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A New Threat After Palace
Deputy prime minister Amik Sherchan reveals an alarming fact that there is a possibility of foreign interference in Nepal
By KESHAB POUDEL
At a time when members of House of Representatives, leaders of major political parties and civil society members have been talking about the need to strengthen the Loktantrik system pointing fingers to the palace as a permanent foe, deputy prime minister Amik Sherchan, one of the powerful members of the present cabinet and second to prime minister in protocol, disclosed the possibility of foreign intervention in Nepal.
According to The Himalayan Times daily, deputy prime minister Sherchan raised the possibility of foreign intervention and asked the people to be prepared to take up arms. “Major Concern is whether our nation would remain or not,” said Sherchan addressing the concluding ceremony of the two-day national political conference jointly organized by the National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities and Indigenous Nationalities Joint Struggle Committee. “If the agreement between the seven party alliance and the Maoists is not implemented, one million Nepalese would be killed within 10 months.” (see The Himalayan Times August 6).
Unlike many other politicians, Sherchan’s warning seems to carry some logic. “Fresh from New Delhi following high-level contacts including with Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Indian state minister of Foreign affairs, senior south block officials and senior leaders of major political parties, public utterances of deputy prime minister carries enough meaning,” said a political analyst. “Out of context, he mentioned the threat of foreign intervention which he did not elaborate. Sherchan’s threat did not come in a way that some politicians who always need a threat, whether real or fake, just to keep the people expecting them as a savior. His indication was more meaningful and more serious. After all the political road to “complete democracy” is not so safe even after the monarchy has been deprived of all its powers. A new threat seems to be much more dangerous.”
Sherchan’s remarks came when a powerful section of Indian media have been building opinions in India regarding the worsening law and order situation and threat to Indian citizens and businessmen of Indian origin in Nepal. Indian media raised a small incident of threat to a couple of Indians to prove how insecure Indians are in Nepal .
At time when major political forces in Nepal and western countries including the United States and the United Nations – which don’t have any security interest and other vital stakes in Nepal - are demanding the decommissioning of Maoists to pave the way to hold free and fair elections for Constituent Assembly (CA), some government ministers are claiming that arms management is not a crucial issue since the Maoist arms can be useful in case of foreign intervention.
“In case of foreign intervention, the arms of Maoists can be used against the aggressing power. Maoists can have more arms even if all their arms are destroyed. Therefore, political agreements should be the top priority,” said Sherchan.
As the country’s major political forces are divided among themselves and the distrust and mistrust continues to be deepening further through their actions and interactions, no one can stand on their own in pursuing their genuine points of view.
Prime minister and leader of seven parties Girija Prasad Koirala – who sided with extremists till few months ago - seems to have realized the need to reconcile with the monarchy. “We need support from all to make the transition smooth and peaceful. Monarchy should also be given playing space,” he said, adding, “Similarly, the Maoists should also be accommodated in peaceful political process.”
Although junior Koirala’s some of past activities were against the spirit of national reconciliation, he is the only living politician and personality in Nepali Congress to have inner commitment towards national reconciliation propounded by his legendary brother B.P. Koirala.
Knowing that his efforts to close the gap with monarchy would bring hue and cry among the extremist communists and their followers, prime minister Koirala spoke the need of reconciliation among all political forces. “We need to give space to the King. If we don’t give space to the, he will be frustrated. This explains why we have decided to do what we are about to do. Similarly, if we do not give any space to the Maoists, they will be desperate.”
Although prime minister Koirala’s statement regarding monarchy sparked a heated debate and Maoist leaders – who agreed to accept any verdict of people regarding Monarchy - threatened to call off the peace process, what Koirala has shown is his guts to speak the ground reality of Nepal .
“A divided house definitely has its vulnerability, only a leader like B.P. Koirala could perceive a long term challenges while undergoing political troubles. Internal unity among all the political forces having the national interest at supreme was the need of the time but the country has lost a very powerful support for a national unity combining the traditional institution of monarchy with the modernizing forces of democracy and development,” said the analyst.
Sherchan suggested keeping the issue of arms decommissioning away denouncing the recent argument of visitors from UN led by Mistura. His logic is that the arms could be useful at the time of foreign intervention.
“Being a revisionist Maoist, he must not have suspected China ’s intervention in Nepal . Thus, his suggestion to maintain armed militia might not be to counter Chinese interference but other’s intervention,” said the analyst. “The other logic of deputy prime minister Sherchan has a valid that even if the Maoists are decommissioned, the arms could be replaced easily. Perhaps, he has, in his mind, that open and porous border with another neighbor India - which could always be there with one or other kind of insurrection. Some symptoms are in the news that even Maoists are facing violent threats by a newly emerged liberation front in terai.”
The liberation front has been challenging the presence of Maoists in some areas of terai region killing and abducting Maoists and other common people. Even if Maoists agree to decommission their arms, another terrorist organization like terai liberation front will continue to get logistics from across the open border.
Despite such an important revelation by minister Sherchan, it didn’t create any sensation in the press as well as among the elites and the Maoists – who don’t mind to promptly react on even nominal issues related to monarchy. Of course, all the daily newspapers placed it as a headline, but political leaders of all front ignored the issue.
“Common people have no forum to ventilate their opinions. But a person of Deputy Prime Minster’s stature who had a couple of days of stay in New Delhi must have some basis to express his alarms regarding the foreign interference,” said the analyst.
Deputy prime minister Sherchan and CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam, who have been pleading the rights of Maoist to keep the arms – have belief that the power come out of the barrel of the gun. But they were not fortunate to get that kind of logistic support and they were compelled to revive their revolutionary faith into a peaceful process.
It is very serious at this moment that even after Maoists’ positive response to join the competitive democratic process, the threat of foreign interference has not been eliminated. Perhaps they know it may emerge under a new banner and new slogans. The country needs serious thinking over this alarming fact.
Following the people’s movement II, the power of the King has already been curtailed and he is sidelined, and the new threat to Loktantra now seems to be foreign intervention –which is more dangerous and deadly.
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