Madan Bhandari’s contribution is historic, but no ideology is timeless: Prachanda

Kathmandu. Coordinator of Communist Party of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that People’s Multiparty Democracy propounded by Madan Bhandari in the then situation had played a historic role in keeping the Nepali communist movement alive.

Speaking at the Madan Bhandari National Award Handover Ceremony organized in the capital on Sunday, Chairman Dahal said that any ideology and policy would not be timeless, adding that it needed to be evaluated and developed as per the time.

“People’s multiparty democracy propounded by Madan Bhandari in the contemporary situation has played a historic role in keeping the Nepali communist movement alive,” he said.

Recalling that the then CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) had announced working unification from this hall before the 2074 BS general election, Dahal said that the presence of leaders of the two parties on the same platform even now is meaningful.

He said, “The election of 74 BS was approaching, we had announced working unity and cooperation in the election in this very hall. We had also announced to unify the party from there. Today, we are the only leaders of the two parties in this hall. ’

Stating that the formation of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) was announced on Madan Bhandari’s death anniversary on Jestha 3, he said the formation of the Nepal Communist Party had special political and ideological meanings.

Prachanda recalled that the concept of people’s multiparty democracy was put forward under the leadership of Madan Bhandari in the difficult international situation of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and collapse of the socialist regimes in Eastern Europe.

“In order to keep the communist movement alive in a country like Nepal, understanding the seriousness and sensitivity of the situation, the program of People’s Multiparty Democracy has been presented under the leadership of Comrade Madan Bhandari. That’s where its historicity and importance lies,” he said.

Prachanda was of the view that history should be evaluated in the context of time and situation, adding that no policy or ideology should be taken as permanent truth.

“Not everything lasts forever. The concrete analysis of concrete objects is the living soul of Marxism. All truths are relative, nothing absolute,” he said.

He stressed on the need of developing policies, principles and political line as per the need of the hour as the Marxist philosophy accepts change as a permanent truth.