“Nepal never got real democracy. Constitutions made after the revolution of 2007 BS gave power to the king. Same happened even in 2046 (1990). Political leadership failed to make people feel democracy. We have seen [that the king’s] ‘golden wish’ after Magh 19 (Feb 1) has gone to the opposite direction.” –Suraj Kumar Dev, (front) Himalayan White House College.
The Plus Two Brainstorming of Politics: The Gen Y of city’s valentine culture isn’t as ingnornat about politics as many might think By Dinesh Wagle
Going by his appearance, you don’t think that Sagar Dev Bhatta analyzes the politics of Nepal just like a veteran leader. But when you talk with this young man you know his views that argue including youths in the nation’s decision making process. “We have been told that ‘politics is a dirty game and you shouldn’t get involved into it,” the student of 12th standard (science) in Kathmandu’s Noble Academy said extending his both hands. “That’s wrong. Politics is everyone’s game and everybody should be involved in it. The time has come to put forward your political views openly and express civic concerns.”
“Youths are partners of today, not only the futures of tomorrow. That is why they should listen to us; we should make our voice heard.” -Sagar Dev Bhatta, Noble Academy. On on the right is Himamshu Lekhak.
At a time when, as Sagar put it, Nepali people have to live in a situation where they might be shot at (by the security personnel) for not hearing them properly or killed by stumbling upon a bomb installed on the road (by the Maoists), no city youth can easily say that politics is not their cup of tea. That is why when our GenNext passionately talks about the last night’s English premier league fight between Liverpool and Arsenal, clashes of Palpa and Nepalgunj and political demos of New Baneshwor and Indra Chowk forcefully get important space in their guff. “We talk about politics very much usually a day before the Nepal Banda (general strike),” told a student about his ‘guff habit’ to this reporter. Punam Mahato, a plus-two student of V S Niketan School said, “Politics manages all other sectors of a society. It is natural that when that other sectors are affected by any developments in politics. That is why young generation can’t just get themselves away from politics.”
Verbatim of GenNext
“Royal Nepali Army should function under Nepali people, not under the king.” -Satkar Babu Adhikari, Kathmandu Don Bosco College“We the people have been trapped. Now is the time for us to fight back for our rights. I feel that the government doesn’t want peaceful solution of the problem because that might send it out from the power.”-Bikash Gurung, Himalayan White House, BBA
“It is not good from any point for an educated people to take gun. That is not the solution. We should use Dr. Baburam Bhattarai’s expertise and wisdom for the benefit of Nepali society and country.” -A student, Himalayan White House, BBA
“The solution of current impasse is the restoration of democracy. We have to fight for that helping political parties. Yes, I have been to demonstrations of political parties and chanted slogans. The 12-point agreement is definitely a step forward.” – -Jagat Koirala, Himalayan White House, BBA
“I have stopped being hopeful. They are not thinking of reconciliation. If they try for that, problems will be solved today.” -Shrawan Thapa, V S Niketan
“There is democracy in Nepal today,” -Sandip Nepal, Kathmandu Don Bosco College.
“No, there is not democracy in Nepal today. Why would the government arrest political leaders just before a scheduled mass meeting.”-Satkar Babu Adhikari, Kathmandu Don Bosco College.
“We should also see the socio-economic aspect of the country. We should discourage the brain drain.”-Simanta Khadka, Noble Academy
“King should abandon haughty attitude. He is enjoying too much power. That’s not right. We should go for the election of constituent assembly. People should be given rights to chose.” -Sandip Dhanuk, Noble Academy
They study in expensive colleges with ‘closed’ environment like that of the private boarding schools. But you would be wrong to think that these young folks are politically dumb and only enjoy western cultures like Valentine’s Day. Whenever they are given a chance to speak out, they present themselves like an experienced politician. In discussions conducted by this reporter just after the Valentine’s Day in their colleges about the present situation of the country, majority of participating students complained about the problems they are facing because of the conflict where as others suggested the solution (election of the constituent assembly).
“Now is the time for all three parties to let people decide,” said Sagar. “Lets go for the election of constituent assembly. If people decide to throw someone, lets throw him. If they decide to keep, lets keep.”
On Parties
Students agree that the country is suffering from the triangular conflict between the royal camp, Maoists and the political parties. In the beginning the discussion, they do not want to associate themselves with any of the three sides saying that they were on people’s side or in the fourth camp. But then they know all three sides claim to represent people. So when students try to clarify their position further, you can see their opinions similar to that of the Seven Party Alliance. That is why for these young people political parties have become the ‘necessary evil’. They scold parties; they express dissatisfaction over parties’ deeds, and still believe that only parties will be able solve the problems of the country.
“I have faith toward political parties. They should reform themselves and come up with new leadership. His Majesty is imposing autocracy in the name of Democracy. I can’t support him.”- Aasna Dahal, (first from left, seond front row) Himalayan White House, BBA
“The system of chhuwachhut (discrimination based on touch) has been eradicated almost from the villages because of the Maoists’ ‘peoples’ war’ over the years. Many positive changes have been occurring in the villages. The status of women has risen. Yes, I agree that the change might be also because of Maoists fear. But I still believe the concept to people have also changed.”- Pramila Thapa, (first from right, second last row) Himalayan White House, BBA
“If parties exercise democracy [within their organizations] and handover leadership to young generation,” said a student of fifth semester (BBA) at Don Bosco. “I will happily participate in the demonstrations and pelt stones.” One of his friends immediately countered that pelting stones would not solve the problem. Then they started discussing with the first arguing that intensified peaceful movement was necessary to restore democracy and the second saying that parties should find other ways to make their voices heard.
