1996-02-04 - document - UPF२०५२-१०-२१ - दस्तवेज - सजमो

Archive ref no: NCA-18622 अभिलेखालय सि. नं.: NCA-18622

Right Honourable Prime Minister
Prime Ministe's Office,
Singha Durbar, Kathmandu

Sub: Memorandum

Sir,

It has been six years since the autocratic monarchical partyless Panchyat system was ended by the 1990 People's Movement and a constitutional Monarchical multiparty Parliamentary system established. During this period, state control has been exercised by a tripartite interim government, a single-party government of the Nepali Congress, a minority government of the UML and a present Nepali Congress-RPP-Sadbhavana coalition. That, instead of making progress, the situation of the country and the people is going downhill is evident from the fact that Nepal has slid to being the second poorest country in the world; people living below the absolute poverty line has gone up to 71 per cent; the number of unemployed has reached more than 10 per cent while the number of people who are semi-employed or in disguised employment has crossed 60 per cent; the country is on the verge of bankruptcy due to rising foreign loans and deficit trade; economic and culture encroachment within the country by foreign, and especially Indian, expansionists is increasing by the day; the gap between the rich and the poor and between the towns and villages is growing wider.

On the other hand, parliamentary parties that have formed the government by various means have shown that they are more interested in remaining in power with the blessing of foreign imperialist and expansionist masters than in the welfare of the country and the people. This is clear from their blindly adopting the so-called privatization and liberalization to fulfil the interests of all imperialists and from the recent 'national consensus' reached in handing over the rights over Nepal's water resources to Indian expansionists.

Since April 6, 1992, the United People's Front has been involved in various struggles to fulfil relevant demands related to nationalism, democracy and livelihood, either by itself or with others. But rather than fulfil those demands, the governments formed at different times have violently suppressed the agitators and taken the lives of hundreds; the most recent example of this is the armed police operation in Rolpa a few months back. In this context we would like to once again present to the current coalition government demands related to nationalism, democracy and livelihood, which have been raised in the past and many of which have become relevant in the present context.

Our demands

Concerning nationality

Concerning people's democracy

Concerning livelihood

We would like to request the present coalition government to immediately initiate steps to fulfill these demands which are inextricably linked with the Nepali nation and the life of the people. If there are no positive indications towards this from the government by February 17, 1996, we would like to inform you that we will be forced to adopt the path of militant struggle against the existing state power.

Thanking you,

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai
Chairman Central Committee,United People's Front Nepal

February 4, 1996