Lack Of Tolerance
Can democracy flourish in an environment of intolerance?
By A CORRESPONDENT
On the day when rest of the world was observing the International Human Rights Day commemorating the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights that defined the collective resolve of mankind to respect individual freedom and rights, the students belonging to parties that have espoused the same principle launched unprovoked attack against another political party in Pokhara of Nepal.
The leaders and cadres of Rastriya Prajatantra Party were attacked by student activists just because they had said that their party favors keeping the institution of powerless monarchy alive.
The RPP-Nepal has said the attack has raised question on whether the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections can be held in free, fair and fearless environment.
A day after its western regional meeting Pokhara was disrupted by student activists, RPP-Nepal president Rabindra Nath Sharma, addressing a press meet in the capital on Monday, said, “It is a blatant attack against democracy, human rights and fundamental rights.”
Accusing the perpetrators of flaunting the principle of Might is Right, Sharma said that they wanted to impose their ideology and thinking on all others. Saying that his party will not bow down to such pressures, Sharma said he will continue to preach what he believes is right “for the country and the people.”
According to Sharma, student activists – 99 percent of whom constituted members of Maoist-affiliated union and one member of Congress-affiliated union – vandalized their meeting venue and injured a few.
“What leads me to claim that the attack was pre-meditated is the fact that they came along with media crew whom they must have pre-informed,” Sharma said. The student activists claimed that they could not let the pro-monarchists organize the meeting.
Sharma defended his party’s stance saying, “Our party believes that some form of monarchy – whether it be symbolic or decorative - is essential for this country for two reasons. One, in the absence of the institution, extremists will prevail. Another, Hindu religious zealots could create problem in the absence of Hindu monarchy.”
Sharma said that in Nepal , monarchy can survive only when the democratic forces are powerful and vice versa.
Countering allegations that he still harbored desires in favor of active monarchy, Sharma said, “I was one of the first persons who had opposed the October 4, 2002 steps by King Gyanendra and also the February 1, 2005 steps by him. Our party does not believe in active monarchy. And our ideology supporting symbolic monarchy should not be construed as meaning that we condone the actions taken by an individual King.”
Sharma also said that he believes a strong democratic front is needed to balance off the growing strength of leftist and republicans. “And such a front must be led by Nepali Congress and no one else,” he said.
Sharma added that the trend of Neo-Mandale trying to impose their thinking through the use of force must stop if the CA elections is to take place in a free, fair and fearless manner.