On Maoists:
They swiftly distance themselves from the violence launched by the Maoists. They instantly dissociate themselves from the rebels and their violent activities. Students dislike and hate violence. But that doesn’t mean they support the government and believe that the problem could be solved militarily. They believe in peaceful solution of the problem through negotiations. That is why overwhelmingly reject the government’s ‘arrogant’ position on the conflict. They blame the royal government for the latest incidents of fighting because, they think, Maoists “did show their intention of solving the conflict the peacefully by ceasing fire. But the government blatantly ignored the offer.” I found almost all of them reading the Prachanda interview published in Kantipur. Many of them find hope of peace and solutions of the problem in the interview. But a few of them think that Maoists should unilaterally surrender the weapon before coming to the table of talks.
“Politics manages all other sectors of a society. It is natural that when that other sectors are affected by any developments in politics. That is why young generation can’t just get themselves away from it.” Punam Mahato, (second from left in the pic above) V S Niketan School.
“I can’t trust Maoists,” Sandip Nepal of Don Bosco (Science) said. “They were busy collecting arms and ammunitions even at the time of cease fire. They should first surrender their weapons before coming to the talk.” When Nepal was saying this, almost all of the students in the class disagreed with him. Some of his seniors raised from their seats, made their voices louder and started arguing with Nepal saying it would be a day-dream to expect Maoists surrender to the state like that. Many of his class-mates also strongly disagreed with Nepal. As Prachanda has said in the interview, they said, the process of negotiation should start with both armies under the UN supervision. A girl in Himalayan White House said that the 10 year long armed rebellion has brought awareness among Nepalis in villages. “Especially the women have got their status in the society improved,” she observed.
All student agreed that the ultimate sufferer of the war were Nepali people and that situation of the country as aptly summed up by Birendra Puri of Don Bosco: “Army-Maoists clash, two unarmed civilians killed. This is the situation of Nepal.”
On King
I found very few supporters of His Majesty among young students. They blame the king for not holding peace-talks with the Maoists. “The king should have worked as a political catalyst,” remarked Sagar of Noble Academy. “But he started functioning as a political reactor. That’s why the problem got complicated. If he really wishes to be a political reactor, it’s better that he goes to the election opening a party and finding an election symbol. If not, he should quietly stick to his position [as a constitutional monarch].” Sagar said that the constitutional mistakes that give more power to the king should be corrected. The army shouldn’t be under the king, he said, but under the people. After listening to the arguments put forward by Sagar about ‘powerless ceremonial monarchy’ his junior fellow Krishna Pokharel was quick enough to registered his note of dissent.
“What’s the meaning of keeping a king decorating like a doll and feeding from taxpayer’s money?” he asked. “There is no alternative to republicanism.”
Sagar countered stating that giving how much power to the king is more important than keeping him or not. “We need a head of state anyway,” he said. “Even if a people’s son becomes the president, he should given facilities and respect that the post of presidency demands. So we should strip the king off all powers that be and keep him in a respectable manner.” But Sagar agreed with Krishna without commenting further that if there is a presidency system, any son of Nepali citizen would be eligible to be the head of state and that would be a great system to have.
“King has tried to take the country back to the old dark days of Panchayat. He also successfully diverted the attention of the country from municipal election to different matter by letting the Supreme Court decide against the RCCC. That is his ploy. But we have been made to believe that the court decided that independently. The same court that did not issue a stay order in a write filed against the media ordinance is now being portrayed as the independent. King will say, look we have an independent judiciary in Nepal. He is so clever. Now he will move ahead with his plans of holding general elections. Parties will do nothing more than reacting to royal actions.”- Krishna Pokharel, (extreme right) Grade 11, Noble Academy
Dissatisfaction over king doesn’t simply end here. Youngsters start to dig out the past. “Nepal never got real democracy,” said Suraj Kumar Dev, a bachelors level student at Himalayan White House College. “Constitutions made after the revolution of 2007 BS gave power to the king. Same happened even in 2046 (1990). Political leadership failed to make people feel democracy. We have seen [that the king’s] ‘golden wish’ after Magh 19 (Feb 1) has gone to the opposite direction.” After saying that the boy went on talking about the recent annulment of Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) by the Supreme Court and concluded, “That is certainly an achievement [for democratic movement]. Each and every royal actions should be discouraged.”
In a separate discussion, Sandip Nepal of Don Bosco gently defended the His Majesty. Just like children follow their father’s orders, he said, Nepali people should act as per the king’s wishes. As Sandip started talking like this almost all of his friends and senior folks present in the classroom tried to stop from by shouting, standing up from their seats and shaking their heads in strong disagreement.
“I can’t trust Maoists. They were busy collecting arms and ammunitions even at the time of cease fire. They should first surrender their weapons before coming to the talk.” Sandip Nepal ,(left) Kathmandu Don Bosco College.
“They say that young people are the future of the country. But they keep us disturbing by launching protest programs and strikes. Ultimately, we need democracy but why not give a chance to the king. I think king needs power. I am against curtailing the royal power. I think army will be able to take situation under control.”Abhima Upreity (pic, above), Noble Academy
“I disagree [with Abhima]. You should go outside Kathmandu valley to see the real situation of Nepal. You have not seen outside Kathmandu that is why you think army can win the war. No one can win this war militarily.” Himamshu Lekhak, Noble Academy
“King is doing unofficial visits spending official money. He should stop that.” Shaligram Aryal,(standing) Kathmandu Don Bosco College.
