The Hindu : National : Anti-monarchy front plans rallies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 08, 2006

National

National

Anti-monarchy front plans rallies

Special Correspondent

To mobilise support of migrant Nepalese

KOLKATA: The recently-formed Anti-Monarchy United Democratic Front, India — a forum of various organisations of the Nepalese in the country — will be holding rallies in four metros on April 9 in support of the pro-democracy movement in Nepal.

Leaders of various Indian political parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), are likely to attend the rallies.

The rallies will coincide with the conclusion of the four-day strike in Nepal, called in protest against King Gyanendra's rule, by political parties backing the anti-monarchy cause.

Understanding renewed

Leaders of the Front formally renewed their understanding with the Nepali Maoists on March 18 for taking forward the movement for the "struggle against the monarchy and the setting up of a constitutionally-elected democratic republic in that country," founder-member of the Front, Laksman Pant, told The Hindu on Friday.

The initial 12-point understanding between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and seven parties belonging to that country's political mainstream, including the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to launch a joint movement against the monarchy in Nepal and in support of a constitutionally-elected democratic government, was signed in November, 2005.

The second understanding last month came in the wake of severe repression by the Nepalese Government and its Army on anti-monarchy activists and "a noticeable regression in the movement following warnings from the United States Government to the political parties that those joining hands with the Maoists would be branded as terrorists by Washington," Mr. Pant said.

"We are mobilising the support of the migrant population here for the struggle against monarchy in Nepal and are in touch with leaders of the different political parties fighting for the cause of democracy in that country," Mr. Pant said.

Stop repression: CPI(M)

Special Correspondent writes from New Delhi:

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday said India should demand that King Gyanendra's Government stop immediately all repressive actions, "failing which steps should be taken to make the King realise that he cannot continue with his present course of action."

The CPI (M) Polit Bureau denounced the crackdown on the nationwide strike.

"The repression unleashed by the King will not deter the popular movement to end his authoritarian rule," it noted.

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