Baburam Bhattarai

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is a Nepalese communist. He is a rare combination of an outstanding intellectual and a top revolutionary leader of Nepal. He is the senior Standing Committee Member of the Politbureau of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is leading a revolutionary People's War in Nepal since 1996. He is also the Head of the International Department of the Party, and Convener of United Revolutionary People's Council, Nepal, an embryonic Central People's Government Organizing Committee.

He has a number of publications to his credit, including The Nature of Underdevelopment and Regional structure of Nepal: A Marxist Analysis (Adroit Publishers, Delhi, 2003), Politico-Economic Rationale of People's War in Nepal (Utprerak Publications, Kathmandu, 1998), Nepal! krantika adharharu (in Nepali) (Janadisha Publications, 2004), among others.

Bhattarai is married to Hisila Yami, a fellow Maoist leader.

Early Childhood

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai went to a missionary high school in rural Gorkha, Nepal. He always came in first position in his classes throughout his primary and secondary education. Only once, however, during a midterm exam, he was beaten by his fellow classmate, now a well-known neurosergeon in Nepal.

Many may not know that Dr. Bhattarai was the national topper in school leaving certificate (SLC). Again in ISc, intermediate of science, he topped the whole Nepal. He received his PhD in Philosophy from Jawaharalal Nehru University, New Delhi (1986).

Political Career

Bhattarai became politically active during his student days in India. In 1977 he founded the All India Nepalese Students Association. He became active in the Communist Party of Nepal (Masal). As a prominent leader of CPN(Masal) he was the spokesperson of the United National People's Movement during the 1990 uprising. In [[1991] he and a group around him broke away from CPN(Masal) and joined the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre).

Dr. Bhattarai then became the head of the Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal (United People's Front Nepal) - the political front of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre) - in the parliament. When CPN(UC) split in 1994, Bhattarai sided with the hardline section (which later took the name CPN(M)), and he became the leader of the parallel SJM led by the Maoists.

Bhattarai became known throughout the country after the beginning of the Nepalese People's War due to frustration over continous anti-democratic anti-people policies enforced by the monarchy through the constitutional monarchy system.

In early 2005, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has reportedly been demoted within the Maoist ranks. Internal disputes within the Maoists betrayed the persistence of intercenine factionalism within the Maoists, with running battles between Bhattarai and Chairman Prachanda (real name Pushpa Kumar Dahal). However, in July the same year, he and Prachanda reportedly worked out their differences and Baburam's position was restored.

The version of communist regime which Baburam Bhattarai along with Prachanda want to install in Nepal has drawn the country into a protracted people's war. The Maoists have been following Mao Zedong's program of Protracted People's War to overthrow the corrupt monarchy.

Baburam's critics believe that he and his supporters are trying to fool the Nepalese people by making empty promises of land to the landless. In reality, they say, Baburam and his cohorts are playing with the lives of Nepalese people to grab absolute power for themselves. Some opponents of the Nepalese Maoists say The "ideological" struggle between Baburam and Prachanda is over the question of who gets to lay the foundation of a communist state in Nepal if they overthrow the current regime.

However, many political analysts and human rights organizations have also commented that the Maoists have improved the quality of life of many communities that had been ignored by the monarchy. Furthermore, it is noted that majority of the rural communities in Nepal have genuine grievances against the monarchy, resulting in widespread support for the Maoists.

Other Achievements

Before committing himself fully to politics, Bhattarai was also a brilliant chess player. He used to say that chess was to Communists what water was to ducks, and tirelessly pointed out that Lenin was also a chess enthusiast.

When the then FIDE president Max Euwe gave a simultaneous exhibition in Kathmandu, Bhattarai played against him and crushed the former world champion in 23 moves with a brilliant queen sacrifice. Afterwards, Dr. Euwe was reported in local media as saying, "Alekhine lives in Nepal!".

Many Nepalese chess fans rue the fact that Nepal lost its first potential FIDE Grand Master when Dr. Bhattarai gave up competitive chess to devote himself exclusively to the noble task of liberating Nepalese people from their evil feudal lords. Nowadays, Dr. Bhattarai reportedly plays blindfold chess with a dozen Maoist cadres at a time at secret Maoist camps while also poring over Das Kapital.

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