The government of Girja Prasad Koirala is responsible to the YCL action against currupt and bank defaulter Sita Ram Prasain
Sitaram Prasain in Tundikhel on Monday (4 June). Pic by Shaligram Tiwari via Kantipur
Many of us have been asking this question since the day before yesterday when we knew that the YCL “arrested” Sita Ram Prasain, corrupt and bank defaulter from his office in a dramatic manner: How do you react? Many people have been reacting in two ways:
1. That’s wrong but this guy should have been arrested by the state long time ago.
2. That’s right because this state is not representing the rule of law (which means arresting Sita Ram) and, in that case, anyone can take laws in their own hands.
The Maoist youth wing Young Communist League (YCL) Monday handed over “wanted” former chairman of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries Development Bank (NCSIDB) Sita Ram Prasain to Kathmandu Police during a press meeting yesterday afternoon. The YCL had taken Prasain – against whom the government had issued arrest warrant for involvement in financial irregularities — under its custody Sunday alleging the police of “showing no interest in making his arrest.”
“We handed Prasain, who has been involved in corruption and irregularities to the police to take action against him. We took this step to begin the process of building a corruption free new Nepal. Although Prasain admitted of committing financial irregularities, he maintained that no arrest warrant had been issued against him.”- Sagar, Valley Incharge of YCL.
“I did not do any wrong and I am ready to face any punishment if the court finds me guilty. I did not get any summon and I am not involved in activities to destroy the bank.”- Sita Ram Prasain
I think I support the first reaction but won’t condemn the second one as well. I don’t blame YCL or Young Communist League, the youth wing of CPN Maoist, for Sita Ram drama. Girija Prasad Koirala, the Prime Minister of the coalition government, can’t escape easily from the drama by just providing us the new full form of YCL: “Young Criminal League.” Yes many of the YCL activities are deplorable and criminal like in nature but in this case it’s more to do with the failure of Koirala or the State than the whatever-brand act of YCL. If YCL is a “criminal” outfit because they arrested Sita Ram and handed him over to Nepal Police for further legal proceedings, Koirala is also a criminal because he, as the prime minister of this country, wasn’t implementing the rule of law by not arresting Sita Ram. Koirala said that YCL made a joke of law and order. Right. But what the hell was Koirala doing? Exactly the same. It was widely believed that Koirala was actually providing security and environment to a criminal like Sita Ram Prasain instead of arresting him. The government’s inability of arrest Sita Ram Prasain had made the joke of law enforcement agencies in Nepal. Prasain was openly throwing out parties in which who’s who of the political circles attended. Communist chameleons like Modanath Pashrit were writing columns giving reasons why they attended the Sita Ram Prasain party and were not feeling guilty over their deeds.
Under directions of the Nepal Rastra Bank, the Police Headquarters had issued arrest warrants against Prasain and other senior officials of the financially-troubled bank on charges of extending loans with the intention of fraud, causing a loss of Rs 280 million to the bank on August 22 last year. The arrest warrant against Prasain was issued after Nepal Rastra Bank forwarded a number of cases to the financial crime branch of Nepal Police after its initial investigations found that some of the cases attracted the Fraud Section of Civil Code. Prasain, however, was open and wild. He was attending public functions and running Universal Tours and Travels, the general sales agent of Korean Air, as chairman. Despite the claim that police headquarters had circulated the arrest warrant to all its regional offices, Kathmandu District Police sources said it never received such a warrant.
After they received Sita Ram Prasain from YCL, the Kathmandu Police immediately filed a case against him in Kathmandu district court. Look at that! How can you speak against YCL, particularly in this case, if you are filing case against the person ‘arrested’ by YCL and handed over to you? YCL got immunity from its earlier ‘criminal-like activities’ because of Prasain incident. And we must admit Koirala provided the cover to YCL by not arresting his relative Prasain.
United We Blog 
Comments
154 responses to “YCL, Sita Ram Prasain and Anger of Girija Koirala”
Mr. Pundit,
I am with you as far as ycl and their behavior is concerned. However, you should also understand the frustration of Nepalis who see top leaders attending parties thrown by criminals when they should have been arrested. But yes, YCL are a bunch of thugs and robbers.
“The Nepali junta are a bunch of sheep. The most useless, apatetic, indifferent junta in the world. Baida haru. What is the Nepali Youth going to do? Half have immigrated. The other half only know how to burn tires.”
Pandit you have shown your true Bahun colors. Continue with your dishwashing duties wherever you are and stop lecturing Nepalese about issues of their concern. You have no moral right to write about issues that concern Nepali “Baida haru”. If you like being kukur, it’s your business, lick the shiiiiit and be happy.
