A Cultural Army for a Cultural Revolution: Maoist cultural programmes and revolutionary theatre
This chapter examines the integral role of Maoist cultural troupes during Nepal’s ten-year People’s War (1996–2006) and its immediate aftermath. Operating as the “cultural front” of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), these troupes deployed revolutionary theatre, song, and dance not merely as entertainment, but as a critical ideological weapon for mass mobilization and social transformation.
Miking to advertise the program, rehearsal, preparation, rally and program opening in Bharatpur, Chitwan (2006)
Art as a Revolutionary Weapon A primary theme of the chapter is the Maoist conceptualization of art. Drawing on Marxist and Maoist aesthetics, the activists explicitly rejected the “bourgeois” notion of art as a neutral mirror or a decorative ornament. Instead, they embraced the concept of art as a “hammer” used to actively shape society. By reworking familiar Nepali folk tunes and traditional dances, and infusing them with radical, militant lyrics, the Maoists transformed traditional heritage into a highly effective form of popular political culture. Distributing thousands of cassettes and CDs, they successfully integrated revolutionary ideology into the everyday lives of rural Nepalis.
Sen Chyang Sanskritik Parivar performing at a Maoist Cultural Program in Chitwan, October 2006, filmed by the author.
The Ritual and Affect of Martyrdom The chapter highlights how Maoist cultural programs functioned as highly affective political rituals. Performances routinely opened with the singing of the Internationale and a moment of silence for fallen comrades, creating a powerful “community of feeling” among the audience. A central thematic focus of their plays and songs was the concept of “generative sacrifice”, the idea that the blood and martyrdom of revolutionary fighters was a creative force that would bring “light” to the “darkness” of the autocratic state. The aestheticization of this violence and grief served to legitimize the armed struggle and galvanize civilian support.
The audience join the dances at the end of the performance, filmed by the author.
The Embodied Identity of the Artist-Cadre Unlike Kathmandu’s professional actors or NGO-funded activists, Maoist performers were simultaneously artists, political organizers, and often soldiers in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Coming predominantly from marginalized, lower-caste, or indigenous (janajati) rural backgrounds, they did not just “play” oppressed characters; they reenacted their own lived realities. They brought the literal scars of war such as shell shock or hearing loss from bombings onto the stage. This raw, embodied authenticity blurred the lines between performance and reality, allowing them to establish deep trust and solidarity with rural audiences.
Urbanization and Post-War Identity Crisis As the war concluded in 2006 and the Maoists entered mainstream politics, the cultural troupes relocated to Kathmandu, triggering a profound identity crisis. The chapter documents the tension between the troupes’ underground, militant ethos and the new pressures of urban “professionalization.” Fierce internal debates erupted over “bourgeois” influences, such as female artists wearing jeans or applying heavy stage makeup for city theatres. Furthermore, as the party leadership transitioned into the government, many grassroots artists felt abandoned, realizing their cultural work was instrumentalized during the war but marginalized in peacetime.
Later programs and campaigns (2008-2012)
This chapter shows how Maoist revolutionary theatre successfully merged political ideology with indigenous aesthetics to wage a “cultural war”. However, it also exposes the inevitable contradictions that arise when a radical, underground cultural army is forced to transition into the professionalized, commodified artistic landscape of a post-conflict society.
To cite this book and read more: Rehearsing for Life. Theatre for Social Change in Nepal, Cambridge University Press (2018) available here.