NATIONAL RECONCILIATION DAY
Is
National Reconciliation Irrelevant ?
More than two decades have already passed since his death. But B.P. Koirala provides spiritual leadership to the Nepalese people even now when they lack the leader of same intensity of thought and commitments towards national reconciliation. For his followers, national reconciliation day has become a ritual to celebrate. However, it is always of primary importance to the people of Nepal for their basic aspiration for democracy as well as independence of nation. At a time when everybody in Nepal has an inner turbulence in his/her heart regarding the fate of the country and its independence, the call of national reconciliation is much more relevant this time than in the past when B.P had propounded it
By KESHAB POUDEL
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BP Koirala : Leader of cause
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"Today, our country is in a national crisis. All have realized that this crisis is getting heightened since the last few years. As a result, the very national identity has been endangered. Others have also admitted this," said B.P. Koirala in the statement he gave on return from exile on December 30, 1976.
After three decades of his return from exile with this statement to the nation, this is more relevant now than ever before as the country is in transition and the situation is so uncertain that nobody can predict what will happen next.
As B.P. Koirala's own brother Girija Prasad Koirala is leading the country, it is certain that his followers will celebrate Saturday (December 30) as a national reconciliation day delivering statements and speeches but nobody will pay any attention to the essence of his national reconciliation and no one pays attention to his call for unity among all political forces to prevent national crisis.
"The term of reconciliation propounded by B.P. Koirala seems to have become liabilities to his followers in the party, which has led for three decades, at this changed contest of the nation but common people have realized its relevance more and more," said a political analyst. "During the painful periods of this country what the people adhere to is that their highly useful political need of the country has no taker in the national politics. In fact, as an adherent of democracy with all its contents of pluralism and the accountable government to the people on the basis of popular franchise, the spirit of the call of B.P.'s reconciliation was in essence an urge for democracy and right of self determination of nation."
Champion of reconciliation
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Common people : Faith in reconciliation
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Throughout his political career B.P. Koirala had always championed national independence as well as democratic ideals. "One can find him throughout his career championing these two basic ideals even in an unstable and changing situation of the country. Among the prime minister after the political change of 1951, B.P was for the shortest period in power but he has remained as the tallest politician in Nepal till now.
"It was not due to his leadership of the government and state power but he is remembered as leader of the real aspiration of the people because of principle and ethical stand in politics," said the analyst. “In the last message to the people in a recorded voice he was choked with emotion while assessing his whole endeavor as a politician.”
"If Nepali people want to give me credit, they should give me credit on only one thing that I understand the country's strength from within and I have made efforts to speak it. They should not give me credit believing that I have created a confusion," said B.P. Koirala in his recently published book Raja, Rastriyata Ra Rajniti. (King, Nationalism and Politics)
"One cannot avoid mentioning this contribution of B.P. Koirala while discussing the theme of national reconciliation at any moment of Nepalese politics. For his followers, it has become a ritual to celebrate it with a human show if they are in the power. Otherwise that celebration goes unnoticed to the people at large,” said the analyst
But national reconciliation is always of a primary importance to the people of Nepal for their basic aspiration for democracy as well as independence of the nation. The urge for democracy is universal which the people share everywhere according to their awareness.
Compulsion of Nepal
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PM Koirala : Where does he stand?
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"But on the question of national independence the awareness is much more higher in Nepal as this country is sandwiched between two highly populated and militarily most powerful countries of the region," said the analyst. "With both the countries, Nepal has porous border and both the countries have dissimilar political system as well as economic models. In such an unseen geo-political situation, Nepal has no facility to tilt towards one against other as both the countries are alert and vigilant to see that the other doesn't transgress the limit in Nepal ."
Even prominent American scholar late Leo E. Rose describes this limitation in his book Nepal Strategy for Survival when he writes that Nepal's two neighbors have also pursued their policy on Nepal in strictly limited space.
"Because of Nepal 's preoccupation with mere survival, its foreign policy inevitably has a psychological orientation different from that of larger states, including India and China whose physical attributes are in themselves a fairly reliable guarantee of security. Present day Nepal perceives its critical geopolitical situation in terms of a long tradition as a buffer state and with some deeply ingrained attitudes toward the policies and tactics required to maintain its political and cultural integrity," said late Rose.
According to the political analyst, in such a highly sensitive area, it is everybody's concern to see that Nepal maintains its equidistance with both and thus maintains its national independence. Equidistance of alignment is the geo-political compulsions of Nepal which even its neighbors can ignore with a risk or peril.
In his book Nepal 's National Defensive Strategy and Nepal-China Relation, published by China Study Center , Chinese Professor Wang Zong writes," Nepal 's independence is pre-requisite for Chinese security as Nepal 's falling under Indian security umbrella shall be constant threat to Chinese Security. Powerful presences of Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal-India open border are two issues, which cannot permit Nepal to accept security umbrella of that country."
