Kathmandu — Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, former Prime Minister and Chair of Nepal Socialist Party (Naya Shakti), has drawn parallels between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ with Stalin-era leadership, accusing Nepal’s communist movement of following a regressive path.
Quoting the phrase “We learn from history that we do not learn from history,” Bhattarai expressed concern that Nepal’s communist leadership is repeating the historical mistakes of the now-defunct Soviet Communist Party.
He argued that Nepal’s communist movement, rooted in the Jhapa Uprising (1971–74) and the decade-long People’s War (1995–2005), is ironically advancing in the same direction as the Soviet Communist Party, which ruled for 75 years before collapsing.
According to Bhattarai, despite repeatedly being in power, Nepal’s communist parties have failed to achieve meaningful transformation. He said their rhetoric still centers on promises of socialism and communism but lacks tangible results.
He further claimed that internal dynamics within the CPN-UML and Maoist Centre resemble the factionalism of Stalin’s era. He observed a growing trend of silencing or removing critics from party and power structures through accusations, echoing practices from Soviet history.
Bhattarai alleged that although leaders like Oli and Prachanda are not physically eliminating dissenters like Stalin did, they are politically and organizationally sidelining critics in a systematic manner.
He warned cadres emotionally attached to the old authoritarian and bureaucratic-centralist communist structures to reflect on history. “Clapping when others are purged, and shedding tears when your own turn comes, is no longer wise,” he said. “It is time to learn from history and dare to build a new alternative path toward socialism and the upliftment of humanity.”
