Opinion Pushpa Kamal Dahal can now afford to be more balanced in his relations with India, US

Dahal’s politics has seen ups and downs and contradictions. He headed the Maoist guerrillas cum Party as its Chairman cum Supreme Commander when the Party decided to launch a ‘revolution’ to transform a Hindu Kingdom into a secular Republic. His call to the world outside was even larger in scope: end of Indian hegemony and U S imperialism.

But on the tenth year of insurgency, the anti-hegemony leader established a rapport with Indian establishment, promised not to go against its ‘vital interest’ in lieu of India treating them as ‘political outfit’, and not the terrorist. Dahal came to the peace process and democratic fold in Nepal, but he continued to play ‘anti-India’ card publicly, largely for the consumption of his guerrillas – indoctrinated in the world view that was anti-India and anti-US – who were still waiting for mass rehabilitation in the society or security agencies.

His dismissing the chief of the Nepal Army as Prime Minister to appease his guerrillas cost him the post in May 2003.

With guerrillas issue settled this time around, Dahal may not have to fear the retaliation from inside. He can afford to be more balanced in his relations with India and the US as well as the Nepal Army this time around.

However, his transformation from a revolutionary hero, to a Prime Minister under a democratic system, his tussle with the army chief he tried to sack unsuccessfully, series of splits in the Party that caused Maoists slipping into a distant third party in Parliament within a gap of four years , may have made him ‘weaker’ but perhaps wiser as well in the same proportion. “I did not have much experience earlier’, he said . He has also lost credibility in the eyes of the public for his inconsistent utterances and acts,.and changing allies in a power driven politics.

He has been able to secure support of Nepali congress and the Madhesi groups, the later consider pro-India, but his survival will largely depend on whether he will be able to appease the NC, and at what cost, will be a crucial factor.