CPN (UML) Faces Organizational Crisis Amidst 'Mission Party Awakening' Campaign

CPN (UML) is launching a campaign called 'Mission Party Awakening'. In a party system, the relationship between the public and the party must be harmonious and trustworthy. Various campaigns must be conducted to convey the party's policies, programs, direction, and ideology to the public. However, for regular activities, campaigns are just a hassle. They are a burden for the organizing bodies and cadres. Campaigns are even needed to hold meetings at the district and local levels and to train the leaders and cadres at those levels about the party's policies and current situation. However, most parties are not functioning properly and are not regular. Even so, CPN (UML) leaders and cadres have not been regular since the Eleventh General Convention. They have not yet recovered from the unexpected defeat in the general elections held recently. The adverse health of the party chairman and the issue of his arrest have also not yet fully clarified the psychology of the cadres.

The Eleventh National Convention, held from Mangsir 27-29, 082, created a new structure and expectation in organizational life. However, there is still no feeling of objective, self-critical, and deep evaluation of the path it has set, the questions raised, and the cracks that have appeared. The dissatisfaction within the party after the convention, the difference in expectations, and the distance among the cadres have not yet resolved the organizational psychology.

Today, there are many questions among the cadres within the organization—towards leadership, decision-making processes, distribution of opportunities, and future direction. However, the culture of providing institutional answers to those questions does not seem to be strong. As a result, campaigns appear like festivals, not processes of solution.

Similarly, the overall review of the general elections held on Falgun 21, 082, and the disappointing results have not yet been fully publicized, accepted, and institutionally embraced. Not just the results, but an honest analysis of the causes is crucial for the future of the organization. However, when the tendency to cover up the causes, make criticism symbolic, and limit self-criticism to formality becomes strong, the organization signals a crisis of repetition rather than improvement.

Against this backdrop, the question naturally arises whether 'Awakening Campaigns', 'Missions', or 'Renaissance Programs' can truly revitalize the organization. This is because the impact of a campaign depends not only on slogans, programs, or tours but also on trust, self-confidence, and practical improvements within the organization.

Today, there are many questions among the cadres within the organization—towards leadership, decision-making processes, distribution of opportunities, and future direction. However, the culture of providing institutional answers to those questions does not seem to be strong. As a result, campaigns appear like festivals, not processes of solution.

Cadre Management

Issues of cadre management have been raised in almost every convention. Policy decisions have been made in abstract terms, but cadre management has not been done in the true sense. Moreover, there has been no honest effort in this regard. Cadre management is the backbone of any political or ideological organization.

The strength of an organization lies not only in the leadership's speeches or election results; its real basis lies in the cadres' consciousness, discipline, loyalty, study, behavior, and public trust.

Are the new generation, women, oppressed communities, migrants, ethnic communities with other identity issues, professionals, and creative youth satisfied with the management that has been happening? Or why are they moving away from the organization? This question needs to be seriously considered.

Cadres are the force that takes ideology to villages and neighborhoods, sustains the organization during crises, and keeps social relationships alive. But when cadre management is weak, the organization, even if it appears vast from the outside, becomes hollow from the inside.

Today, in many organizations, the structure appears strong, but the soul is weak. There is a crowd, but no trust. There are programs, but inspiration is declining. This very contradiction is the root of the organizational crisis. Without managing cadres, managing the organization is impossible. However, the leadership seems oblivious to this. What are the specific issues of cadre management? We can discuss a few points.

Increase in Numbers or Building Culture

Most organizations seem enthusiastic about adding new members, but the process of connecting them with ideology, culture, and responsibility is weak. When recruitment is limited to quantitative expansion, the quality of the organization gradually decreases.

Are the new generation, women, oppressed communities, migrants, ethnic communities with other identity issues, professionals, and creative youth satisfied with the management that has been happening? Or why are they moving away from the organization? This question needs to be seriously considered.

It is easy to blame them, but the question of how much environment has been created within the organization to attract them is more important. Where there is no room for questioning, talent does not stay. Where there is only a culture of obeying orders, both creativity and ownership are lost.

From Slogans to Ideological Depth

The production of cadres is not possible with slogans alone. For long-term organization building, studious, ethical, and responsible cadres are necessary. However, ideological training is becoming limited to formality today.

Cadre mobilization is still limited to crowd management, slogans, and obeying orders in many places. However, in modern organizational practice, cadres are not just tools for use; they are co-creators.