Bhudai-sorry pal but from your postings it is quite clear that you use a higher set of standards to judge the YCL than when you judge the GPK. Sure the YCL are goons and their ‘citizens arrest’ of Prasain was just a publicity stunt. But what sort of standards must be expected from the Prime Minister of Nepal in protecting Prasain against whom an arrest warrant had already being issued-and the timing of GPKs outburst against the YCL was also terrible-when the YCL indulge in criminal acitivities GPK keeps quiet, but when the YCL delivers a wanted man to the police, who is related to GPK, the outburst suddenly comes!
If GPK protects people like Prasain against whom an arrest warrant was issued then what moral right will he have to go after YCL?
Again, GPK should resign and the YCL should be decommissioned in it’s present form.
Nepal Government “Pays” Maoists for Peace
Three successive meetings of the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) (which comprises Maoists, Nepal Army, Government and UNMIN personnel) failed to move ahead with the second round of arms verification. The point of disagreement was on the timing of the disbursement of funds to 32,000+ Maoist combatants (at the rate of Rs. 3,000 per month and it is unclear if this is in addition to the Rs. 180 per day that the government agreed to provide, earlier: http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/feb/feb25/news05.php).
With combatants abandoning cantonment sites, the Maoist “army” leadership found itself begging the government (of which they are now a part), to release the promised funding.
Reinforcing the Maoist plea (with the urgency of their own jobs at stake), Jan Erik Wilhamson (Security Lead for UNMIN and Chairman of the JMCC), also asked for the disbursement of funds. Jan’s point was that his team was ready to conduct second phase verifications as soon as the Maoists’ permitted them to proceed. The Maoists’ permission of course, was premised on the distribution of funds.
There is no clause in either the “Comprehensive Peace Agreement” or the “Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies 8 December 2006” that identifies the need to disburse funds to the Maoists, prior to the completion of the arms management process – in its entirety.
Further, an objective view compels one to consider why 32,000+ Maoist combatants are being paid Rs. 3,000 for a month, when UNMIN hasn’t been able to verify that all 32,000+, are bona-fide Maoist combatants. The certification of combatants is to be based on UNMIN observers identifying underage Maoists (child combatants), identifying combatants who joined after May 25, 2006, and relieving all such personnel from the ranks of Maoist combatants.
If the estimated number of child combatants (and combatants who joined Maoist ranks after the armed insurgency was declared over), was negligible, the funds wouldn’t be as big an issue. However, with estimates as high as a third of the total Maoist combatants being under the age of 18 and half having joined the Maoist ranks after the 25th of May, funds are definitely something to be concerned about.
The explicit assumption is that the second round of arms verification will be concluded within a month (the Rs. 92.5 million accounts for roughly a month’s salary for the Maoist combatants). The implicit assumption is that when UNMIN observers disqualify (say for example) 1,000 combatants, the Maoist leadership will return Rs. 3 million (1,000*Rs. 3,000) to the State’s coffers.
Both assumptions are incorrect. The first being false leaves the Nepali Government in a position where it is forced to write another few (Rs. 92.5 million) checks to sustain the Maoist combatants till UNMIN can do a thorough job. If this doesn’t happen, UNMIN will have an excuse for why the completeness and accuracy of the second phase verification cannot be ascertained – “we were rushed!!”
The consequences of falsifying the second assumption needs no explanation. The only thing the Nepali government will get back from the Maoists at the end of the second round of verification is a blank receipt and a blank stare – “What money are you talking about? We incurred costs on the way to and from the salary distribution sites.”
The point being made is that this whole haphazard process is ludicrous. Granted, the government had agreed to disburse funds in order to keep the Maoists in their cantonments. But this agreement was based on the idea that the Maoists’ would also honour the CPA and the “Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies 8 December 2006.”
In reality, all we read about in the media is examples of how the Maoists are dishonouring the commitments they had agreed to. All we hear about is example after example of Maoists working around their obligations (e.g. the creation of the YCL, kidnapping, extortion, denial of access, failure to return private property, etc.), and the government, bending over backwards to accommodate the Maoists.
Something is very wrong. Nepali tax payers shouldn’t have to pay taxes twice – once to the state and a second time to the Maoists (via extortion and now, salaries). The state shouldn’t be paying anyone but its own security forces to keep the peace. The state should most certainly not have to pay the Maoists to keep them from committing acts of violence!!
There’s a term for payments of this nature. They’re called EXTORTION fees. And there’s a term for the mindset we find our government in. It’s called DELUSIONAL.
The Maoists are where they are today, because of their radical leaders and their nonsensical ideology. The Maoist leadership is increasingly isolated by its own cadre-base and by the international community because both realize what this whole 12 year war was about: Baburam Bhattarai, Pushpa Dahal, Chandra Prakash Gajurel (and other Brahmin leaders’) inability to come to power democratically.