“No change will come by pelting stones on the street. Change should come from above.” Bishal Tamang, (right) Kathmandu Don Bosco College
“Reading his Kantipur interview, I feel that Prachanda wants to solve the problem.” – Ram Prasad Pandey, (first from left) V S Niketan
UWB: Below is the Kantipur article (in Nepali language and first published in the Special Supplement of Falgun 7 brought out by the daily on the occasion of 13th anniversary of Kantipur Publications and National Democracy Day) by Dinesh Wagle based on interviews and discussions he conducted with GenNext.
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लोकतन्त्र चाहन्छ युवापुस्ता
शहरको भ्यालेन्टाइन संस्कृतीका ‘प्लस टू’ पुस्ता राजनीतिबारे धेरैले सोचेजस्तो अनविज्ञ छैनन् ।
दिनेश वाग्ले
झट्ट हेर्दा सागरदेव भट्टले देशको राजनीतिका केस्रा केलाउन सक्छन् भन्ने पटक्कै लाग्दैन । तर जव यी तन्नेरीसँग कुरा गर्दै गइन्छ, उनका विचार थाहा पाइन्छ जसले देशको निर्णायक प्रकृयामा युवाहरुलाई संलग्न गराउनुपर्ने कुराको वकालत गर्छन् । ‘अहिलेसम्म हामीलाई ‘राजनीति फोहोरी खेल हो, सहभागी हुनुहुदैन’ भनिदै आएको थियो,’ नोवल एकेडेमीमा १२ कक्षाका विद्यार्थी (विज्ञान) ले दुबै हात फैलाउदै र खुम्च्याउदै तर्क गरे- ‘त्यो गलत छ । राजनीति हरेकको खेल हो जसमा सबैले सहभागी हुनुपर्छ । नागरिक चासो दर्शाउने र राजनीतिबारे खुलेर विचार राख्ने बेला आएको छ ।’
सागरले भनेजस्तै ‘(सुरक्षाकर्मीले) बोलाउदा नसुने गोलि खाइने वा (माओवादीले) बाटोछेउमै लुकाएको बममा ठोक्किएर मरिने त्रासमा बाच्नुपरेको अवस्थामा’ कुनै पनि शहरी तन्नेरीले राजनीति सरोकारको विषय होइन भन्ने स्थिती रहेन । त्यसैले हाफटाइममा हिजो राती टीभीमा आएको ‘इङ्िग्लस प्रिमियर लिग’मा (फुटबल क्लवहरु) लिभरपुल र आर्सनलको आमनेसामनेबारे जमेर कुरा गर्ने तन्नेरीहरुका गफमा पाल्पा र नेपालगन्जका भिडन्तहरु अनि नयाँ बानेश्वर र इन्द्रचोकका राजनीतिक प्रदर्शनहरुले महत्वपूर्ण् स्थान पाउन थालेका छन् । नेपाल बन्द लगायतका हड्तालले कलेज बन्द गराइदिदा उनीहरुले राजनीतिक अप्ठेरोपनालाई प्रत्यक्ष महशुस गर्छन् । ‘सबैभन्दा बढी राजनीतिको कुरा नेपाल बन्दको अघिल्लो दिन गछौं,’ हालसम्म कुनै पनि राजनीतिक कृयाकलापमा सामेल नभएका एकजनाले आफ्नो ‘गफ बानी’बारे सम्बाददातालाई जानकारी गराए । भिएस निकेतनमा प्स टूकी विद्याँर्थी पुनम महतोले सबै क्षेत्रको व्यवस्थापन गर्ने क्षेत्र राजनीती भएकाले त्यो खल्बलिदा अरुमा पनि प्रभाव पर्ने बताइन् । ‘त्यसैले अब राजनीतिबाट युवा पुस्ता अलग्गिने भन्ने अवस्था छैन ।’
बोर्डिङ् स्कुलकै जस्तो ‘बन्द’ वातावरणमा महगों शुल्क तिरेर पढिरेहका ‘प्लस टू’ पुस्ताका तन्नेरीलाई राजनीतिक चेतसुन्य र भ्यालेन्टाइन जस्ता पश्चिमा संस्कृतीमै रम्ने भन्ठानिएमा त्यो गलत हुनेछ । यी विद्यार्थीहरुलाई जव बोल्ने मौका दिइन्छ, कुनै अनुभवी राजनीतिज्ञभन्दा कममा उनीहरु प्रस्तुत हुदैनन् । भ्यालेन्टाइन डे लगत्तै यस लेखका लागि राजधानीका केही सम्पन्न नीजि कलेजहरुमा विज्ञान र व्यवस्थापनका विद्यार्थीहरुमाझ गरिएको ‘देश चिन्तन’का सहभागी कतिपयले समश्याप्रति गुनासा गरेभने बाकीले एकमतले समाधानको उपाय (संविधान सभाको चुनाव) सुझाए ।
‘अब तीनै पक्ष छेउलागेर जनतालाई निर्णय गर्ने दिने,’ सागरले भने- ‘संविधानसभाको चुनाव गरौं । जनताले जसलाई फाल्ने भन्छन्, त्यसलाई फाल्ने । जसलाई राख्ने भन्छन्, त्यसलाई राख्ने ।’
देश तीन ध्रुवीय राजनीतिक तानावमा जडकडिएको विश्लेषण गर्ने विद्यार्थीहरु पहिलो प्रश्नमा त आफूलाई चौथो पक्षकारुपमा प्रस्तुत गर्न रुचाउछन् । जव उनीहरु आफ्नो स्थिती पक्षबारे थप प्रष्ट पार्न थाल्छन्, विचार सात पार्टी गठबन्धनले प्रस्तुत गरेका मागहरुसँग मिल्न थाल्छन् । त्यसैले राजनीतिक दलहरु उनीहरुका लागि ‘नेसेस्सरी इभिल’ भएका छन् । उनीहरु दललाई गालि गर्छन्, पार्टीप्रति असन्तुष्टि प्रकट गर्छन र त्यति सबैगर्दागर्दै दलहरुप्रति नै आशा प्रकट गर्छन् ।
