The Maoist Insurgency in Nepal: Revolution in the Twenty-first Century (Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series Book 20)

The book deals with the dynamics and growth of a violent 21st century communist rebellion initiated in Nepal by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – CPN(M). It contextualizes and explains why and how a violent Maoist insurgency grew in Nepal after the end of the Cold War, in contrast to the decline of other radical communist movements in most parts of the world. Scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds employ a wide variety of approaches and methods to unravel different aspects of the rebellion. Individual chapters analyze the different causes of the insurgency, factors that contributed to its growth, the organization, agency, ideology and strategies employed by the rebels and the state, and the consequences of the insurgency. New issues are analysed in conjunction with the insurgency, such as the role of the Maoist student organization, Maoist's cultural troupes, the organization and strategies of the People's Army and the Royal Nepal Army, indoctrination and recruitment of rebels, and international factors. Based on original field work and a thorough analysis of empirical data, this book fills an existing gap in academic analyses of the insurgency in Nepal. Development Studies Book Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Contents 10 Illustrations 13 Acknowledgements 15 List of abbreviations 17 Part I Introduction 22 1 Evolution and growth of the Maoist insurgency in Nepal 24 Part II Agency, ideology, organization, and support 52 2 Recruiting rebels: Indoctrination and political education in Nepal 54 3 Catchy melodies and clenched fists: Performance as politics in Maoist cultural programs 73 4 The repertoire of scientific organization: Ideology, identity and the Maoist Student Union 94 5 Between clientelistic dependency and liberal market economy: Rural support for the Maoist insurgency in Nepal 113 Part III Revolutionary governance 134 6 Political change and cultural revolution in a Maoist Model Village, mid-western Nepal 136 Part IV Ethnic dimension 154 7 Ethnic dimensions of the Maoist insurgencies: Indigenous groups’ participation and insurgency trajectories in Nepal, Peru, and India 156 8 Maoist–Madhesi dynamics and Nepal’s peace process 177 Part V Military and state dimension 194 9 Military dimensions of the “People’s War”: Insurgency and counter-insurgency in Nepal 196 10 Unequal rebellions: The continuum of “People’s War” in Nepal and India 216 Part VI External dimension 238 11 External engagement in Nepal’s armed conflict 240 Part VII Identifying the causes 260 12 An assessment of the causes of conflict in Nepal 262 13 The Maoist insurgency and the political economy of violence 284 Part VIII After the war 306 14 Bullets, ballots, and bounty: Maoist electoral victory in Nepal 308 15 Violent conflict and change: Costs and benefits of the Maoist rebellion in Nepal 325 Annex A: 40-point Maoist demand, February 1996 348 Annex B: Nepal Maoist insurgency timeline 349 Index 364 Revolution in the Twenty-first Century

The book deals with the dynamics and growth of a violent 21st century communist rebellion initiated in Nepal by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – CPN(M). It contextualizes and explains why and how a violent Maoist insurgency grew in Nepal after the end of the Cold War, in contrast to the decline of other radical communist movements in most parts of the world.

Scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds employ a wide variety of approaches and methods to unravel different aspects of the rebellion. Individual chapters analyze the different causes of the insurgency, factors that contributed to its growth, the organization, agency, ideology and strategies employed by the rebels and the state, and the consequences of the insurgency.

New issues are analysed in conjunction with the insurgency, such as the role of the Maoist student organization, Maoist's cultural troupes, the organization and strategies of the People's Army and the Royal Nepal Army, indoctrination and recruitment of rebels, and international factors. Based on original field work and a thorough analysis of empirical data, this book fills an existing gap in academic analyses of the insurgency in Nepal.