Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa has said the People's War was a big school for establishing the republic in Nepal.
Arguing that the republic was ushered in the country on the foundation of the people's war, he reiterated its significant contribution to the people's revolution and establishment of the republic should not be forgotten.
Addressing a programme organised by All Nepal Trade Union Federation commemorating the 26th People's War Day in Kathmandu today, he said the people's war should be taken as a successful campaign to raise the awareness of the people.
"The people's war was also a producer as it prepared hundreds of thousands of youths for the revolution. It was a big academy that produced leaders and cadres to provide leadership to the country," Home Minister Thapa said reminding that the people's war should not be understood in a unilateral manner. It should be understood from various perspectives.
Stating that the people's war had the decisive role in the people's revolution of Nepal; however, many people's revolts before it became a failure, he said although the Rana regime was removed through an armed revolution under the Nepali Congress' leadership in 2007 BS, it could not complete the people's revolution. According to him, the efforts for the same initiated by many leftist forces after that also became unsuccessful.
He argued that even the initiatives taken in 2036 BS and 2046 BS by the then political parties with the thinking that the democratic revolution could be fulfilled through the people's movement alone were also not successful. Minister Thapa, however, viewed that these revolutions have made achievements in that big discourse was initiated for establishing republic after the 2046 BS people's movement and the Maoist organisation was born, which implemented the people's democratic ideology into practice. After that, the organisation started an armed revolt on February 13, 1996.
The movement had been started synthesising the peaceful and confrontational modes and as a result, the second people's movement in 2006/07 brought the republic, he said.
The Home Minister paid tribute to the martyrs of the people's war and respects to those made to disappear. He wished recovery to those who were injured or became physically handicapped during the people's war.
He said the situation has changed now and the nation was moving ahead towards the socialist revolution. The people have given the responsibility of taking forward this revolution to the political leaders.
Home Minister Thapa said now there was no need for waging an armed revolt for the socialist revolution and rather this revolution should be pursued through peaceful means. He, however, cautioned against the reactionary classes putting up hurdles in this.