This insurgency wasn’t about equality or inclusion and it certainly wasn’t about democracy. If it was, every Maoist cadre would be at par with every other Maoist but we find no evidence of such equality; every Nepali, Janajati, Madhesi, Muslim, Hindu, Chhetri, Bahun, Christian would be on equal standing, but we know they’re not; every political entity would be chanting tolerance, democracy and competitive politics, and yet, the Maoists are the first to admit their goal is still a communist republic.
So where does all this sympathy for the Maoist leadership come from? Why does Nepal’s Civil Society stage 12 hour sit-ins to satiate the Maoists’ will? Why do we continue to pretend that everyone is a guarantor of the peace process except the Maoists (who raised arms in the first place)?
Ultimately, the Nepali Government’s disbursement of funds amounts to this: A “reward” of Rs. 92.5 million for 14,000 dead and 12 years of terror. Or, here’s a slightly different perspective: An additional month of peace, “bought” at the expense of law-abiding, tax paying Nepalis that another segment of Maoists (the YCL), continues to extort on the side.
YCL = Youth Congress-teasers League
“Something is very wrong. Nepali tax payers shouldn’t have to pay taxes twice”
“Nepal Government “Pays” Maoists for Peace”
In near future we have to pay extra taxes to 9 warrior groups in addition. Which already started in terai and might flame goes to pahad as well. All these trends are useless and we are paying the extra taxes with our hard earned money for nothing. Very poor people are expecting food to eat (lets forget other things about their human rights) but the fund is flowing toward guns. Isn’t it the good strategies of spaM to make New Nepal ?
Not something is wrong but everything is wrong until and unless spaM follow the true meaning of the peace, democracy, sovereignity and unity.
Hey Scope:
I think you have shown your low minded communial mindset with that post. What does my post have anything to do with being a Bhun? When I said the Nepali Junta don’t you think I am including everyone – Bhun or not.
I can write whatever the hell I want. Just like you can come here and continue to write your posts in support of your beloved dhaku friends (YCL). Besides who are you to tell me I don’t have a right to write about Nepal or Nepalis? I understand it’s a hard concept for a Maoist brainwashed cadre like yourself to understand the concept of introspection and criticism. Thankfully the YCL and the Maoist party hasn’t made Nepal into a one party communist state yet – so until then please don’t tell me what to write. Now you can continue with with your statue destryoing duties – unless of course the Maoist have moved you to the child recruitment department.
Kirat
Sorry pal I think you have it wrong here. Of course the YCL needs to be judged and scrutinized by much higher standards. They are not an apparatus of the state and are completly unregulated. You start condoning the arrest of Sita Ram, who knows what they will do next? It’s a slippery slope. Sita Ram being a currupt businessmen is not the point here. Sure he should be arrested. Sure we all know Girija is a worthless incompetant human being. But to encourage and condone an outfit like the YCL is just inviting alot of trouble for the future.
Hi Bhudai Pundit,
Why do you want to defend corrupted person? What type of democracy you want to establish…a democracy where only Bahun like you will benefit? Girija is protecting Prasain because he is his relative. What would happen if there was a jana-jati in the place of Parsain? He would already be punished. So…people like you want to establish a government by the Bahun, for the Bahun and to the Bahun.
Question here is not why YCL arrested him…but why Parsain was protected by government? And, the answer is simple…because of nepotism and Bahunbad.
In my community there are some hunderds of people and I did a quick survey and found that over 85% people supported YCL action (in this case, remember they all are not communist!). So, if majority of people support his arrest, do you think all these people are wrong and you are right? What a insane logic??? This is a tragedy of Nepal…everybody thinks he is right and rest are wrong?
Please don’t blame me “you are a commusist”, which is your usual way to defend yourself. For your kind information, I have been a voter of NC for years. Of course, I am critical against corruption and nepotism.
Hi Bhumi Putra:
I think you misunderstand me. I am not defending Parasain. No question about it. He is currupt and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
That, however, is not the point here. The point is that a bunch of former Maoist combants (who themslves are criminals) have decided to take the law into their own hands and arrest him. That is the problem. The YCL is itslef engaged in numerous criminal activities – what right does it have to arrest Parasai? You tell me. Furthermore, think like this: if the YCL acitivities continue who knows what they will do next. There is no one regulating them – they can act according to their whim. Do you not see the danger here?
Why do you need to bring all this Bhun stuff here and debase yourself. The YCL won’t spare anyone, Parasai has exploited everyone regardless of their caste. We need to stop this ethnic finger pointing if Nepal is move forward.
I specifically want to say sth to Mr. Pundit…
1. Why are you labelling anyone who seems not to support your point of views as maoist cadre…like you say, ‘I can write whatever the hell I want’ they also can and please just cause they dont accept with you doesnt have to necessarily mean they got to be maoist or someone brainwashed by them. You seem to be so much in favour of the democractic system and process, but it doesnt show while you write here.
