In a desperate transformation effort, Nepal’s Maoist chief Prachanda on Wednesday directed immediate control of the paramilitary structure and activities of the Young Communist League (YCL), the youth wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
The YCL has been always accused of intimidation through tactics such as kidnappings. The youth outfit has also been accused of pre-poll violence across Nepal during the run up to the Constituent Assembly election. In a statement issued in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Prachanda directed his party organisation to return all the seized lands and properties of government and private individuals.
During the decade-old people’s movement, the Maoist cadres had seized several government land and properties. Moreover, the cadres of the radical communist party had also seized properties of landlords to bring an end to the centuries-old feudal system.
The Maoist chief’s statement came soon after the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction announce it would distribute Rs (Nepali) 3.35 billion made available by the World Bank to pay outstanding salaries of People’s Liberation Army combatants.