‘देशमा प्रजातन्त्र छैन, सामन्तबादी व्यवहारको अधिपत्य छ,’ ह्वाइट हाउसका सञ्जीव शाक्यले टिप्पणी गरे- ‘महत्वपूर्ण कुरा त पार्टीभित्रै प्रजातन्त्र छैन । उनीहरुमा प्रजातान्त्रिक अभ्यास आवश्यक छ ।’ उनकी सहपाठी आश्ना दाहाल पनि ‘अझै दलहरुप्रति आस्था’ भएको भन्दै उनीहरुमा सुधारको अपेक्षा गरिन् ।
प्रत्यक्ष वा अप्रत्यक्षरुपमा दलहरुलाई र्समर्थन गर्ने भएपनि एक या दुइ विद्यार्थीले मात्रै आफू राजनीतिक प्रदर्शनमा सहभागी भएको बताए । डनबस्कोमा बीबीए पाचौं सेमेस्टरका एकजनाले दलहरुमा प्रजातन्त्रिक अभ्यास भएर युवापुस्ताले नेतृत्व लिनेहो भने आफू उनीहरुसँगै सडकमा गएर ढुङ्गा हान्न तयार भएको बताए ।
माओवादीको हतियार उठाउने कुराप्रति कुनै पनि स्कुलका कुनै पनि विद्यार्थीको र्समर्थन नदेखिए पनि विद्रोही नेता प्रचन्डको केही अगाडी यसै पत्रिकामा प्रकाशित अर्न्तवार्ताले शान्तीको आशा जगाएको धेरै विद्यार्थीले बताए । केही अगाडीको युद्ध विराम र प्रचन्ड अर्न्तवार्तामा उल्लेखित शान्ती वार्ताको प्रस्तावलाई सरकारले सिधै अस्विकार गरेको देख्दा उनीहरुलाई विद्रोहीहरु भन्दा बढी राज्यप्रति रिस उठेको छ । यति सम्मकी शाही सरकारको र्समर्थन गर्ने दुइ जना र विरोध गर्ने बाँकी १० जनाजतिबीच डनबस्कोको एउटा कक्षा कोठामा डेस्क ठटाउने सम्मको तनाव उत्पन्न भयो । ‘जव उनीहरुले वार्ताको मनशाय देखाएर युद्धविराम गरे,’ ठ्याम्म डेस्कमा हात बजार्दै रिस, पिडा र चिन्तामिश्रत शब्दहरुमा बीबीए विद्यार्थी सन्जीव रेग्मीले भने- ‘(मन्त्रीपरिषदेका उपाध्यक्ष डा. तुलसी) गिरीचाहि ‘आतङ्कबादको ढाड भाचिएको’ भन्दै कराउन थाले । अनि उनीहरुले थानकोटमा देखाइदिए (कसको) ढाड भाचिएको ।’
‘घमन्डी’ सरकारका कारण शान्तीतिरको प्रयास हुननसकेकोमा विद्यार्थीहरु एकमतले राजालाई जिम्मेवार ठहर्याउछ्न् । अनि जव कुरा महाराजको आउछ, विगत एक बर्षा सरकारतर्फाट भएका विकाशक्रमको प्रशंसा गर्ने विद्यार्थी निकै कम भेट्टाइन्छ । ‘राजनीतिक ‘क्याटलिस्ट’ हुनुपर्ने राजाले ‘रियाक्टर’ भएर काम गर्न थालेपछि समश्या जटिल भएको हो’ नोवलका सागरले भने- ‘रियाक्टर नै हुने हो भने पार्टी खोलेर, कुनै एउटा चिन्ह लिएर चुनावमा जानु पर्यो होइन भने चुपचाप आफनो ठाउमा बस्नुपर्यो ।’
राजालाई बढी अधिकार दिने विद्यमान सम्बैधानिक त्रुटीलाई जरैदेखि सच्चाउनु पर्ने विचार नोवलका सागरले राखे । सागरले सेनालाई राजा अर्न्तगत नराखी जनताको नियन्त्रणमा सञ्चालन गर्दै ‘अधिकारविहीन सेरेमोनियल राजतन्त्र’को वकालत गरिरहदा गम्भीरतासाथ सुनिरहेका कृष्ण पोखरेलले असमति प्रकट गरे । ‘राजालाई कठपुतलीजस्तो सिगारेर जनताले कमाएको पैसा भत्ता दिएर राखिरहनुको अर्थ के ?’ उनले भने । ‘गणतन्त्रको विकल्प छैन ।’ तर सागरले चाहि राजा राखिनु नराखिनु भन्दा पनि उनलाई कति अधिकार दिइने भन्ने महत्वपूर्ण रहेको तर्क गरे । ‘राज्य प्रमुख त चाहिन्छ,’ उनले भने- ‘जनताकै छोरो राष्ट्रपती भएपनि पदले पाउने सुविधा र सम्मान दिइनुपर्छ । त्यसैले राजालाई पुरै अधिकार विहिन बनाएर सम्मानजनकरुपमा राख्नुपर्छ ।’
राजाप्रतिको असन्तुष्टि त्यति मै टुङ्गीदैन । तन्नेरीहरु इतिहास खोतल्न थाल्छन् । ‘नेपालले कहिल्यै वास्तविक प्रजातन्त्र पाएन,’ ह्वाइट हाउसमा स्नातक तहका सुरजकुमार देवले भने- ‘००७ सालताका पनि राजालाई शक्तिदिने सम्बिधान बनाइयो । २०४६ पछि पनि राजनीतिक नेतृत्वले जनतालाई प्रजातन्त्रको आभाष दिलाउन सकेन । माघ १९ पछिको ‘सुनौलो चाहना’ पनि उल्टोदिशातिर गएको देखिसकियो ।’ फर्रर यति गुनासो पोखेपछि सर्वोच्च अदालतले शाही आयोगलाई विघटन गर्ने फैसला सुनाएको सर्न्दर्भ उल्लेख गर्दै व्यवस्थापनका विद्यार्थी टुङ्गोमा पुगे- ‘त्यो निश्चिय नै एउटा उपलब्धी हो । अब राजाका हरेक कदमलाई निरुत्साहित गर्नुपर्छ ।’
