The differences were bound to surface. As Nepali Maobaadis embark on the thorny road to mainstream politics after a decade-long stint as armed revolutionaries, ripples can be felt across the Naxalite realm in India. In a scathing critique of the Nepali rebel leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka 'Prachanda'), Communist Party of India (Maoist) spokesperson 'Comrade Azad' has attacked the Nepali Maoists for deviating from the revolutionary goal of attaining 'People's Democracy'.
Azad accused the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) of collaborating with 'bourgeoisie' and revisionist parties, and giving up the ideal of an armed overthrow of the feudal state. The disagreement, coming from ideological co-travelers in two Southasian states, assumes critical importance in light of alarm about linkages between ultra-left groups in the region, something that Indian intelligence agencies in particular like to play up.
Left parties, of both parliamentary and revolutionary hues, have a history of bitter feuds and endless divisions. The current phase of ultra-leftist confrontation in Southasia may have been triggered by the Nepali Maobaadi decision to engage with other parties of Nepal. At a more fundamental level, it may also be about a clash of perceptions regarding global and country-specific situations, and the possibilities of revolution.
But mostly the Naxalite ire seems to stem from the leadership's fear of loss of power and prestige, when the much-romanticised Nepali Maobaadi decided to give up the class war. Just as the mainstream Left in India headed by the CPI (M) was worried that the success of the Maobaadi would give energy to the Naxalites, the latter are now worried about the message that Dahal's compromises will be sending to their flock.