2.If you approach things in a scientific and philosophical way which is generally absurd for simpel minded logical thinkers, everything has positive and negative point in equal ratio although sometime one is shadowed by the another.Its just about timing that makes thing so.For e.g. the world wars were devastating for Europe yet if you see closely, america become superpower by taking benefits from those two wars.Maybe I am sounding absurd to you but when you see things deeply you always see both the aspects very clearly.This too applies for the YCL guys.Sure they are not doing almost no good at least as we see it nowadays but you got to have some positive approach about everyone including the king too.Dont get me wrong as if I am trying to defend any of the two.The point of the reasoning is that don’t be so fraustrated with things.We all are fraustrated and we all are sucked up by everything which is because we love this nation and we love our way of life and when we see some kind of danger in this we all go in alert mode.Thats whats happening to all of the people who never supported the war carried on by the maoist group.You cant kill one extremism with another.
3.And just one last thing, if you see clearly why the king and the royalty of this nation is in death bed, its not cause of anyone else then the king himself. Sure maoist tried their best to overthrow everything by force but they themselves admitted that they couldnt win by sheer power of guns.Noboby loved GPK, Makune or SBD, not even their cadres and we have to admit people had high hopes when king took over power both the times although at the second it wasnt so so.In that point you are right that nepali sometime act like sheep but not always.The king brought this all on himself.And this is the universal truth in politics that unless the ruler makes people fraustrated and angry, no one can bring its end or rule if he other change the ruling one.Just see the history of the world.USA couldnt win Vietnam, Soviets loosed to Afgans and so on.So if the YCL is doing just the wrong it will destroy itself and its mother party too one day.You dont have to go far and long to see an example.The MJF is a hot example.And please just dont imagine that any one party especially any communist and especially maosit would takeover power through guns the power seat of Nepal in this world stage.Nepal doesnt have seas, remember that point.Maybe the military might come if India,China and USA agrees but just ask you logical mind, will they support the Maoist…that will answer all you questions..And please keep your cool……
yo pani nahuney tyo pani nahuney!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dahi pani chainey mohi mani chainey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
khojya yei hoina bhanya nepali ley………….. gthana jasto, paisakey pachi ta khusi hunu ni…. aba yo pani nachainey bho…………
the day nepalese started supporting extreme communism………. this event was only academic, something that was in transit. Now, enjoy it.why make life hard for people who just want to “LIVE” normally.
It is true people might choose maoist at the end (although it might be temporary), looking at the mass support to YCL regarding Parsain case. I don’t blame Prachanda for everything because they have set target and goals.
But, I would rather blame Girija and goons for turning this country into hell. If they are not sure to bring peace and democracy then why they have choosed this complicated steps. Hawaldar isn’t it ?
I agree with ravan (12:31:23). SPA warlords are much bigger than Maoists. I have always said this.
much bigger danger*
I specifically want to say this to Mr. Pround2beNepali:
“Why are you labelling anyone who seems not to support your point of views as maoist cadre”
Errrr…. I didn’t do that. There are people on the blog, however, who seem to be explicitly Maoist supporters – like Scope. I called him a brainwashed Maoist cadre because he is.
“If you approach things in a scientific and philosophical way which is generally absurd for simpel minded logical thinkers, everything has positive and negative point in equal ratio although sometime one is shadowed by the another.”
Try again. What you say is partly true. There is are also some things or people in this world that are just dead wrong or evil. Everything has a positive and negative in equal ratio? Okay, using that model explain to me the Holocaust, Idi Amin, Ethnic genocide in Rwanda, dowary killings etc.
“So if the YCL is doing just the wrong it will destroy itself and its mother party too one day”
Pround, this is why I say Nepali Junta are the most apathetic and indifferent people. You can’t just say that and sit back. This seems like a very defeatist statement. We need to stop the YCL now before they become more emboldened and powerful.
By the way I am not agitated so there is no reason to tell me to keep my cool.
I have very little in common with Budhai Pundit through and through. But when it comes to the YCL I get what he is saying. Fine Prasain was caught today, but if we keep patting the YCL on the back for catching a crook here and there without calling for many criminals within the YCL being caught as well, then tomorrow they will be dictating everything and we will not be able to say get lost because they will say well you invited us in. Rather, we take this example and tell the YCL to stay away from breaking or making laws, while at the same time the govt. start using their law enforcement strongly. However, we have to also see the deeper picture (more than black and white) – as long as this Sitaula is the Home Minister he will ensure that our security forces fail so that the maoists succeed. The sooner people realise this the better. This man is there to make Prachanda and gang look good.
To All “Chatukar” of Girija and Parsain!
Please tell me why Girija-putri has such “tadak-vadak”?
http://www.kantipuronline.com/Nepal/bisesh-report.php
I know some of you are ready to wash her under garmet…
Hello to all the Maoist cadres in this blog and wanna be maoist cadres in this blog. The only reason terrorist like urself r free is becasue of the current government of Nepal which has no guts to shott you all and throw u in jail.
