Babrak Karmal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Babrak Karmal
ببرک کارمل |
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Karmal in an undated photograph
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| General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan | |
| In office 27 December 1979 – 4 May 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Hafizullah Amin |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Najibullah |
| Chairman of the Revolutionary Council | |
| In office 27 December 1979 – 24 November 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Hafizullah Amin |
| Succeeded by | Haji Mohammad Chamkani |
| Chairman of the Council of Ministers | |
| In office 27 December 1979 – 11 June 1981 |
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| Preceded by | Hafizullah Amin |
| Succeeded by | Sultan Ali Keshtmand |
| People's Representative for Kabul at the 12th Parliament of Afghanistan | |
| In office 1964–1968 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sultan Hussein
6 January 1929 Kamari, Kabul Province, Afghanistan |
| Died | 3 December 1996 (aged 67) Moscow, Russia |
| Resting place | Hairatan, Afghanistan |
| Political party | People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan |
| Alma mater | Kabul university |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Economist |
Babrak Karmal (in Farsi/Pashto: ببرک کارمل, born Sultan Hussein; 6 January 1929 – 1 or 3 December 1996) was an Afghan revolutionary and politician. He led Afghanistan as the General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) for seven years.
Born in Kabul Province, Karmal studied at Kabul University. There, he became interested in leftist ideas, learning about Marxism while in prison. He helped start the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). The PDPA later split into two main groups: the Parcham faction, led by Karmal, and the Khalq faction. Karmal was elected to Afghanistan's parliament in 1965.
Karmal's Parcham faction helped Mohammad Daoud Khan come to power in 1973. However, Daoud Khan later started removing leftist influences from his government. This led to the PDPA coming back together in 1977. Karmal played a part in the Saur Revolution in 1978, when the PDPA took control. He became the Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Council in the new communist government. Soon after, the Khalq faction began to pressure the Parchamites. Karmal was sent away to Prague and later removed from his job. He feared for his life and stayed hidden. In late 1979, the Soviet Union sent troops into Afghanistan. They removed the then-leader, Hafizullah Amin, and put Karmal in charge.
Karmal became the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers on 27 December 1979. He tried to gain support for the PDPA by making some changes. He offered a general amnesty for people jailed by previous leaders. He also changed the red Khalqist flag to a more traditional one. But many Afghans still saw him as a leader controlled by the Soviets. Because his policies did not work well, and the war continued, Soviet leaders became unhappy with Karmal. In 1986, under Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union replaced Karmal with Mohammad Najibullah. Karmal was sent away to Moscow. He later returned to Afghanistan in 1991 and may have helped remove Najibullah's government in 1992. Babrak Karmal died in 1996 from liver cancer in Moscow.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Karmal was born Sultan Hussein on 6 January 1929, in Kamari, a village near Kabul. His father, Muhammad Hussein Hashem, was a Major General in the Afghan Army and a former governor. His family was one of the wealthier ones in Kabul.
He went to Nejat High School, a German-speaking school, and finished in 1948. He wanted to study law at Kabul University. At first, he was not allowed in because of his student activism and his leftist views. Karmal was a good speaker and joined the student union. He also became part of the Wikh-i-Zalmayan (Awakened Youth Movement), a group that wanted change. He studied at Kabul University from 1951 to 1953. In 1953, Karmal was arrested for his student activities. He was released three years later in 1956. After that, he worked as a translator and later in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Planning. His father disowned him because of his political views.
Becoming a Communist Leader
While in prison from 1953 to 1956, Karmal met Mir Akbar Khyber, who taught him about Marxism. Karmal changed his name from Sultan Hussein to Babrak Karmal. This new name means "Comrade of the Workers'" in Pashtun. He wanted to show he was no longer connected to his wealthy background. After prison, he kept promoting Marxism among students.
In January 1965, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), a communist party, was formed. Soon, the party split into two main groups: the Khalq faction, led by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, and the Parcham faction, led by Karmal.
In the 1965 Afghan parliamentary election, Karmal was one of four PDPA members elected to parliament. He became a key figure in student movements. In 1966, an Islamist Member of Parliament, Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi, physically attacked Karmal inside parliament.
