Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
The Communist Party of Afghanistan Afghanistan) previously known as Communist Party of Afghanistan is an underground political party
in Afghanistan
. The party is the continuation of the line started by the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement
.
The Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan is an underground organization, with the stated goal of starting a "people's national war of resistance against the occupying forces and the United States of America", establishing a New democratic
society, and establishing socialism in Afghanistan.
(PYO) was formed in 1965. There were daily demonstrations, and street fighting between students, workers, and social justice activists and police and armed forces of King Zaher Shah of Afghanistan
. These struggles led to the formation of Progressive Youth Organization. A few circles of intellectuals and political activists came together to form the first communist organization to work for the goal of revolution in Afghanistan. Akram Yari
, a Maoist, was the leader of one these circles, who played a prominent role in the formation of PYO.
PYO remained an underground organization. The PYO leaders published a magazine called Sholaye Jawid. Sholaye Jawid claimed to be a new-democratic journal, which was widely and openly circulated. After publishing 11 issues, Sholaye Jawid was seized by government and its publication banned. The government of the time used law enforcement and Islamic fundamentalists against Sholaye Jawid supporters. These government tactics led to physical confrontation between those who supported the Maoists and those who were against the Maoists, that resulted to the death of a prominent Maoist student leader Saydal Sokhandan
, who was assassinated by Gulbadin Hekmatyar on the Kabul University
campus. Gulbadin Hekmatyar later became the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, who has been a key ally of the United States in the past.
When the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
(PDPA) came to power in a military coup
in 1978, the PDPA regime declared their number one enemy to be the PYO led Maoist movement. All people belonging to the Maoist movement were arrested and killed indiscriminately. Thousands of Maoists and their allies were killed. The leaderless remnants of the Maoist movement formed several organizations to fight the PDPA regime and resist the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. During this period, some communist groups became more closely aligned with Islamic mujahideen
groups of a type they had previously opposed.
The hardline Maoist organisations detached themselves from those who cooperated with the mujahideen, and in the late 1980s these groups formed the Revolutionary Communist Cell of Afghanistan. The RCCA along with others formed the Revolutionary Communist Organization of Afghanistan, which in 1991 proclaimed the establishment of the Communist Party of Afghanistan. The CPA renewed publication of Sholaye Jawid, stating their intent to follow in the footsteps of the PYO and its founder Akram Yari
.
Following the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the CPA called on the Maoist organizations to unite in a single, united Maoist party. For that purpose the CPA with four other Maoist organizations formed the Unity Committee of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Movement of Afghanistan. The Unity Committee after three years of ideological and political struggle went for the Unity Congress of the Communist (MLM) Movement. The Unity Congress was concluded on May 1, 2004 and the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan was formed.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The party is the continuation of the line started by the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement
Revolutionary Internationalist Movement
The defunct Revolutionary Internationalist Movement was an international Communist organization which upheld a version of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism founded in 1984 sought to "struggle for the formation of a Communist International of a new type, based on Marxism-Leninism-Maoism"...
.
The Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan is an underground organization, with the stated goal of starting a "people's national war of resistance against the occupying forces and the United States of America", establishing a New democratic
New Democracy
New Democracy or the New Democratic Revolution is a Maoist concept based on Mao Zedong's "Bloc of Four Social Classes" theory during post-revolutionary China which argues that democracy in China will take a decisively distinct path from either the liberal capitalist and/or parliamentary democratic...
society, and establishing socialism in Afghanistan.
History
The first communist organization in Afghanistan, Progressive Youth OrganizationProgressive Youth Organization
Progressive Youth Organization was a revolutionary organization in Afghanistan. The organization emerged out of the New Democratic Current , a leftist movement that had been established by Abdulrahim Mahmudi, Abdulhadi Mahmudi, Akram Yari and Seddiq Yari...
(PYO) was formed in 1965. There were daily demonstrations, and street fighting between students, workers, and social justice activists and police and armed forces of King Zaher Shah of Afghanistan
Mohammed Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973...
. These struggles led to the formation of Progressive Youth Organization. A few circles of intellectuals and political activists came together to form the first communist organization to work for the goal of revolution in Afghanistan. Akram Yari
Akram Yari
Akram Yari was a Maoist political organizer in Afghanistan. He was the leader and founder of the Progressive Youth Organization , a Maoist organization which was formed on October 6, 1965.-Early years:...
, a Maoist, was the leader of one these circles, who played a prominent role in the formation of PYO.
PYO remained an underground organization. The PYO leaders published a magazine called Sholaye Jawid. Sholaye Jawid claimed to be a new-democratic journal, which was widely and openly circulated. After publishing 11 issues, Sholaye Jawid was seized by government and its publication banned. The government of the time used law enforcement and Islamic fundamentalists against Sholaye Jawid supporters. These government tactics led to physical confrontation between those who supported the Maoists and those who were against the Maoists, that resulted to the death of a prominent Maoist student leader Saydal Sokhandan
Saydal Sokhandan
Saydal Sokhandan was an Afghan poet, a Maoist activist, and a student leader. He was studying at the Kabul University in early 70's. He was a speaker, who organized pro-Progressive Youth Organization students in the university...
, who was assassinated by Gulbadin Hekmatyar on the Kabul University
Kabul University
Kabul University is located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It was founded in 1931 but officially opened for classes in 1932. Kabul University is currently attended by approximately 7,000 students, of which 1,700 are women. As of 2008, Hamidullah Amin is the chancellor of the university...
campus. Gulbadin Hekmatyar later became the leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, who has been a key ally of the United States in the past.
When the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan...
(PDPA) came to power in a military coup
Saur Revolution
The Saur Revolution is the name given to the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan takeover of political power from the government of Afghanistan on 28 April 1978. The word 'Saur', i.e...
in 1978, the PDPA regime declared their number one enemy to be the PYO led Maoist movement. All people belonging to the Maoist movement were arrested and killed indiscriminately. Thousands of Maoists and their allies were killed. The leaderless remnants of the Maoist movement formed several organizations to fight the PDPA regime and resist the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. During this period, some communist groups became more closely aligned with Islamic mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
groups of a type they had previously opposed.
The hardline Maoist organisations detached themselves from those who cooperated with the mujahideen, and in the late 1980s these groups formed the Revolutionary Communist Cell of Afghanistan. The RCCA along with others formed the Revolutionary Communist Organization of Afghanistan, which in 1991 proclaimed the establishment of the Communist Party of Afghanistan. The CPA renewed publication of Sholaye Jawid, stating their intent to follow in the footsteps of the PYO and its founder Akram Yari
Akram Yari
Akram Yari was a Maoist political organizer in Afghanistan. He was the leader and founder of the Progressive Youth Organization , a Maoist organization which was formed on October 6, 1965.-Early years:...
.
Following the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the CPA called on the Maoist organizations to unite in a single, united Maoist party. For that purpose the CPA with four other Maoist organizations formed the Unity Committee of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Movement of Afghanistan. The Unity Committee after three years of ideological and political struggle went for the Unity Congress of the Communist (MLM) Movement. The Unity Congress was concluded on May 1, 2004 and the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan was formed.