Hari Bhakta Kandel a.k.a. Prateek ( Nepali: हरि भक्त ) born September 24, 1954 is a communist politician and one of the senior most leaders of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). He currently holds the rank of senior leader in the politburo of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the largest political party in Nepal, according to the results of the 2008 election. As a revolutionary communist party, the UCPN(M) waged the "Nepalese People's War" in 1996 against the feudal and totalitarian regime of Shah Dynasty of Nepal under the framework of constitutional monarchy. And, with the rise of People's War and the gaining of popularity of its agendas among the Nepalese Mass, the UCPN(M) along with other political parties of Nepal was successful overthrowing the 238 Years old Monarchy with the Federal Democratic Republic.
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Kandel was born in a village named Biukot of Baglung district in the western region of Nepal. His was a family of traditional Brahman values and his ancestors had the history of serving as the respected Purohits (priests) in the society. But he never liked the idea of Brahman dominated society. He always opposed the caste system and was deeply touched by the class difference of the nepalese society. He had this rebel character since his school days with the view of terminating all kinds of discrimination with the open, free, and equal society where nobody be discriminated based on their class, caste or gender. He finished his secondary education from Amar Jyoti Secondary School, Biukot, Baglung. And, later moved to the capital city Kathmandu for his higher education. He passed his Intermediate in Science from Tribhuwan University and joined the Bachelor of Science in Physics. He later served as the Principal of the same secondary school from where he had completed his secondary education.
He cultivated the true revolutionary and communist character since his early childhood. He started his political career from the student front in Patan Campus where he was elected Chairman of the Free Students Union. During his college life in Kathmandu, he shared the same room with Mr.Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), incumbent Chairman of UCPN (M), and they were actively involved in the student politics. He along with Chairman Prachanda and another senior leader Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' got affiliated to the communist movement of Nepal almost at the same time.
He took the membership of Communist Party in 1981 and joined the Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention). He became the whole-timer of the party in the year 1983. He was inducted in the Central Committee of the then Communist Party of Nepal (Masal) in 1984. He is among the 5 founding Standing Committee Members of the then Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and served in various departments of the Party.
He served as the Head of the Finance Department, Head of the Disciplinary Committee, Head of the Military Academy, and also as the senior member of the International Department of the UCPN (M) in the different timeframes. He currently looks after the Tharuwan State Committee of the party as the In-Charge.
He has had different party names popular among the cadres as 'Bimal', 'Ananta' but since a long period of time he is popular with his name 'Prateek'. Though, before and during the People's War, he always acted and helped a lot as the right hand of Chairman Prachanda, he is considered close to Senior Comrade Kiran while it comes to two line struggle.