Nepal’s Maoists: purists or pragmatists?

The Maoist movement in Nepal declared a "people's war" in 1996 in an attempt to create a communist republic. More than ten years on, a number of important concessions made by the group have resulted in a tacit acceptance of multi-party democracy. This paper analyses the political culture and development of the Maoist movement.

The paper argues that Nepal’s Maoists are revising their methods and reconsidering their goals. The group's strategy is shaped by a tension between purity and pragmatism. Although they stick to certain established principles, they have long been willing to shift course if they identify strategic weaknesses. The peace process has forced practical and theoretical rethinking. Leaders have tried to present a more moderate image as they balance complex equations of domestic and international support and opposition.

Ideologically, the Maoists' are confident in their aims and methods of achieving them. Despite official acceptance, in reality the more committed members consider the peace process as a transitional phase in which they can destroy the old regime and restructure the state.

The paper warns of possible negative consequences of fractures in the movement and the mainstream parties' commitment to the constituent assembly, which may result in backing the Maoists into a corner from which violent conflict may be the only realistic way out.