Nov 03, 2006

Nepal is in a very explosive situation, which is a result of its own contradictions: realities vs aspirations of the people

By KESHAB POUDEL

Amid conservative social and cultural structures and subsistence-based economy, overwhelming Nepalese live under the shadow of radical political ideology and high expectations of modern economic world. Under this internal contradiction, Nepal has been passing through a very critical phase.

In the words of Gunnar Myrdal, an author of Asian Drama, it is the revolution of rising expectations in a typically underdeveloped country.

With more than 90 percent of population living in village, the country still has subsistence level agriculture economy whereas the aspiration of the people have gone higher by the awareness created by electronic media and multiparty system, which give access to a poorest of person to the competing political systems, in which  radical extremists are in the driving seat.

Political workers : High expections

As a result, the idea of revolution, insurrection or even terrorism easily catches the imaginations of adolescents and romanticists in the street and hamlets of rural Nepal . During the competitive elections, it does not emerge as decisive as the extremism has no social and economic base. It has an easy tendency to spread in the mind but has no attachment with social and economic realities.

Although Nepalese society is still conservative in all its sense, the extremist tendency appeared soon after the revolution of 1951 in various forms and characters. Since then, this tendency has been prominent in destabilizing political and social relations. Present day violence and anarchy has come as a changed and aggravated form of this same tendency.

“Slogans and slogan shouters have been changing time to time and their motivations too are different but it is the continuation of same form of extremism which has become number one problem of Nepal at present. This is as a product of inherent contradictions of the country between the realities and aspirations,” said a political analyst. “ Nepal does not need any enemy or hostile neighbor to make any political order dysfunctional. But if there is any unseen hand with a crooked design to maneuver political situation of this country, the god may fail to maintain a just and orderly society.”

Nepal is in an alarming stage of disorder which is much more aggravated by situation of regional turmoil. As a small and underdeveloped country in peculiar geographical setting, Nepal ’s present problems may have spill over effects beyond its border. If any short sighted machination inside Nepal with presumed outmoded concept of national interest instigates at the cost of other, this may have a counter productive results.

“Small countries like Nepal can hardly afford to promote their national interest at the cost of other nation. But there can be exceptions for a despotic regime which may promote the personal interest of the ruler as the national interest. In an open society like Nepal , there can hardly be such situation,” said the analyst.

Despite ups and downs, Nepal has maintained its openness and therefore it has no such imposing interest at the cost of others. Considering all these situations, now the problems of Nepal has to be dealt with in depth and broader perspective. Its challenges are two pronged –its own internal contradictions and the other, effects of regional turmoil on its internal situation.

International communities and particularly industrial western countries have relatively correct understanding and measures to deal with Nepal ’s inherent problems than what Nepalese leaders have with them.

The enormous amount of aid and support has been promised by the humanitarian concern of those countries but there is a lack of sincerity among the leaders in power. This is a fact which any right thinking person may confess. But the other problems was not getting enough serious attention before the involvement of western countries particularly USA in Iraq and Afghanistan .

After the US entry into the area, problems of conflict in South Asia are now being taken up seriously and Nepal is in priority of their challenging task. Before mentioning about their interest in Nepal ’s internal conflicts, one has to see how much eagerness is there among those countries to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problems by offering them accommodation in their own countries.

Now in the problems of internal conflicts of Nepal , western countries have extended support through the UN also. British government has already allocated resources needed to operate office of UN secretary general’s special envoy to Nepal Ian Martin. Before the persons in power express the need of help, supports are coming from both UN and western sources. British Ambassador to Nepal Dr. Andrew Hall revealed this recently at his press conference.

“We hope the peace talk will succeed. Maoists must lay down their weapons before the elections for CA,” said Hall. Norwegian ambassador Tore Toreng too called on seven party alliance and Maoist not to disappoint Nepalis and international community.

Along with its mission to watch human rights situation in Nepal , UN has already sent expertise to help Nepal in decommissioning arms and monitoring the peace process. Even the leaders of Seven Party government are not definite about holding of Constituent Assembly Elections whereas the United Nations Development Program has organized a team of experts to enable Nepal for drafting new constitution.

“We are discussing the modalities of arms management with experts. Arms must be managed beforehand to ensure free and fair elections for Constituent Assembly,” said Ian Martin, personal representative of UN secretary general.

The US ambassador to Nepal is more under attack than any politician in power because of his persistent and vocal stand against parallel armies of rebel against the legitimate government.

The arms management has become a matter of concern to international community also because of their experience of several countries in conflicts in Asia as well as in Africa . “Maoists should not be included in the government until their arms are managed,” US ambassador James F Moriarty reportedly said in New Delhi talking with selected Indian journalists and intellectuals (The Himalayan Times). “Maoists will not submit their entire arms; they have a different grand design,” he is reported as saying.

“Yes, all these internal as well as external problems have to be dealt with in a broader perspective at the initiative of the national government. The people of this country particularly enlightened and vocal group have to consider all these problems while responding to any political demand of the pressure groups,” said the analyst.

While doing that, one has to maintain a balanced approach and moderation in all extreme and provocative situation. The help and response which Nepal is getting from sympathetic sources from international community needs proper response and involvement of the community particularly of government.

“Even if there are no external machinations in Nepal ; the inherent contradictions of Nepal may invite disorder and anarchy. If it is not tackled promptly and properly, its own inherent problems are so acute and explosive that it does not need any enemy or hostile neighbors to destroy its fabrics,” said the analyst.