In 1967, the PDPA officially split. Karmal believed the party should hide its Marxist ideas, but the Khalq faction disagreed. Karmal and half of the PDPA Central Committee left to form the Parcham-led PDPA. The Khalqists were mostly from rural areas, poorer, and Pashtun. The Parchamites were more urban, wealthier, and often spoke Dari. The Khalqists even called the Parchamite PDPA the "Royal Communist Party."
The Daoud Era and the Revolution
In 1973, Mohammed Daoud Khan, with help from Karmal's Parcham faction and military officers, overthrew the monarchy. He created the Republic of Afghanistan. At first, Parcham members held many important government jobs. However, by 1975, Daoud Khan made all other political parties illegal. He then started removing Parcham members from his government.
To counter this, the Soviet Union helped reunite the PDPA in 1977. Karmal played a role in the Saur Revolution in 1978, when the communists took power. Karmal became Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. But soon, the Khalq faction gained more power. In June 1978, the Khalqists took full control of PDPA policy. After a failed attempt by the Parchamites to take power, Hafizullah Amin started removing Parcham members. Karmal survived but was sent away to Prague. He feared for his life and stayed hidden. In late 1979, the KGB (Soviet secret police) brought him to Moscow. In December 1979, the Soviet Union sent troops into Afghanistan. They removed and killed Amin, replacing him with Karmal.
Karmal's speech to the Afghan people was broadcast from the Soviet Union on 27 December 1979. He said that Amin's "torture machine" had been destroyed. Karmal was not in Kabul when the speech was broadcast; he was protected by the KGB. He returned to Kabul on 28 December.
Leading Afghanistan
Karmal's leadership faced problems from the start because the Soviet Union had put him in power. This made many Afghans see him as an illegitimate leader. There were protests and uprisings in Kabul early in his rule.
New Policies and Changes
When Karmal became leader, he promised to end executions and create a more democratic government. He said he would free political prisoners and allow other political parties. He also promised that his government would not be fully socialist. On 6 January, he released 2,600 prisoners, many of whom were Parcham members. This was widely publicized.
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Karmal also introduced the "Fundamental Principles of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan." This document promised rights like freedom of speech and the right to a fair trial. It also changed the national flag to include the traditional black, red, and green colors. His government also gave some land back that had been taken during earlier land reforms. They also made concessions to religious leaders. However, these changes did not significantly increase support for his government. Many Afghans still viewed the Soviet presence as an invasion.
The "Fundamental Principles" created new government bodies, like a special court for national security crimes. These new Soviet-style institutions made Afghans trust the communist government even less.
Sharing Power and Party Struggles
When Karmal took power, Parcham members started to take revenge on those who had supported Amin. Amin's guards were among the first to be arrested. The Soviets tried to stop this, but Karmal insisted on dealing with the Khalq faction. Many top government jobs were given to Parcham members. The Khalq faction was largely removed from power.
In March 1982, the PDPA held a party conference. The Parchamites made sure they had a majority to prevent the Khalq faction from taking over. This angered many Khalqists. The conference did not go smoothly due to the power struggle between the two groups.
Karmal tried to get more people to support the PDPA. He appointed some non-communists to important positions. He also brought back the old Afghan custom of including an Islamic prayer in government announcements. In his first speech, he called for the creation of the National Fatherland Front (NFF). However, these efforts did not lead to much more support for his government.
By 1981, the government realized that political solutions were not working. Karmal stepped down as Chairman of the Council of Ministers and was replaced by Sultan Ali Keshtmand. The government also started to focus less on including non-PDPA members in top jobs.
The government continued its policy of reconciliation. In 1984, they changed the land reform rules to gain support from middle-class farmers. They also continued literacy programs and made some changes to benefit women. In 1985, the Loya Jirga (a traditional grand assembly) was brought back. By the end of Karmal's rule, many non-PDPA members held high government positions.
