KATHMANDU: Coordinator of the Nepal Communist Party Unity National Campaign, Bamdev Gautam, delivered an emotional address in Kathmandu on Friday, saying that his long-held dream of unifying the communist movement was finally coming true.
Speaking at a formal announcement program marking the unification of his campaign with the CPN (Unified Socialist), Gautam recalled his decades-long journey in Nepal’s leftist politics and said the moment felt deeply fulfilling.
“I’m not just a little happy—I’m very happy today,” said the 77-year-old veteran leader. “I began this journey four years ago to unite with the CPN (Unified Socialist), and today, that dream is becoming a reality.”
Gautam shared personal memories, saying he first held a communist flag at the age of seven.
“When I was in second grade, I raised the communist flag. Now I’m 77,” he said.
He added that he had barely passed his SLC exams and spent 19 to 20 years living underground, enduring hardship in service of the party.
“I feel I must live to 100, but not a day more,” he joked. “I had made two lifelong commitments: to end the monarchy, and to unite the fragmented communist movement.”
Reflecting on the unification of UML and Maoist Center in 2018 to form the Nepal Communist Party, Gautam said he had felt close to realizing socialism at the time. However, he expressed sorrow that the unity fell apart.
Now, Gautam sees the merger with Unified Socialist as a second chance to correct past mistakes.
“We are once again setting out on the journey to build socialism,” he said. “This is the second opportunity of my life, and I want to make it a complete success.”
Comment