Nepal’s Prachanda Speaks on Regional Balance and Socialism at ‘Hands of Asia’ Conference

A three-day international conference, ‘Hands of Asia’, has begun in Colombo, Sri Lanka, under the aegis of the International People’s Assembly (IPA).

Nepal Communist Party’s chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, was the chief speaker at the inaugural session of the conference. He emphasized the importance of regional balance and socialism, citing historical victories of communist movements in Asia and the lessons learned from them.

Prachanda stated that despite the changing global landscape and intense pressure from major powers, non-alignment and socialist construction remain the most crucial goals.

Global Challenges and Socialist Construction

Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Environment, Dr. Duminda Pathirana, presented his views on how to prioritize a people-centric approach while facing the harsh discipline and conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program.

Vijay Prashad, a renowned Marxist writer, historian, and coordinator of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, discussed the global expansion of militarization, the crisis of sovereign debt, and the rise of ultra-right-wing forces. He argued that these events are symptoms of a single imperialist structure.

The seminar, which will run for three days, will feature discussions on various topical political issues.

Meetings and Engagements

On the sidelines of the conference, Prachanda has scheduled bilateral and multilateral meetings with various communist and left-wing leaders from Asia.

He has also met with top left-wing leaders from Latin American countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil.

At the second session of the conference, Balaram Baskota, a leader of the Nepal Communist Party, presented a paper on ‘The Role of Imperialism in Divisions among Left Forces’ on behalf of the International People’s Assembly.