[6]

At the time of the 2000 CPN (ML) party congress, Mainali challenged Bam Dev Gautam for the post of general secretary. Whereas Gautam upheld the line of People's Multiparty Democracy as formulated by Madan Kumar Bhandari (which was also the political line of CPN (UML)), Mainali argued for a more radical political approach.[7][8]

In 2002 CPN (ML) and CPN (UML) re-unified. C.P. Mainali did however refuse to go along with the merger and refounded CPN(ML). He remained as the general secretary of the party.

During the anti-government protests in 2002–2006, Mainali is one of the main leaders of the United Left Front. He has served as ULF chairman for a period. Following the February 1, 2005 royal coup d'état, Mainali was placed in house arrest. He was released on February 25.[9]

Constituent assembly

In January 2007, Mainali was inducted into the interim parliament. He was the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee of the interim parliament.[10] After the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, Mainali became a Constituent Assembly member.[11]

As Deputy Prime minister

Mainali served as deputy prime minister for a brief period in the first Oli cabinet. He was also assigned Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare.[12][13]

References

  1. K.C., Surendra. Aitihasik dastavej sangroh - bhag 2. Kathmandu: Pairavi Prakashan, 2063 B.S.. p 459.
  2. "Nepal Communist Set Back". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1994-12-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-12-30. Retrieved 2006-12-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "नेकपाको ७१ वर्षे इतिहास : स्थापनाको १३ वर्षसम्म विवाद, त्यसपछि फुटैफुट". Himal Khabar. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  5. "नेपाली कम्युनिष्ट आन्दोलन टुट–फुट, गुट र एकताका श्रृंखलाबाट गुज्रदैं". kantipurtv.com. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  6. शोभा शर्मा. "नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टीको ७० वर्षे फुट र जुटको कथा". Setopati (in Hindi). Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  7. CPN-ML warns of stir over statute reforms demand-World-The Times of India
  8. ML Bolsheviks and Mensheviks – Nepali Times
  9. "Asian Centre for Human Rights". Archived from the original on 2005-12-26. Retrieved 2006-04-03.
  10. Nepalnews.com Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd
  11. "The Himalayan Times: Breaking News, Views, Reviews, Sports, Business, Entertainment from Nepal". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  12. "Kantipur-७ जना मन्त्रीहरुले लिए सपथ - कान्तिपुर समाचार". ekantipur.com. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  13. "Nepal Gazette".
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