The hollow vanguard: Why Nepal’s communist movement is on the verge of collapse
Summary
Nepal's communist movement, once dominant in politics, faces collapse due to internal conflicts, failure in land reform, and disconnect with marginalized communities despite holding significant power historically.
Key Points
- Nepal's communist parties have historically held significant political power but failed to deliver on promises to marginalized groups such as landless settlers and Dalits.
- The 2018 merger of Nepal's two main communist parties resulted in internal power struggles and eventual party dissolution by the Supreme Court.
- Despite controlling majorities after the 2017 elections, the communist leadership focused more on personal power than policy implementation like land reform and credit regulation.
- Comparisons with Kerala, India and Vietnam show that communist parties can succeed through consistent welfare delivery and reforms, highlighting failure in Nepal as a practice issue rather than ideology.
