Samudaya.org » Pictorials » Painting the town red, Pt 1

Pictorials

Painting the town red, Pt 1

by Nayantara | June 2006

Kathmandu felt an unprecedented Red presence on Friday, June 2nd. Hundreds of busloads poured into the capital to, literally, paint the town red. Brandishing red shirts, flags, and bandanas, CPM Maoist party workers directed traffic, drinking water supply and thronging crowds in a showcase of effective mobilization. In preparation of the arrival of their hundreds of thousands, the party summoned schools, churches, business houses and other 'neutral' parties to provide room and board.

khula_manch_01.jpg
Khula Manch was almost full by 11:30 am as people waited patiently for the program to begin at 1.

khula_manch_02.jpg
Party workers used what seemed like tried and tested crowd control methods to ensure pathways for people to be able to enter and exit the Khula Manch grounds.

khula_manch_03.jpg
By 12:15, Khula Manch was overflowing; people eagerly awaited the speakers.

khula_manch_04.jpg
The program began on time! People were decked out for rain as well as shine.

khula_manch_05.jpg
As the grounds filled up and there was no place to sit, people began looking for higher vantage points.

khula_manch_06.jpg
As thousands of shuffling feet kicked up dust, baraf-walas catered to the thirsty. Next in popularity were the cucumber, watermelon and chana-chat-pat vendors.

khula_manch_08.jpg
Mahara speaks and the trees listen.

khula_manch_09.jpg
Ram Bahadur Pariyar (right) eats chewra for khaja on his haunches. "Its hot but I still wish I had tea" he laughs. Pariyar traveled overnight from Nekhnath Nagarpalika, Kaski to arrive in Kalanki that morning. His bus had groups representing the Dalit Muktimorcha, Sukumbasi Samasya Samuha and the Kaski Samajik Samasya Samuha. Pariyar says there were 700 vehicles that traveled to Kathmandu from Kaski.

khula_manch_11.jpg
Next to the Kaski crowd, Ram Niwas Kasaudhan (right) from Kapilvastu eats roti with some green chilly paste for khaja. Its his first trip to Kathmandu. "I told my friend Santosh (far left) he should bring his camera" Kasaudhan says in a matter-of- fact tone.

khula_manch_12.jpg
Water trucks make drinking available in the afternoon summer heat. Truck drivers give in to people climbing atop for a better view.

khula_manch_13.jpg
As a dance item begins, people clamber over bars when they hear the music playing.

khula_manch_14.jpg
An old timer decides he's had enough and tried to climb out.

khula_manch_16.jpg
Thus far seen in the papers or on television as fatigue wearing, weapon wielding ideologically entrenched youth, young Maoists appeared on the streets of the capital on Friday as average urban youth.

khula_manch_17.jpg
As Khula Manch gets too crowded to enter, out-of-towners determinedly march in the outskirts.

khula_manch_20.jpg
Students from Sri Mahakali Ma Vi, Dhading march reciting poetry.

khula_manch_21.jpg
Unlike most political rallies, Friday saw groups of families on the streets.

khula_manch_22.jpg
Despite ample speakers projecting good quality sound, people are curious to see what's going on on stage.

khula_manch_23.jpg
A high perch.

khula_manch_24.jpg
A young school boy finds his attention drifting from the activities on stage.

khula_manch_32.jpg
People begin to scale barbed wire fencing towards the Tudikhel parapets. Part 2 »

© Nayantara. Please do not use without permission.

Comments

June 5th, 2006
1 | Mystichacker:

Oye oye oye, N’Tara resurfacing, still active with her lenses eh?! Cheers to that. I see a lot of young uns with red bandana, uff…so eighties - Guns n Roses type kya! Young Maos need to rethink their dress code, amongst many other things — dilapidated theories they subscribe to being one. Somehow I feel like I am getting the priorities completely reversed right now. Nonetheless, they do seem to capture some imagination of our rural population at least, in one way or another.