The Civil War and Military
The military budget increased significantly after the Soviet intervention. In 1980, it was $208 million, and by 1981, it was $325 million. The government spent about 22 percent of its total budget on defense in 1982.
When political solutions failed, the Afghan government and the Soviet military decided to focus on military action. Karmal increased military wages and gave promotions. The age for joining the army was lowered, and the time soldiers had to serve was made longer. These changes were needed because the Afghan army had shrunk greatly after the Soviet intervention. Many soldiers left, and recruitment campaigns often pushed young people to join the opposition.
Economy During the War
During the civil war and the Soviet–Afghan War, much of Afghanistan's infrastructure was destroyed. Normal economic activities were severely disrupted. The country's Gross National Product (GNP) fell a lot during Karmal's time. Trade and transport were difficult, and there was a loss of workers and money.
In 1981, agriculture made up 63 percent of the economy. Most workers (56 percent) were in farming. Industry made up 21 percent of the economy, and all factories were owned by the government. The service sector was the smallest. The country's balance of payments, which shows money coming in versus money going out, became negative. Only exports and imports grew significantly during Karmal's rule.
Foreign Relations
Karmal believed that without Soviet help, the Afghan Revolution would not have survived. The Soviet Union rejected peace plans from Western countries because these plans did not include the PDPA government.
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remained hostile. The Soviet intervention caused this bad relationship. The growing number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan also challenged Karmal's government. The Soviet Union even threatened to support a separatist movement in Pakistan if Pakistan continued to help the Afghan rebels. Karmal did not want the Soviets to leave Afghanistan. He made it hard to improve relations with Pakistan because Pakistan refused to recognize his government.
Public Image and Soviet Control
Because Karmal was put in power by the Soviets without a traditional ceremony, many Afghans saw him as an illegitimate leader. His public appearances did not help his image. He was often seen as a "puppet" leader controlled by the Soviet Union.
Even though he was the leader, Karmal seemed to have little real power. He followed advice from Soviet advisers. He even told a friend that Soviet officials loved him so much they would not let him make his own decisions for his safety.
End of His Leadership
Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, felt that Karmal was holding back progress in Afghanistan. He believed Karmal was too reliant on Soviet help. Gorbachev wanted to replace Karmal with Mohammad Najibullah, who was well-regarded by some Soviet officials.
In March 1986, during a visit to the Soviet Union, the Soviets tried to convince Karmal to resign, saying he was too ill. Karmal promised to step down as PDPA General Secretary. However, the Soviets did not trust him. They sent a KGB official to Afghanistan. Karmal eventually resigned from his post as General Secretary at a PDPA meeting. Najibullah took his place.
Karmal still had some support within the party and tried to limit Najibullah's power. He spread rumors that he would be reappointed. Najibullah complained to the Soviets that Karmal was speaking against the "National Reconciliation" program. In November 1986, the Soviet Politburo decided that Najibullah should remove Karmal completely. Karmal was then removed from his role as Revolutionary Council chairman and sent to Moscow. He was replaced by Haji Mohammad Tsamkani, who was not a PDPA member.
Later Life and Passing
Years after he was no longer leader, Karmal spoke out against the 1978 Saur Revolution, which he had been part of. He criticized the Khalq governments of Taraki and Amin.
For reasons that are not fully clear, Najibullah invited Karmal back to Kabul in June 1991. Karmal accepted. However, Karmal's apartment became a meeting place for people who opposed Najibullah's government. When Najibullah's government fell in 1992, Karmal became an important political figure in Kabul. But his talks with rebel groups quickly failed. On 16 April 1992, rebels took control of Kabul.
After Najibullah's government fell, Karmal lived in Hairatan. It is thought that he spent his time trying to start a new party or advising people to join the secular National Islamic Movement. The leader of this movement, Abdul Rashid Dostum, had supported Karmal during his rule. It is not clear how much control Karmal had over Dostum. People who spoke with Karmal during this time said he did not seem very interested in politics.
In early December 1996, Karmal died in Moscow from liver cancer. Some reports say he died on 1 December, while others say 3 December.
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See also
In Spanish: Babrak Karmal para niños