Illiterate and uneducated cadres are a “bojh” to the nation of Nepal and a threat to the freedom, social security that Nepalese people wish to have. It is only becasue of YCL that we have so many other violent groups in the nation now.
All the bastards that blame bahun for everything, wait till one of you a non-bhaun kills a non-bahun……I cannot wait for an imminent civil war and see you all kill one another.
He Pol pot murderer Prachande,
you Said, “Our misgivings against India have ended.” It indicates how scared you are of India. India started to Fu’k your ass, that is why you are saying so. Why don’t you go to India to lick Dr. Man mohan singh and other Indian leaders’ ass hole to please them. You are really a son of whore.
YCL is thuggery mob nothing else.They already killed 12 peoples will they hand over to police, they dont? Rule of law has to equal before all the citizen not except YCL. I hate, condemn and curse YCL.
Umm just very few words to Mr. Bhudai….Sir (u definitely are very older then me) Concerning Holocaust, Idi Amin, Ethnic genocide in Rwanda and so on and on incidents, I dont want to give you any explantation for I think I already said clearly that it would sound very absurd to logical thinkers and thats what happened.Please seek out yourself..I would suggest one person who might be of some help..Vikasananda (if u belive him though cause i have seen ppl who think he is utter rubish) or you can find a ocean of wisdom out there.But please dont take is as the trying to say what happened was good, its just the approach with which you see it and with which your brain is taught to see things.Remeber no one can say what truth is.
And concerning the defeatist mentality of so called nepali junta….well i used to think so when the king took power…nepali junta=bunch of sheeps…i never thought they would carry out such an agitation but they proved me wrong.Same will happen.There is a saying ni paap ko gada bhariniparchha….thats it.Nobody said to Sparatcus to rise against the romans, but he did and everyone else followed..but am not asking you to sit back and shut up….you can raise your voice but don’t see things from only one lens as I know you are better of them people doing mental molestation here, Sir.
And I may be wrong but you seem to have that CEO feeling, on the top of everything, Sir.Hope I am wrong…
Thank you.
Hi Neta ka Bhatua haru ho:
Your another bapu got clean chit from corruption charge…now its turn to celebrate it. What type of democracy you are taking about? A democracy where all corrupt leaders get cleared from charge??????????
Bye…
Those person who is against above comment is a “Neta ko Bhatua”, chor ko khutto kat bhanda khutta uthune….
proud:
I think you are reading way too much into what I am saying and making everything very complicated – quiet unecessarily I might add.
Read kp’s post above. He has understood what I am trying to get across very well…
Amanush (YCL thug),
It looks like you lick Bhate murderer Prachande’s ass hole everyday just to please him.
The Sitaram Prasai Episode: An Embarrassment to the Maoist Leadership
There was much jubilation when Sitaram Prasai was paraded by the Young Communist League’s (YCL) leadership. The press went into a frenzy, the SPA leadership went completely silent and the public opinion remained sharply divided on the intent and future consequences of the YCL’s actions.
Based on the information that has surfaced (since the incident), the following conclusion may be drawn: Sitaram’s abduction, subsequent kidnapping and the associated fallout has repercussions far beyond the legal and technical parameters that either the populist press or the public-at-large are able to fully fathom.
Illegal but necessary or legal but vigilantism?
Per the YCL’s intent, the populist acclaim it expected (from the Sitaram Prasai episode), materialized. The idea was to seek de-facto public pardon for the YCL’s activities in other areas – namely, for their extortion, intimidation and coercion tactics – by bringing Prasai to “justice.”
Had the YCL “apprehended” and then “released” Prasai to the Police immediately, their ploy for popularity would have succeeded, no questions asked. But, the YCL got greedy and despite their publicized populist gesture, the following details paint a slightly different picture:
The YCL took Prasai into its custody for over 17 hours, in complete and utter disregard for the country’s standing law and order provisions. (The door is now open for any group consisting of semi-literate, heavily indoctrinated youngsters to do the same; the YCL itself is a prime target for such action).
During the 17 hour period when Prasai was abducted, the YCL leadership made repeated attempts at extorting 2 crores from Prasai. Prasai is learned to have refused payment. (This “little” detail didn’t make it into the media – had Prasai paid the YCL, he would have walked)
SP Dhak Bahadur Karki received Prasai from the YCL and stated that citizens have a right to hand over criminals to the police. (His words immediately diffused the situation then, but SP Karki is sure to have greater difficulty finding the right words when criminal elements from the YCL are brought to his door step in the days ahead).
The YCL’s 17 hour kidnapping clearly violated sections of the “Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies 8 December 2006,” which establishes the Nepal Police (and the Armed Police Force) as the upholders of prevailing laws. (Since there are so many more systematic and more serious violations of all agreements with the Maoists, the keepers of Nepal’s peace, UNMIN, had nothing to say).