छुट्टै छलफलमा डनबस्कोका विज्ञानतर्फप्लस टूका विद्यार्थी सन्दिप नेपालले चाहि नम्र लवजमा महाराजधिराजको बचाउ गरे । उनले घरमा बाबुले भनेको छोराछोरीले मानेजस्तै देशमा राजाले भनेको जनताले मान्नुपर्ने विचार पोखे । तर सन्दिपले त्यसो भन्दा कक्षामा एकजना बाहेक सबैले या त असहमतिमा टाउको हल्लाएका थिए या उत्तेजित हुदै जुरुक्क बेच्चबाट उठेर आपत्ति जनाएका थिए या चर्को स्वरमा ‘थेत्, थेत्, थेत्’ भनेका थिए । ‘पहिला माओवादीले विना शर्त हतियार विसाउनु पर्छ,’ ति सबै प्रतिवादका बाबजुत सन्दिपले आफूलाई निरन्तरता दिए- ‘अनि मात्रै वार्ता हुनसक्छ ।’ युद्धविरामका बेला पनि व्रि्रोहीहरु आफूलाई सशस्त्ररुपमा दलिरो बनाउन सक्रिय रहने गरेको घट्ना प्रस्तुत गर्दै उनले हतियारधारी माओवादीलाई विश्वास गर्ने कुनै आधार नभएको जिकिर गरे । (तत्कालै त्यसकोप्रतिवाद गर्नेहरुले माओवादीबाट आत्मर्समर्पणको अपेक्षा गर्नु सरकारको मुर्खता हुने दाबी गर्दै विद्रोहीहरुले भनेजस्तै संयुक्र राष्ट्रसंघको सुपरिवेक्षणमा शान्तीप्रकृया थालिनुपर्ने बताए ।)
दुइ युद्धरत पक्षको मारमा हितियारविहीन जनता पिल्सिएकोमा सबैविद्यार्थी सहमत थिए जसलाई डनबस्कोका वीरेन्द्र पुरीका शब्दमा समेट्न सकिन्छ- ‘आर्मी-माओवादी भिडन्त, दुइ र्सवसाधारणको मृत्यु । यहि हो अहिलेको नेपालको अवस्था ।’
यो लेख पहिलो पटक कान्तिपुर राष्ट्रिय दैनिकले आफ्नो १३ औं बाषिर्कोत्सव तथा राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र दिवसका अवसरमा फागुन सात गते निकालेको विशेष परिशिष्टाङ्कमा छापिएको हो ।
Not to divert the topic, but in addition to these issues, I think this BLOG should include burning issues of Curruption in Police. The IGP should be fired, barred from leaving the country, put in jail for his involvement for protecting inspecter Dhungana.
Dinesh ji, may I suggest this as a next topic of discussion?
so it is evident now…Everyone wants Maoists to be extinct from nepali political scenario.
Yes,
Sagar is right. Its the middle path of political solution for today’s Nepali politics. We should not have to make mistake just only thinking that Mr. Sagar Dev Bhatta is the genius one rather we should knoow that his expression is the fact of genarlised Nepali theme.
On Moriarty’s pontification
By Baburam Bhattarai
Kathmandu Post, 23 February 2006, Thursday
There is a place called Chor-kaatey near our village in Gorkha district. Chor-kaatey literally means, ‘chopping off the thief ‘. There is an interesting anecdote about how this place got its name. In olden days whenever there was any crime in the locality, all the suspects would be herded there and made to lie down with their legs stretched. The village headman with an axe in hand would then shout aloud: ‘Chop off the legs of the thief (or culprit)!’ It often happened that the real culprit would involuntarily pull up his legs in fear and thus get caught and punished.
The recent utterances of the US ambassador James F Moriarty have forced us to get reminded of this anecdote, but in a new context. After the February coup, there was wild speculation about the real motivating force behind it. The source of the seemingly unusual confidence of the autocratic monarch in the face of such complete failure and isolation of his regime over the period since then had obviously been the subject of intense guess-work among all political observers on Nepal.
