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Nepal’s biggest national festival – Dashain – is just at the door. This festival has always given all Nepali, wherever they be, joy and happiness in a family reunion without any distinction of big or small and rich or poor. But ever since the country has been embroiled in violent insurgency, a pervading gloom has overcast this festival and no Nepali has been able to celebrate it like in the olden days. But this time, even the very feeling of joy or happiness is conspicuously absent. Despite the success of Jana Andolan II, the country seems to be lost in the fog of ineffective administration and personal aggrandizement of men in power. Not only lack of peace and political stability, not only the persisting fear of abductions, extortions or killings and not only the autocratic behavior of the forcibly reinstated so-called democratic House of Representatives but the anti-national policies of the opposition-less authoritarian SPA government led by the ailing octogenarian Girija Koirala also has filled the hearts of all patriotic Nepalis with deeper apprehensions that the very sovereignty of the nation is being imperiled. How self-interest and partisan feelings corrupt even men of integrity can be easily seen in the workings of the present House of Representatives in Nepal. We know the House does contain some members who are patriotic and loyal to their country and men of highest integrity. It is simply beyond our comprehension how men like Amik Sherchan or Baldev Majgaiya can tolerate the present atmosphere in the House and continue their participation? While writing this note we came to know from BBC the news about the coup in Thailand. Does this coup give any message to Nepal? Nepal’s security forces are not only world renowned, they are also very patriotic and most dedicated to defend their country. They cannot be demoralized in any manner. Will this SPA government also try to learn something from this Thai coup? Is the SPA government preparing the pitch for Jana Andolan III? These are some pertinent questions to which the SPA government must not delay in finding reasonable answers and work accordingly. They must not fail to realize that proxysm never pays and always boomerangs. We do hope our message gets home even as a change. We also hope the Maoist leaders, too, must have become wiser by now to fully understand that piggy-backing has the dangerous possibilities of sudden falls that could prove fatal. To conclude, we would like to pray to Durga Ma to grant wisdom to all those who have lost their path to return to their track and wish all our countrymen will enjoy their Dashain in a free and fearless atmosphere.
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