Timed perfectly (by the YCL) and in perfect time (for Wagle and Gupta)
The YCL brought Sitaram Prasai to justice. Can they also demonstrate similar resolve in reversing the “special court” pardons handed down to former Ministers Chiranjibi Wagle and Jaya Prakash Gupta? Probably not.
Prasai’s alleged fraud pales in comparison to the alleged wealth amassed by Wagle and Gupta (during their respective tenures in office). But the YCL as an instrument of Maoist policy, cannot dare to exceed political party boundaries at Wagle and Gupta’s level.
The YCL-generated focus on Sitaram Prasai permitted criminals with political backgrounds (Wagle and Gupta) to walk free. Interesting to note here is that both Gupta and Wagle are criminals who belong to the NC-D and that the Nepali Congress is in the midst of a planned merger.
Perhaps this is Sher Bahadur Deuba’s idea of “dignified” Congress unification – Koirala pushes to have all criminal cases on corruption charges pardoned, and Deuba regains his legitimacy as more than just a royal pawn. In the meantime, the Janajati-centric YCL plays the role of a smoke screen that masks the political machinations of all “Bahunist” power plays. Sound familiar?
Also noteworthy is the manner in which Jaya Prakash Gupta manoeuvred within the Madhesi Forum – from corrupt Minister of Information and Communications, to criminal defendant, to leader (alongside Upendra Yadav), back to an independent (owing to philosophical differences with the Madhesi forum). Rather convenient that as soon as Gupta severed his ties with his own people (the Madhesis), he was exonerated by a “special court” of all corruption charges.
Because of the media storm that Sitaram Prasai’s abduction and kidnapping generated, other, worse criminals like Jaya Prakash Gupta and Chiranjibi Wagle, walked free. These miscreants have a lot to thank the YCL for – the extortion fees the YCL had hoped for from Prasai, will likely be provided in the form of “thanks” from the private coffers of Gupta and Wagle.
Perfect timing for Prasai’s abduction and a perfectly timed pardon by the Girija and Deuba (for Gupta and Wagle). The YCL won’t dare anger Girija baje by going after Gupta or Wagle. After all, the YCL is nothing more than a bunch of peons, unknowingly doing the bidding of the “Bahunists” wielding power.
Bad news for the Maoist leadership
Whatever the public image may be, the YCL’s actions represent a dangerous and reactionary precedent whereby Maoist leaders are forced to take public responsibility for the increasingly unruly activities of its former combatants; in private however, there is much confusion, worry and dismay within the Maoists’ rank and file.
The YCL’s approach worked. They successfully replicated their wartime guerrilla tactics, in the urban centre. The YCL exposed the level of state incapacity that exists along with the culture of corruption, and lack of law and order.
The YCL also effectively demonstrated the most vulnerable pressure point in the SPA and Maoist alliance; i.e., the individual parties’ divergent thoughts on corruption and how to deal with corrupt leaders, in their midst.
But the beauty of all this is that the YCL abducted Prasai, demonstrated that they are ready to take the law into their own hands, made sure that criminals like Gupta and Wagle would walk free (unnoticed), pushed the “button” that caught Girija’s undivided attention, and the YCL did all this, without approval from the Maoist leadership.
While the newspapers were busy printing accounts of Pushpa Dahal and Krishna Mahara assuming responsibility for the YCL’s abduction (of Prasai), they missed the other story about Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai snivelling at Girija’s feet, explaining to the Prime Minister that the Maoist leadership had nothing to do with the Prasai debacle.
Further, people seemed to completely missed the bigger picture that had Prasai paid off the YCL, that’s where the episode would have ended; had the Maoist leadership wanted to confront Girija at this juncture, many other (less controversial) platforms are at their disposal.
The YCL’s agenda of choice (bringing the corrupt to justice) spells disaster for the Maoist leadership. It shows how far apart the leadership and the Maoist cadre have grown and how dangerous for the leadership’s legitimacy, the YCL actually is. Irrespective of the short-term populist currency that an anti-corruption drive entails, the Maoists’ entangling themselves on many crusades (on multiple fronts), is detrimental to none other than the Maoists themselves.
The Maoists have attracted the fleeting attention of Kathmandu’s lower middle class masses for now, but they’ve also alienated the affluent and educated, upper middle class that values due process and the rule of law over sporadic vigilantism.
Whether the Maoists realize it or not, Sitaram Prasai will be a free man tomorrow, thanks mostly to the Maoists – the unorthodox method used in Sitaram’s apprehension is unlikely to stand in any rational court of law. Plus, if Gupta and Wagle can be acquitted for robbing the Nepali masses (of millions in development dollars), what sense does it make (especially in Maoist thinking) to incarcerate a man who has defrauded Nepal’s wealthy?
