Babrak Karmal: the story on HearLore

The Party That Split In Two

Karmal helped establish the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan in January 1965 at Nur Muhammad Taraki home. The party quickly fractured into two distinct factions with opposing ideologies. One group called Khalq led by Taraki and Hafizullah Amin came from rural areas and were generally poorer. They identified as Pashtun and wanted to model the party after Leninist norms. The other faction called Parcham led by Karmal consisted of urban, wealthier members who spoke Dari more often than not. They believed the leadership should hide its Marxist orientation rather than promote it openly. The split became official in 1967 when the Khalqist newspaper Khalq was shut down. A vote within the Central Committee decided the direction of the movement. Eight new members joined the committee to ensure a majority for the Khalqists. Karmal and half the existing committee left to form their own Parchamite-led PDPA. This division created deep ideological rifts that would plague Afghan politics for decades. The Khalqists accused the Parchamites of being Royal Communists due to perceived connections with the monarchy.

When was Babrak Karmal born and where did he grow up?

Sultan Hussein was born on the 6th of January 1929 in Kamari, a village near Kabul. He grew up as the son of Muhammad Hussein, a lieutenant general in the Royal Afghan Army.

Why did Babrak Karmal change his name from Sultan Hussein to Babrak Karmal?

He adopted the new name after his release in 1956 under an amnesty by Mohammad Daoud Khan to distance himself from his bourgeois background. The name Babrak Karmal means Comrade of the Workers in Pashto.

How did Babrak Karmal become leader of Afghanistan during the Soviet intervention?

The Soviet Union assassinated Hafizullah Amin and replaced him with Babrak Karmal in December 1979. Karmal returned to Kabul on the 28th of December traveling alongside a Soviet military column while living in a villa protected by the KGB.

What happened to the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan when it split into factions?

The party fractured into two distinct factions called Khalq and Parcham in 1967. Karmal led the urban Parcham faction which consisted of wealthier members who spoke Dari more often than not.

When did Babrak Karmal die and what were the circumstances surrounding his death?

Babrak Karmal died in Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital during early December 1996 from liver cancer. Some sources reported his death on the 1st of December while others said the 3rd of December.

Babrak Karmal.

The Party That Split In Two

Soviet Troops Install A New President

Reforms That Failed To Win Hearts

The Army Collapses Under Pressure

Gorbachev Removes A Puppet Leader

Death In Exile And Legacy

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