The Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre) was a communist party in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. CPN (UC) was formed on 19–20 November 1990 through the merger of Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal), Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention), Proletarian Workers Organisation, and Communist Party of Nepal (Janamukhi). Soon thereafter, a group led by

Baburam Bhattarai Baburam Bhattarai (, ; born 18 June 1954), also known by his nom de guerre Laaldhwoj, is a Nepalese politician, architect and former Prime Minister of Nepal, Prime Minister who presently serves as leader of the Nepal Socialist Party. Bhattarai ...

and Shital Kumar, who had left Communist Party of Nepal (Masal), joined the party. Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal was set up as the open mass front of the party.

History

In 1991, the party held its first convention. It adopted a line of "protracted armed struggle on the route to a new democratic revolution" and that the party would remain an underground party. In 1992, in a situation of economic crisis and chaos, with spiralling prices as a result of implementation of changes in policy of the new

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

government, SJM and CPN (UC) stepped up their political agitation. A Joint People's Agitation Committee was set up together with the Communist Party of Nepal (Masal), the Nepal Communist League and the

Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist) The Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist), abbreviated CPN (MLM), was a minor communist party in Nepal. The party was as founded in 1981 by Krishna Das Shrestha. Initially known as the Nepal Marxist-Leninist Party, Shrestha had b ...

. A

general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...

was called for 6 April. Violent incidents began to occur on the evening ahead of the strike. The Joint People's Agitation Committee had called for a 30-minute lights out in the capital, and violence erupted outside Bir Hospital when activists tried to enforce the 'lights out'. At dawn on 6 April, clashes between strike activists and police outside a police station in Pulchok ( Patan) left two activists dead. Later in the day, a mass rally of the Agitation Committee at Tundikhel in the capital

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

was attacked by police forces. As a result, riots broke out, and the Nepal Telecommunications building was set on fire. Police opened fire at the crowd, killing several persons. The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal estimated that 14 people, including several on-lookers, had been killed in police firing. In 1994, a group led by

and

Pushpa Kamal Dahal Pushpa Kamal Dahal (; born Ghanashyam Dahal, 11 December 1954), alias ''Prachanda'' (, , "fierce"), is a Nepalese politician, currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition, since July 2024. He has served as the Prime Minister of Nepal o ...

broke away from CPN (UC) and formed a parallel CPN-UC which took the name Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) in 1996. At the party convention held in

Chitwan Chitwan District (, , ) is one of seventy-seven districts of Nepal, and takes up the southwestern corner of Bagmati Province. Bharatpur, largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, is its administrative centre. It covers , and in 2011 had a popul ...

16–18 December 2001, CPN (UC) decided to merge with Communist Party of Nepal (Masal).Unity Centre and Masal to Unite - Nepali Times
/ref> The merger became effective in early 2002, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre–Masal) was formed.

References

{{reflist Defunct communist parties in Nepal Rebel groups in Nepal Political parties established in 1990 1990 establishments in Nepal Political parties disestablished in 2002 2002 disestablishments in Nepal

History

See also

References