From Eric Ribellarsi: Reports are just coming from a new campaign of the All Nepal Revolutionary Trade Union Federation, a revolutionary workers organization associated with new Maoist party of Nepal, CPN-Maoist. This campaign has seized a concrete factory that was once publicly owned in Nepal, and is being privatized and sold off to large foreign companies. This campaign is a part of a larger program of the CPN-Maoist that is challenging the moves of a government led by Baburam Bhattarai that is moving to bring third-world globalization into isolated Nepal.
This article originally appeared on ekantipur.
KATHMANDU, Oct 18: The trade union close to CPN-Maoist, All Nepal Revolutionary Trade Union Federation (ANRTUF) has vowed to prevent the government from selling off equipment of the Himal Cement Factory that has remained shut for the last 11 years.
Demanding not to sell off the machineries of the factory, the ANRTUF also challenged the government that they would run all government owned factories that have remained closed.
After planting ANRTUF´s flag on the factory, the leaders of ANRTUF also threatened to take control of the factory by deploying National People´s Volunteer (NPV) [editorial note: the People’s Volunteers are militia type serve-the-people type organizations formed in 2010 in preparation for future armed insurrection in Nepal].
“We will intervene if the government does not stop the auction and reopen the factory,” said Ramdeep Acharya, chairman of the ANRTUF.
According to him, the government is planning to sell all things of the factory at “scrap” value.
Himal Cement Factory has been out of operation since November 20, 2001.
The ANRTUF has also proposed to relocate the factory to another place if locals oppose running the factory at Chobhar.
Maoist in-charge of the Kathmandu Valley, Jhak Bahadur Malla, claimed that the government has collaborated with smugglers to sell all the machineries of the factory.
“They just set the flag in a peaceful manner and are protesting without flouting the law. So, there is nothing to interfere them,” said, Gyan Kumar Mahato, inspector at metropolitan police sector, Kirtipur.