Moriarty, with his vitriolic monologue against the democratic republican movement on February 15 and an equally provocative interview to the BBC Nepali service on February 19, has demystified the suspense and exposed the strong nexus between the US imperialist ruling classes and Nepal’s feudal autocratic forces.
In that sense Moriarty deserves our appreciation, at least for his candidness. But looking at the matter more closely, the issue is quite serious. The whole political spectrum, except a few royalist die-hards, have rightly condemned the ambassador’s unwarranted and deeply flawed pontification on the ongoing democratic republican movement. Particularly the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), the civil society and the independent media have so thoroughly repudiated and exposed the ambassador’s pro-monarchy and anti-democratic outbursts that we hardly find any new arguments to supplement them.
We just wonder why the ambassador is so intent on shooting at his own feet, or alienating the overwhelming majority of Nepal’s masses and the urban intelligentsia that look towards the West for democratic inspirations and ideas.
The timing of Moriarty’s harangue is all the more inopportune when the entire international community, ranging from the UN, the EU and Japan to the most important neighbors India and China, seem to be arriving at a consensus for democracy and peace by dumping the recalcitrant king and his cohorts. If the US interests in Nepal are only geo-strategic, in a region flanked by over two billion people, as claimed by the ambassador himself in his BBC interview, this certainly is not the best way to achieve them. We wonder what more reasonable people in the US, like Senator Patrick Leahy, have to say on this.
There is some insinuation in certain quarters that Moriarty may have got provoked by our leadership’s observations on the role of US ruling classes in Nepal. We don’t think objective facts substantiate this. We have rather consciously avoided to take umbrage with the sole super power even when it has blatantly violated our sovereignty and bolstered the royal regime and the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) against the revolutionary democratic forces. To make an ideological criticism of imperialism and the so-called globalization agenda is an entirely different thing. It is an open secret that without the massive modernization program in the form of training, weapons supply and ultra-modern fortification of the barracks carried out by US assistance after 2002, the RNA would not have been able to withstand this long and carry out the regressive monarchist agenda. The frequent high level visits of US military and intelligence functionaries to Nepal are definitely not meant for pilgrimage or recreation.
Despite this, we have exercised maximum restraint, and Chairman Prachanda in his recent interview to the BBC television has categorically stated that we are ready to work with all international power centers, including the US, in the future democratic republican set-up. Hence the problem lies entirely with the US ruling classes, and not with us, which is amply reflected in Moriarty’s outbursts.
Firstly, the problem lies with the McCarthyian outlook and the Cold War era anti-communist paranoia. The central thesis of Moriarty’s lecture is that the Maoists should be militarily crushed and not allowed to come to power at any cost. Hence anybody who can do this job will get the US support. This has been the rationale for the continued US backing to the royal regime. As the king has failed in this mission over the past year, Moriarty has now frantically appealed to the parliamentary political parties to abandon the anti-monarchy democratic movement and surrender to the king. He has labored hard to sell his paranoia to the SPA and goaded them to break out of the 12-point understanding with the CPN (Maoist).
Moriarty further raises the bogey of future ‘totalitarianism’ of the CPN (Maoist) to scare away the SPA, as if the real and existing totalitarianism of the monarchy is better than an imaginary and hypothetical ‘totalitarianism’ of the future. Only a die-hard McCarthyian mindset can accuse the CPN (Maoist) of pursing ‘totalitarianism’ when the Party has formally passed an historic resolution on ‘Development of Democracy in the 21st Century’ and Chairman Prachanda has so well articulated the Party’s commitment to a multiparty competitive politics in the future democratic republican set-up in his recent interviews.
Secondly, the whole edifice of Moriarty’s arguments is based on the thesis that the SPA and monarchy are “(T)wo legitimate constitutional actors- who should be on the same side.”
However, no sane person in Nepal is prepared to believe that the monarchy after October 4, and particularly after February 1, is a ‘legitimate constitutional actor’. Even the Supreme Court in a recent judgment has ruled (though indirectly) that the king no longer remains so. The only ‘legitimacy’ of the king is his backing by the RNA and certain foreign powers, particularly the US. It is really paradoxical that the loudest votaries of ‘democracy’ fail to see the ground reality and swear by the worst despots when their strategic interests are at stake.
That is why Suharto, Marcos, Pinochet, Musharraf and the likes are the best ‘democrats’ and ‘legitimate constitutional actors’ for the US. And the Maoists, which has been consistently advocating for a free and fair election to a constituent assembly as a minimum basis for peace and democracy, is branded ‘totalitarian’!
Thirdly, another fundamental flaw with Moriarty’s arguments lies with his supposition that the RNA is the “logical source of defense” for the parliamentary parties and democracy. But the historical facts prove just the opposite. The RNA has been the principal bulwark of autocracy historically, as it was repeatedly used by the monarchy to stage coup d’ etat against the parliamentary democracy in 1960 and again in 2003-5.
Hence the most important precondition for institutionalizing democracy in the country is the creation of a new national army committed to democracy. This has been one of the key proposals put forward by the CPN (Maoist) and increasingly accepted by other democratic political forces and the civil society.
But Moriarty has very conveniently distorted our proposal and provocatively insinuated that we intend to overtake all the other political forces on the strength of our People’s Liberation Army (PLA) once the RNA is no longer there. As Chairman Prachanda has clearly enunciated in his recent interviews, what we have proposed is the restructuring of both the RNA and the PLA and the creation of a new national army according to the result of the constituent assembly elections. During the elections both the armed forces can remain passive and neutral under a credible international supervision. What is wrong with that?