June 5th, 2006
2 | ugra_pundit:

Good pictures!!!
I have never seen so many people on so many trees. Moabadi should petition for entry of ‘Tree Climbing’ event for 2008 Olympic. Nepal has a fair shot at the Gold.

June 6th, 2006
3 | Long live the victory of people's war:

Long live the dreams of the martyrs!

Death to class enemies, their henchmen and running dogs!

Death to American Imperialism and Indian Expansionism!

LAL SALAAMCOMRADE!

June 6th, 2006
4 | rupesh:

Mr Koirala and his colleagues in the so called seven party alliance that rules Nepal for the moment are welcome to wallow in gratitude to their benefactors in Delhi.

But they should know, better than anybody else, that neither political fidelity nor moral integrity will ever cause distress to their benefactors when they roll out the red carpet for Comrade Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

They should remove any doubts that may linger about Comrade Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s roadmap to Narayanhity Palace which, of course, he shall suitably rename to reflect his revolutionary credentials.

June 6th, 2006
5 | Birbhadra:

ke ho ke ho khoi kurai bhujdina ma ta

June 7th, 2006
6 | Haha:

Let´s start practice singing Jana Gana Mana…………………………….

Jai (H)Ind……….?????

Khai Nemuni kan hunuhunchha ta ? haha

June 7th, 2006
7 | Long live the victory of people's war:

Down with Bush! US/UK Out of Iraq! Hands Off Nepal!

In May, Bush proclaimed the war in Iraq was over. The US/UK imperialists and their running dogs said this bloody war was necessary because of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction. But they found nothing. The Imperialist US and their henchmen said they had come to liberate the Iraqi people. They now stand exposed as old style imperialist occupiers. Instead of peace, justice and prosperity, the US imperialists have brought death and destruction to the Iraqi people and have stolen the country’s wealth through capitalist privatisation.

Is it any wonder that the Iraqi people are fighting against the occupation forces with greater and greater determination!

Bush used the excuse of the September 11th attacks to launch the US’s so-called war on terrorism. But who is it that has terrorized the world? Are the people of Afghanistan better off today — or are they suffering under the renewed domination of the warlords of yesterday, with women afraid to go out without veils, heroin production massively increased, and repression on the rise throughout the country?

US aid has multiplied to the reactionary Nepalese monarchy that is fighting to suppress the Glorious People’s War. In Africa and Latin America they squeezed profits and natural resources from the grieving masses’ labor. They intervene in these areas too under the pretext of ‘war on drugs’ and ‘pharmaceutical AIDS relief programs’! Here too the victorious masses rebel.

Bush once threatened menacingly: “You are against us, or you are with us.” It is time we stood up to proclaim, along with the people of Iraq, of Palestine, of Nepal and of the whole world: WE ARE NOT WITH YOU, BUT AGAINST YOU!

June 9th, 2006
8 | raute:

Thanks for the excellent pictures!

Post a comment

Recent Posts

A History of Violence: Maoists attack Himalmedia

Possibilities Redefined, History Lived, Hope Renewed

Election Eve in Chicago

Glimpses of Tihar

Finance Minister Bhattarai’s Vision for Nepal

In Conversation with Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at New School

Police aggression outside the Republican National Convention

Campaign for Liberty, Rally for the Republic

Terai in Trouble: A Conversation on Madhes with Prashant Jha

Recent Comments

Dilli Dhakal says: Dr. Saheb, happy New year. It is surprising for me and the people of Nepal that you couldn't show...

Penisinhermouth says: This is labour dispute... it has nothing to do press freedom or freedom of expression.... and...

salik says: I wonder if there is any chance of an uprising against the excesses of the Maoists now...

jesus says: Hello, i'm a peruvian student part of group o more than 500 south american students who came to here to...

hopson says: can children be adopted from the areas the ones with no family please sed only the facts I do not want...

Bookmarks

Feeds

Entries (RSS)
Comments (RSS)

Contact

Submit your work, or send us feedback. Write to us at folks[at]samudaya[dot]org.

advertisement