Geo-strategic Importance
It has always been the writing on the wall to every patriotic person of Nepal whether it was King Prithivi Narayan Shah of the 17th century or a popular leader B.P. Koirala of 20th century about Nepal's geo-strategic location.
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"Now the time tested policy of equidistance has come into a severe test incidentally at the time when B.P. Koirala's own brother and successor-Girija Prasad Koirala is in the leadership of his own party - has a decisive role in the government as well as the state apparatus. As the way the government is tilting more and more towards the neighbor in the south, a grave concern is arousing the minds of the people about the wisdom and the integrity of leader," said the analyst. "Now burden is heavily upon the prime minister who has been exercising all the powers which were vested previously in the King as well as in the prime minister accountable to the elected parliament. Now the game plan is almost ready to do away with all these reminiscent."
As Nepal is facing very difficult situation, the country does not have leader like B.P. Koirala.
"That concern has made the call of national reconciliation of B.P Koirala much more relevant this time. B.P. Koirala has provided a spiritual leadership to the people even now when they lack the leaders with same intensity of thought and commitment. In his recent
publication of his tape recorded publication, he has again stirred emotional feeling for his call of national reconciliation but the cool hearted players in politics of Nepal don't have that courage and character to maintain the continuity of his thought. This is one of the saddest parts of politics in Nepal ," said the analyst.
Although there are many leaders in Nepali Congress who still worship B.P Koirala's portrait, there is hardly any person who can champion his views.
"B.P. Koirala Claims that he had not propounded any new concept or ideology. He had expressed what the people have in their minds and heart. While doing that he has always inspired and motivated by two basic ideals to champion - the pride of a citizen as well as the pride of nation too, said the analyst who was very close with B.P.
"At a time when the national reconciliation day is observing, under the supreme leadership of a prime minister Koirala, who has a long history of democratic struggle, the interim constitution has come in the totalitarian model of communist pattern making it a dictatorship of eight parties. Rest of the parties and people at large are all subject whereas those eight parties have become the ruling citizens in the resembling to
monarchical ethos as the King and his subjects," said the analyst.
Whether there is any person in national politics to push forward the concept of national reconciliation with the same fervor and commitment is a big question mark before the people and that opinion remains leaderless and without spokesperson.
Rights of Citizen
The other side of national reconciliation was much publicized and popularized in the country – it was related with the question of rights of a citizen in the form of democracy. It was one of the confirmed views of B.P. Koirala that democracy needs no adjectives
In several of his writing and speeches, B.P. Koirala has enumerated certain basic contents in it such as a representative government based upon universal franchise, independence of judiciary, guarantees for liberties and fundamental rights of the people, periodical elections and etc.
In his opinion, he said nation is not only a geographical unit it is a collective body of the citizen. In the question of democracy, he firmly believes that liberty of an individual is its prerequisite. As he said, democracy means contesting the periodical elections for self governance but in Nepalese context, it is a commitment to endure suffering and sacrifices
"There are three basic elements of democracy. One is that the people have democratic rights- freedom of expression, freedom of organization, freedom of press, and freedom of conscience; the second feature is the sovereignty of the state belongs to the people of the nation as a whole; the administration of the state should be in the hands of the representatives of the people. This means that government must be formed on the basis of the adult franchise, and the government should be responsible to the parliament that is elected by the people. And the third feature of democracy is that the independent of democracy," said B.P. Koirala in his one of interview with American Journalist.
"He began his political carrier with these two supreme ideals of independence of the nation and democratic rights of the people," said the analyst, “And up to his last breath he adhered to it.”
In his last message to the people he had said, "Our country is in a very difficult situation. Our country, our people and our identity is in a very difficult situation. We have to protect them."
As a liberal democrat he believed in the politics of compromise and reconciliation but not at the cost of principles. Now at this critical moment of transition in Nepal , the model of leadership B.P. has provided in the past is being recalled by people as a need for this country's salvation from all these fatal challenges.
One must feel pity for this country now that Nepal does not have leadership like there was in the past when country faced similar situation.
" Nepal had a leadership in the 17th century to champion the cause of national reconciliation and in critical period of 20th century also. King Prithivi Narayan Shah, founder of modern Nepal , at that time a visionary, said the country is a garden of all kinds of flowers. In his own language, the country of various castes, creed and ethnic groups. A visionary as he was, King Prithivi Narayan Shah was able to say that Nepal is a yam between two boulders in which Nepal has to preserve its own independence and identity," said the analyst. "Prithivi Narayan Shah was a conqueror, a warrior and a
victorious King. B.P. Koirala in the end of 20th century at his almost death bed said to a recorder that our country, our people and our identity is in crisis. Is there anybody in the politics of Nepal who accepts this challenge and claims that there is more popularly accepted alternative than the concept of national reconciliation propounded by B.P. Koirala?"