Moriarty has very selectively picked up names of individuals killed during the course of the civil war and has tended to sensationalize them for his political arguments. But has he cared to read the recent report prepared by Ian Martin and his team from the UN Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights? Does he dare accept that the royal regime is the worst perpetrator of human rights violations in the world?
Does he know that the highest number of disappearances by the state takes place in Nepal? Selective use of tragic cases of individual death for political arguments would serve no purpose except to expose one’s own insensitivity and callousness. Moreover, Moriarty’s suggestion to view Umesh Thapa’s sacrifice “as a catalyst for reconciliation and compromise” with the king crosses all limits of insensitivity and borders on insanity.
These are extremely rare historic times for Nepal. The need of the hour is a complete political, economical, social and cultural transformation of society. The 12-point understanding between the SPA and Maoist revolutionaries provides a minimum basis for democracy, peace and progress in the country. Let no one wreck this historic resolution of the Nepali people. No one but the Nepali people themselves have the right over their destiny.
Posted at KantipurOnline on 2006-02-22.
ने.क.पा. (माओवादी), जनमुक्ति सेना नेपाल र संय’क्त क्रान्तिकारी जनपरिषद नेपालको र्सार्वजनिक अपील
निरंक’श शाही सत्तालाई अन्तिम धक्का दिउँ
देशव्यापी राजनीतिक हड हड्तालमा सक्रिय सहभागी वनौं !
सामन्ती निरंकुश राजतन्त्रलाई कायम राखेर देशलाई अन्त्यहीन गृहयुद्धमा फसाइ राख्ने कि लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्रको सिघ्रातिसिघ्र स्थापना गरेर देशमा दिगो शान्ति र प्रगति सुनिश्चित गर्ने ।
Nepali politics sunera, padhera, ghokera , ratera kan ra dimag thotra bhai sake ko chha wagle, yati ta jalle pani bhani halchha ni……..
Mero ghar jhapa damak ma jau ta….. Jiwan bhar kahile padhna najaneki meri 75 barsaki hajuraama le yo bhnda khatra kura bhandinu hunchha, na kahile kehi padhnu bho, aba ta aakha pani ramro dekhtina…….Kun Birendra ho kun tesko bhai (nam liyera yo website lai durgandhit naparau) ho khuutaiunai sakdina aajkal photo ma pani bhanera gan gan garnu hunchha…. Yi ta students hun babu Wagle…… students who have well access to everything paper, radio, webs and good infrasturctured colleges where there parents pay huge amounts of school fees….. Have u ever tried what any student say in Rolpa, Rukum and Gorkha who has not attended classes for more than years….. Either school is changed to be Army barrack or destroyed by maoists….
For me if any student from kathmandu valley comments about current politics, it should not be surprised.These are the normal things.Myself, being a student, I do not think there is any point of highlighting these issues in ur Blogs…….. How many students of Campaign and St. xaviers, white House, and Don Bosco are ready to teach primary education in Gorkha? Palpa? Rukum? in future…….? Quite a few, Because in this colleges, some students will be from out of valley, so……. Otherwise, ask them what is their target????? US/UK/Australia???????
Talking is entirely different from Doing………Wagle babu, u learn this and tell them to learn………….
The Teenager’s view is alright.
Yuddhabiram,
first of all the argument ‘Chop off the legs…’ is so ‘PAHKE’ in nature and and hence so unscientific, i consider it very barbaric judgement system that baburam is committing to the poor villagers. i am sure there had been lots of such barbaric judgment committed by maubadis out there.
this is nothing new. Mao himself applied his own barbaric judgement system on its people …. in the name of elemination of their ‘class enemy’
common nepalese people firmly believed that maoists are totalitarian and hence must keep away from the power at all cost. here baburam did not bother to defend its totalitarian manifasto and communists killing around the world–Mao killed more its own people that Hitler killed in WWII. all he can do is to blame MacCarthy. common sense is no country on this earth support maoists totalitarian system, leave alone Moriarty.
what is the meaning keeping two parallel armies working for same state–may be he wants to tear apart the country one controlled by RNA and other by PLA.
i personlly believe that maoists insurgency can not be resolved by peaceful means, and believe it will end when RNA kill or capture poeple like baburam and prachanda.
BABURAM,
Do not think Mr. Moriarty is wrong. He is 100% correct and your idea of fooling Nepali people will NEVER work.
[icd] Remember as human beings we are all MORTAL.
Many has died at your hands and you keep playing with human lives, but the day you die, your last moment in this earth you will realize that all that you lived for could have been used for a much HIGHER purpose than just cause pain and harm to the same poor and low caste people you seem to REPRESENT while you yourself are a higher caste BRAHMIN whose own daughter lives in uk or somewhere nice.
BABURAM you are a menace and nepalis curse you with the worst death one day and you know you will die like all of us. May the day you die be one of the worst imaginable possible just to make you realize that all your life you sucked blood from people.
US is trying to save nepal and YOU BABURAM are the thief who would lift his leg at a village like “chor kaatey”.
There’s nothing wrong with the appearance of Sagar Dev rather, he’s good looking and witty as has been written here his opinion.
This is what I’m trying to say, they’ve not been putting deaf ear. They couldn’t too because they know where their country is heading to and in my opinion, they should be allowed to take part in active politics from right now. We really need young generation to run the country you know.
These THOTE-BUDAS are void now. Particularly, after looking at their contribution & implication of democracy there’s no space left for them. What do you think? Wouldn’t it be the right course of action for our falling democracy?