As deep study related to history, philosophy, economics, sociology, culture, and national consciousness weakens, cadres, even if emotionally active, run the risk of becoming ideologically blunt.

Because of this void, many cadres today are attracted to yoga-meditation, spiritual discourses, or personality development programs rather than party meetings. This is not a 'deviation', but a sign of emotional and ideological emptiness within the organization. People go where they find meaning, intimacy, and ideological clarity.

If political organizations cannot provide the same energy, it is not unnatural for cadres to seek alternatives.

Participation, Not Orders

Cadre mobilization is still limited to crowd management, slogans, and obeying orders in many places. However, in modern organizational practice, cadres are not just tools for use; they are co-creators.

When responsibilities cannot be distributed according to ability, interest, and experience, cadres become inactive. The practice of continuously giving opportunities to the same group and making others spectators increases frustration and distance within the organization. Such issues are currently like 'fire under the ashes'.

The practice of imposing conclusions made from above in the name of campaigns weakens dialogue. An organization remains alive only when there is equal dialogue from bottom to top.

Crisis of Motivation and Protection

Cadre morale is sustained not just by speeches or programs, but by behavior. They need respect, fair evaluation, and intimacy. However, the complaint that proximity, flattery, and group equations are prioritized over contribution in many places is deepening, and such a situation clearly exists.

Discipline is not fear, but commitment to shared values. However, when transparency is weak, discipline also becomes weak. When opportunities are concentrated in a limited group, factions are born, and the organization becomes internally divided. This is the current situation.

As a result, many honest cadres quietly distance themselves. They do not rebel, but they detach from their hearts. This silent distance is the most dangerous for an organization.

One reason for the growing attraction towards artists, writers, journalists, yogis, or social activists in society today is that they have been able to build emotional connections with people. Political organizations, on the other hand, are weakening that connection in many places.

Test of Discipline and Character

Discipline is not fear, but commitment to shared values. However, when transparency is weak, discipline also becomes weak. When opportunities are concentrated in a limited group, factions are born, and the organization becomes internally divided. This is the current situation.

The issue of leadership development is even more serious. Bringing the new generation into leadership can be heard in speeches, but in practice, the tendency to concentrate power in the old structure is strong. The mentality of viewing leadership transfer as a risk weakens the long-term future of the organization.

When leadership, unable to win the hearts of even a few dozen people around them, starts preaching social transformation, it creates irony, not inspiration. Formal respect covered with garlands cannot hide the real leadership crisis.

Awakening or Formality?

In such a situation, the questions raised by the 'Awakening Campaign' are important. But the question is, will this campaign generate real self-criticism? Or will it merely be a formal attempt to cover up past failures?

A new culture based on study, dialogue, respect, and participation must be built. Otherwise, the organization, even if grand from the outside, will become weak from the inside. Slogans will remain, structures will remain, but trust will be lost, and once trust is lost, any campaign—be it awakening or movement—becomes mere formality.

If the review of the convention is incomplete, the deep analysis of electoral defeat has not been done, and there is no institutional answer to the cadres' questions, then the campaign can only produce programs, not solutions.

If issues like employment, plans to stop migration, institutional good governance, personal integrity, social sensitivity, and national prosperity do not come to the center of the campaign, its impact will be very limited.

Renaissance from Self-Criticism

The crisis of the organization is not only structural but also moral and ideological. The problem is not numbers, but trust. The problem is not the crowd, but relationships. The problem is not programs, but the soul. If the party truly desires renaissance, it must develop cadres as conscious citizens, not just cadres.

A new culture based on study, dialogue, respect, and participation must be built. Otherwise, the organization, even if grand from the outside, will become weak from the inside. Slogans will remain, structures will remain, but trust will be lost, and once trust is lost, any campaign—be it awakening or movement—becomes mere formality.

Ultimately, the future of an organization depends not on buildings, banners, or positions, but on the trust that resides in the hearts of the cadres. Once that trust is lost, the biggest crisis is this—the organization will remain, but its vitality will not. With growing distance, overly centralized leadership, undignified chaos, and increasing value of flattery, vitality remains a mere figment of imagination. If the focal point of awakening can be identified first, the starting point will be found, and the destination will be reached. Otherwise, it will be like talking about talk, and only feeling the sorrow of the talk.

(The author is a former secretary of the CPN (UML) Central Party School Department)