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Quo vadis Nepal? Perhaps, no leaving Nepali, at the moment can satisfactorily answer that question. Nepal has become a rudderless ship in a vicious hurricane, full of ferocious pirates with no captain. At a time when the beleaguered country imperatively needed an honest, dynamic and patriotic leadership, a senile leadership with no sense of morality and integrity has been thrust upon her. More than eight months in office, the Seven Party Alliance government is still groping in darkness – directionless, involved only severe machinations how to keep the CPN (Maoists) out of power, who, despite not enjoying the seat of authority, are calling the shots. The SPA government can do nothing except looking helplessly and entreating the Maoist leadership to cooperate. The Maoist leadership, after missing the bus in April, are getting impatient to wield the scepter. They are not that naïve not to see through the designs of the powers that be who are scheming to keep them at an arms length from the seat of authority. And that’s why they are giving a blind eye to all the undemocratic activities of the SPA government. Isn’t it very strange that these so called votaries of democracy who cried their heart out at the undemocratic behavior of King Gyanendra and supported the public agitations against him, which have totally denuded him of all authority, are keeping quite mum at the glaring violation of all democratic norms by the SPA government? Why are they so much enamored of the stooge SPA government that is bent on compromising Nepal’s integrity? Why haven’t they said even one word against the most undemocratic draft of the interim constitution which is only meant to safeguard the authoritarian SPA regime by barring more than eighty percent of the population from contesting the elections? We have already suggested that it must be scrapped if the country is to be saved from going into civil war again. Because, no patriotic Nepali is going to sit quiet and watch the discredited politicians mortgage the nation’s sovereignty. Are these democratic countries trying to befriend the poor people of Nepal or helping the corrupt politicians to perpetuate their corrupt regime so that they and their lackeys keep on eating the plum all the time? We think, even the CPN (Maoist) leadership must have become wiser and started to see through the designs of the SPA government. By agreeing to align with the SPA which consists of mostly the branded politicians, Prachanda has not augmented his stature neither added to his charisma. Rather, both have been badly damaged. Can he believe that the interim constitution will be effective in ten days? How long will it take for the habitable barracks, with minimum facilities to be constructed for the Maoist cadres? When will the arms management be accomplished so that the Maoists too would become partners in the government? And pray, why the veterans of the Nepal army and the British Gurkhas are being sidelined in preference to the Indian Gurkhas? Only fools will not be able to see through the hidden intentions behind all these. Comrade Prachanda might have inexhaustible patience but the poor, destitute people of Nepal don’t. They need peace, food and shelter. They need medicines for their sick and education for their children. These basic necessities should no more be denied to these needy poor. We do trust that he is fully cognizant with the Nepali character - even poor they will not tolerate the quislingic behavior of the corrupt politicians and will rise up to defend their country. And Nepal’s security forces, despite the change in the supreme command, will not stay silent spectator of their nation’s disintegration.
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