OLD is NOT GOLD anymore…
When there is no democracy and violence is escalating day by day, forget about opinion.Can these young generation will take part in street Protest? Can admin of these colleges allow student to protest against autocracy once in a month?…………………
Simply talking, expressing your views is not a great task, especially in this age when journalist like wagle needs some news to update his blog………
Nepal’s democratic youth!
Respect to all these young students, who were proud and couraged enough to represent their thinking in such an open and controverse way.
In times of lawlessness and anarchy, like now in Nepal, it needs courage to express these views.
Yes, most of these students come from economic middle class background, but this is the generation, who in fact has enjoyed a quite democratic education, in a quite democratic enviroment.
So it is a ray of hope that they, instead of simply following the military propaganda of the army protected rulers, are intelligent enough to do, what the stupid political parties have failed to deliver to the democratic societies of the world, they clearly condemn violence from both sides sharply in vast majority.
As Nepal’s civil society has to overcome two different, lawless and armed enemies in the same time, only a nonviolent movement can bring down the rule of those believing in the power from barrel of the gun.
I believe, that these young students will be the future watchdogs of freedom in a democratic, federal republic of Nepal. They are the only group in the society really educated and grown up in democratic circumstances and by this really rooted in freedom of thought and expression.
May these youngsters convince the big majority of illiterate but honourable and nonviolent Nepalese to finally bring down the medieval cruel rulers, who have established their illegal power in the countryside and in the capital.
Nepal is in a deep need for a civil, nonviolent, nonpolitical massmovement for nonviolence and peace!
King Kong knows: Kings are history!
KING KONG Says:”I believe, that these young students will be the future watchdogs of freedom in a democratic, federal republic of Nepal.”
Babu King Kong, How suddenly you got the idea of Federal Republic of Nepal? I hope that You understand the meaning of federal and federalism properly. Till now, I think no one proposed the idea of federalism even not maoists. How did u get that idea? Is that ur noble intellectual view(in other words ur own IP”Intellectual Property”) or Are u endorsing(acting as a brand ambassador) of that federal Republic Idea proposed by some unknown one? Can u just elaborate and can you write few more words why we need federalism?
Aba Nabhanu bhanda pani kina nabhanu , kati nabhanu……………
Bhanu bhane kati chooti bhannu…………Wagle le Nepali ma lekheko Blog mero lagi “Kaglai bel pakyo harsa na bismat” jasto bha chha………….Na nilnu na ookalnu ko jasto bha chha………..wagel………….In kantipur, there may be some comp. expert, mero samasya rakhi deuna yaar……………….i want to know ma mora lai k ko srap lageko chha?????????
I have your kalimati, kantipur, (kalanki, kane pokhari) all the fonts but still i can not read Nepali Blogs????? K ho wagle yasto?
Please do some research and make a blog and post here………….yeso helpful hunthiyo ki?????????????
Deatr 1whocandie4u
in the title bar go to the view, inside there is encoding.
trying different options.
Dinesh dai….
It’s a little bit kind of shame that the you sounded a bit amased to see the guys of private campus so much of the thing called politics. Look I myself am a +2 2nd year student but I think I know some politics. I think we don’t need to come out of our campus and pelt stone for god knows reason just because we are asked to do so by our so called leaders. We have seen enough of our every leaders and to tell the truth nobody has no faith in any leadership from any parties. But we all know what democracy means to us and nobody needs to expalins. Neither can anybody give us democracy or freedom nor do they have the right to take it away from us. I don’t want to say anything to the bunch of slave and absent minded fools who just never talk on an objective way and only express their deepest restment here as they can’t in real life. But one thing I can firmly say is that Don’t think that just by being able to read in some private college or going to foreign nations, we don’t know anything. We know and do care what is going on in our country and as I always telll; It’s just a matter of when but remember everybody is watching and waiting for the right time”
Thank you
Cool Coke! Too many thanx yaar……….It is looking wonderful now……..
Wish u all the best in return of ur suggestions.
i most like nepal we want peace and democracy in great nepal
oh really nepali girl is a very nice
Just a generalize news on why nobody has concern about mushrooming call centers in Nepal. Deepak Bohara the Minister of Forestry has shown his balance more less in Kantipur News daily.bastabikta kay ho bhane Serving Minds bhnae call center chalayera deepak bohra ra ashish kapoor bhannay indian milera dollar ko black marketing garchan nepal ma sathai staff haroo ko talab pani nadiyera shram soshan gardaichan yesto news haroo pani abc samachar le khoji garnu paryo loktantra aye pani deepak bohara jasto manche ko daman serving minds ma ajai cha auta company chalauna nasaknay le desh kay hakosh bank haroo sanga rin liyera natirnay ani lakhau dollar bideshi bank ma rakhnay yesto prabiti ko antya hunu paryo ra tax pani tirdainna oniharoo le shram adalat ra tax office le kina chapa mardaina testo call center ma sathai bikriti ko bikas gardaicha bhora jasta haroo le ganja ra charesh khuwayera nepali youth haroo lai bigardaichan yesto news TV ma dekhaunu paryo ra nepali samaj lai sachet garaunu paryo
Agree that everyone should participate and make their own views but i do not appreciate this practice in youth’s college and schools. Study is different and politics is different. They should know the big difference about it and should learn to manage it.
I wonder why all these Nepalese students miss their regular classes in Pubic Colleges.
It’s very effortless to find out any matter on web as
compared to textbooks, as I found this article at this web site.