Although the Maoist leadership is loathe to accept it at this point in time, the Sitaram Prasai episode was a complete disaster to the leadership’s overall image. It is very apparent that every incremental victory for the YCL drives the wedge of division deeper within the ranks of the Maoists; every episode that challenges the essential 8 “party” unity at this juncture, further jeopardizes the overall peace process.
Sitaram Prasai may be guilty of fraud and Wagle and Gupta are definitely guilty of corruption. But more importantly, the Maoist leadership is soon to be guilty of gross political miscalculation and stupidity of a magnitude, new even to Nepal’s political elite!!
Patriot,
Time is a wonderful revealer.
You have realised now by saying:
“When is this old sucker GPK dying? Its proverbial truth that good men die early while scum of the earth live long. I look forward to this scum’s death so I can throw a big party, it’ll be a clean party, my hard earned cash.”
But I remember a while back you were making comments like:
“Believe you me, should anything happen to GP Koirala now, there is a strong possibility that this country will be engulfed in a jatiya civil war that will upstage even the Maoists”
AND my reply to you was:
“please let’s see some confidence towards the young generation leaders, and please try and convince your GP to hand over now, otherwise it will be exactly people like you who will be in the not too distant future pointing your fingers at a certain G.P. Koirala”.
Time is wisdom is’nt it?
There is serious question about the role of justice system in Nepal, especially promoting democracy in Nepal. If all branded corrupts get clean chit, what will be its consequenses? Will there be another revolt against such practices that will make judges main target.
Actually I am wondering how these corrupts manage to get clean chit? Are they really clean? If they were clean, why were they charge with corruption? Is it not an injustice to say corrupt for a clean person? Actually, I am curious to k now the reality! Is there anyone who can tell me the truth???????????????
Who’s going to catch this lady…..our new queen eh!
http://www.kantipuronline.com/Nepal/bisesh-report.php
ck2 – thanks for pointing that out but the point is things have been so dynamic in Nepal in the past 1 yr alone. why the last time i rem most of us quietly supported April 1 uprising, and then the SPA-M compromise, now do you still hold on to that. Wrt to the jatiya war, yes, at the time Girija was the only guy who held the power & influence to bridge this divide and all hoped and looked up to him. But he showed his true colors when he and Maoists tried to discredit Madhesis. Now they are trying to be a little careful with Janjatis. You see we are mortals and our perception change according to situations, unfortunately these situations are created more by men than by nature, here Girija takes the cake.
dudes,
today it is YCL… what about other groups and outfits tomorrow?
YCL is an armed group. so are other criminal outfits. they did it for cheap popularity dont you get it?
they are arsonist, murders, hooligans, thieves and who knows what.
they have had enough time to disturb the whole environment.
the fact of the matter is that, they will destroy themselves, but the only question is, will they just destroy themselves or will they take the whole nation with them.
think about it twice before you go to sleep, may be you will get the answer.
anyways for me, they were are and always be low grade criminals
ciao!!!
Sorry Mr pundit if you think things got too complicated.I just want everybody to look broadly and not just be single minded in seeing things.As I said things have a postive and negative aspect.For e.g. in China lost almost 100million or so ppl during the communist war,world war and then the cultural revolution…Emotionally and humanly looking it was a great loss but now look at where is it?political conflict has its brutality and horrors.Somewhere the cause is acheived faster and somewhere very slow.America got it very fast while you see in most african and asian nation, its almost non exsistent.What am trying to say is, you as a person doesnt seem to accept the maoist as a force in this country’s political sepctrum this time.Like it or not is one’s wish but we have to accept the ground reality.This is what happens in the politics of coutries like ours and I am saying this specifically to you and not to other bloggers in this blog because you seem to have alot sense then everyone else and also political understanding.Look sir, dont think nepali people are just watching…they are watching and waiting…yea they act usually too late but this doesn’t mean they never act.
I dont want to prolong anything here.Yea the Mr. KP is right in many ways.Personally speaking in my family my dad was happy when that person got caught.At first,I was also like ohh!!cool.now the netas wont be able to goto a thugs party..but I know its not right to do right thing the wrong way.It will always be wrong.So it was wrong and they are doing it all wrong but I know why my dad was happy cause he was freaking tired.Having to bribe for each and every work he had to do, having to beg to the so called powerful to get every things do, it was just enough and I just cant fully convince him that its against the law but there is nothing I can show him when he ask why doesnt the law do anything?
Thats why the ycl ppl got so much publicity and temporary wooooos….
