Exactly a year ago today yet another round of movement against king Gyanendra’s regression and coup had started, and fortunately, that turned out to be the final and decisive. Tired of not getting as much public support as they would have like to have, political parties had announced another phase of movement against regression from April 6, 2006. The alliance of seven parties (SPA) was energized by the 12-point agreement they had reached with the Maoists a few months earlier. The Maoists had postponed their plan to hold nationwide protests and extended their support to the peaceful programs to be launched by the SPA. That Maoist decision added more energy to the SPA led movement.
Exactly a year ago today in Kathmandu.
[Here is a video of the April Uprising posted by Roshani Dhungana on Google Video. The link of the video was sent to UWB by Jason Andrews, Yale University.]
“Rallies, protests, arrests, campaigns and imposition of curfew marked Wednesday [5 April], the day before the four-day long General Strike,” UWB reported on 5th April. “This morning a number of leaders were arrested from their home. 37 professionals including lawyers, journalists and doctors were arrested in the morning when they tried to rally peacefully.” We knew that from the 6th of that month, April Uprising had begun. Under the title “On Photos: April Uprising I“, we posted several photographs: “The first-day of four-day General Strike saw closures, protests and police clampdowns. It was a story of make and break. The only debate was who were trying to make and who were trying to break. Protesters were burning tyres, policemen extinguishing them; protesters were chanting slogans, policemen were chasing them and protesters were putting disturbance, policemen were clearing them.” Then there was a diary of the first day that detailed the life in Kathmandu. Maoists were still continuing their violent activities against the royal regime. They attacked, UWB reported, on 6 April Magalawa, the district headquarters of Sarlahi, kidnapping a few including Chief District Officer Bodh Raj Adhikari. “An Army helicopter was ‘crashed/gunned’ down.”
And yes, we also remember that article of Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in which he had predicted about the April Revolution. Under the headline “Maoist Expects ‘April Revolution’ in Nepal”, UWB wrote: “So Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, revolutionary by some and terrorist for others, tries to convince us that the Nepal will see an “April Revolution” and that the peaceful movement against autocracy will successfully restore democracy in the country this time around.”
April Revolution Blogs:
1. On Photos: April Uprising I
2. General Strike Day I Diary
3. Maoists Attack on Sarlahi
4. The Eve of General Strike
5. Patan Meet in the Eve of April Uprising
6. Maoist Expects ‘April Revolution’ in Nepal