Although prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who has a long association with B.P. Koirala and who is the only living politician to know the essence of national reconciliation, is leading the country, nobody can predict the future political course. There are past experiences whenever prime minister Koirala tried to pursue the B.P. Koirala's national reconciliation, he was in political trouble having to face attacks from all fronts.
Now all the political parties including Maoists are hailing Koirala as a messiah of the country and even his opponents are writing for his nomination for Nobel peace prize for his recent role to bring the Maoists to national mainstream. Prime minister Koirala has gut to face the criticism at his last leg of political carrier?
"The people of Nepal need to know how much as B.P. Koirala 's his own brother and successor in his party Girija Prasad Koirala is prepared to comment and convince the people that he has maintained the glorious tradition of his noble brother," said the analyst. "B.P. Koirala's views were minimum necessities of this country but unfortunately there are innumerable people to pay high tribute to his personality but none is left there to champion the cause he pursued up to his last breath. Even his kith and kin are not visible to the people with the same intensity and commitments.”
As years pass, many familiar names in Nepalese politics are going out of memory of the people. Many of them had gone through great suffering and made sacrifices for the cause of democracy and the national independence but the name of B.P. Koirala is still instilling noble ideals and commitments.
Nationalism and Democracy
The statement B.P. Koirala gave on return from foreign exile on December 30,1976:
After a pretty long period of exile, we are returning to our country. On this occasion, I would like to say a few words to the countrymen.
Today, our country is in a national crisis. All have realized that this crisis is getting heightened since the last few years. As a result, the very national identity has been endangered. Others have also admitted this. All including the King have from time to time referred to the danger posed to national identity. We are returning to home after realizing this grave reality. We think that the lack of national unity is a major factor for such a national crisis as a result of which foreign elements have started to become successful in playing their dirty games and making Nepal a center of international conspiracy. National unity can be achieved only through a collective campaign and efforts of all Nepali people. Such a collective campaign does also lay the grounds for the institutional base for the emotional unity of the Nepali people. If the sloganeering alone could do this, the national unity would not have suffered so much nor our country would have landed in such a miserable condition in the last sixteen years. Today, there is selfishness, communalism, individualistic practices and the tendency to have external-tilt is rampant in the country. In such circumstances nationalism becomes the first casualty.
Till yesterday, our struggle was confined to the attainment of the people’s democratic rights. That’s why, we emphasized more on the democratic side. Today, there is a new dimension added to it. A dual responsibility has befallen the Nepali Congress. This second responsibility is, safeguarding the national identity. We have visualized two fold faces of today’s Nepal : Nationalism and Democracy.
It means the Nepali people should take the responsibility of restoring democracy as well as safeguarding the nation. If we talk of only one responsibility we will be following the wrong track by being one-sided. And, if we emphasized only on the restoration of democracy, we will not be contributing to addressing this national crisis. Moreover, we may even fall into the trap of the foreigners by such one-sided action. Similarly, if we talk of the nationalism only, we will be repeating the same 16-years-old hollow slogans of nationalism, and will be siding with the authoritarianism. Such a hollow slogan of nationalism cannot generate an internal willpower in the countrymen to safeguard the nation. Therefore, we need now to understand that the national unity can be built on the foundation of democracy only. And the foundation of the democracy can be cemented by the economic development and the just economic system. Therefore we feel that nationalism, democracy and economic development are interdependent on each other.
It is well known that the Nepali Congress has taken historical and serious decisions from time to time in the national interest. The decision to wage the 1951 revolution and its executions are some examples. After finding that there was conspiracy to put off the elections forever, it took the leadership of national campaign for the holding of the elections. We received the cooperation from various parties in that campaign. Nepali Congress launched the resistance movement for democracy after the cruel and the fatal blow dealt to democracy in 1960. And today, we have taken this historical decision seeing the crisis the nation is facing. This is in accordance with the tradition of the Nepali Congress.
In the history of every nation there comes such moment when its people have to risk their lives to safeguard the national identity. We think, such a moment has come in Nepal today. Our well-wishers had advised us not to return Nepal seeing the dangers involved in it. We would like to tell them that we have taken this historical decision because the likely danger to our lives is nothing as compared to the danger to the nation. The workers of Nepali Congress have also shown the example of unprecedented courage and love towards nation by returning to the motherland following the party directives.
In this hour of national crisis, all of us should get united by forgetting and ending the past unhealthy debates, experiences and differences. Our program should be directed by the feeling that we will no more exist in the absence of our nation. I do not know what fate awaits me after I return to the country. Through this statement, as the Chairman of Nepali Congress, I would like to appeal to the entire countrymen that let us all unanimously unite in the pious task of defending the nation, its progress, happiness and prosperity of the people. If I get an opportunity, I will put forth my feelings before His Majesty also. The responsibility to save the nation is the common responsibility of all.
Jai Nepal !
Bishweswor Prasad Koirala
Dec.30, 1976
(This excerpt has been reproduced in order to re-emphasize the importance of national reconciliation)