But if they continue this on and on…soon when one person will rise against them everyone would say wooooos…now thats gr8….the thing they are teaching will finish them….but personally i know many ppl who talk big when not facing and when they face the ‘thing’ they criticize so much, they just shut up…and watch….I agree with you that this habit of nepali ppl must stop no matter who does it or how they do it…law must be followed when one says they will follow it…….thank you…
Patriot,
That’s why I said time is wisdom, and sometimes you gotta step back and listen to what others say, instead of seeing red everywhere. I told you like how it was then and am telling everyone like how it is now – factoring in the dynamics of what can go wrong and what can get right.
Anyway, it’s good that you have seen the light as far as GPK is concerned, there are still others who swear by him, but just you wait and see they will also become the wiser – of course again with all the dyanmics involved.
thanks ck2 – though I agree with ur conclusion abt GPK, I surely have reservation abt the premise. at that time tell me who else was there other than GPK to handle this whole mess, and the very fact that people realised this was wht restrained an immediate jatiya war. it was only later when he did nothing to convince people that he had the will to solve this ethnic mess, then the terai flare up, esp when the first interim const said nothing of these ethnic groups.
and pls refrain form giving me ur 2 cents on wisdom and time and that shit. as far as i knw, all ur guesses have been as good as mine so has everybody. i have only seen red when people take extreme position without any reasonable logic. and besides ur wise opinion of handing power to young gen at the said juncture would have rather cost us a lot more. handing down power is a must in nepal, but its to be done in a phased manner. u possibly wudnt pull up gagan thapa at that point and asked him to head SPAM.
and if u look at that old posting again carefully, u wil clearly see it was just a statement, not my faith on GPK, just a statement tht if GPK is not there to hold this SPAM together, then the country wud be in war. frankly it was more of a sad an ironic statement that we didnt have a choice rather than to stick to this old hag again.
so i suggest rather u step back and see the whole context before u come to strange conclusions.
again ck2 – i feel its worthless to come back to u, cudnt believe how hard u took it to go back to archieve and pull out my argument, i did too and i had replied thus:
“When I say GP is holding this thing together for now, I dont mean to hail him and proclaim that he is the saviour. He is the main villian of the country. What I mean is that there is no other guy other than him at present to hold this thing together. He is somehow maintaining the equilibrium between Maoist, King and SPA for now. What I mean is should he pass out anytime, imagine the vacuum that’ll be there and the fallout thereafter. SPA will go beserk and fight with each other. Maoists will call all the shots and KG will make some desperate moves since his saviour GP will no longer be around. All this confusion and lack of trust between various stakeholders could also potentially lead to a full fledged jatiya war …”
ck2 – why are u such a moron. cant u read??
Economic growth rate;
059/060 – 3.9 %
060/061 – 4.7 %
061/062 – 3.9 %
062/063 – 2.8 %
063/064 – 2.5 %
Total economy is dependent on loan, grant, aid and remittence. Each and every people are upset with the future dangerous situation.
What is the use of this spaM government neither it can improve economy for the betterment of poor people nor it can give security. It is only becoming successful to ruining this country and dividing it.
Patriot,
It’s amazing that you have to go back to your own archives to remember what you said. Signs of a person who talks before thinking. Do you think he (GPK) is still somehow holding the equilibrium between the trio? Do you think that the predictions of civil unrest due to jatiya reasons has not yet begun and will only after GPK is dead? Do you still think that GPK should not hand over to someone else while still alive? You have already made it clear that he should go now, so why all the defense over something you have changed your mind on? I’m afraid calling me a moron is not going to clear you of your judgement errors. And yes I can read, but do you yourself understand what you write or do you just type according to your mecurial temprement?
The Economy is going down further even compared to the time of the royal regime, and even with more donations (it was negligible during the regime). However, the per capita income has been reported to go up by a little in dollar terms (USD 456 this year compared to USD 420 last year) – of course it would when the dollar has greatly depreciated against the rupee. If you calculate it on rupee terms though, it is about Rs. 30000 this year as compared to Rs. 30200 last year, so actually the per capita income has also decreased by Rs. 200 this year compared to last year. Same with per capita production reported at USD 383 this year as opposed to USD 350 last year (again Rs. 25000 this year as compared to Rs. 25200 last year, again a Rs. 200 decline). Mahat is trying desperately to tweek the accounts. Unfortunately it’s not going to work.
scoop-why hark back to the glorious royal regime?
ck2 – seriously i’m done with u, i shud have rem how dumbass u were before also, but i didnt so made the error of engaging with u again. but obviously u rem coz i made u look stupid. god i dnt believe why i even took the time to reply to a thick skull like u, chow.
Patriot,
Shove it up your a$$! you just have to resort to the lcd you loser. You’re the guy I made look stupid by catching you out – with your sometimes this is okay but in other times that is okay shaky clap trap. You’re all over the place buddy – get a clue! Ciao to you f@#$face.
Kirat,
I don’t know how you do it in Kiratland but normally a nation’s economy is compared with the past year’s, which includes much of that period of the regime. I thought it interesting how the authorities fix figures to make things sound better when they are worse.