Thursday, January 25, 2007

Politics never goes straight. It charts a course that learned men say is tipsy and curvy. Nepali politics can't be exception to the universal rule.

We appreciate the manner the incumbent government handled the January 20 would-be agitation of the agitating seven which not only averted an unwanted situation but also made the lives of the Kathmanduites easier. However, the manner the government arrested politicians and human rights activists also deserve bad words. Had the government allowed all those arrested to remain free on that day would have been marvelous if not the best. This is here that the establishment invited logical criticisms both domestically and internationally. We understand the concerns by Nepal's major donors and acclaimed democratic countries shown on the arrests of Nepal's prominent leaders and rights activists.

But then yet what can't be dismissed is the fact that to avert a would-be critical situation the government of the day can at times impose restrictions on the movement of its own citizens in order to safeguard the security of denizens. This is nothing new in our case. Governments around the world are on record to have imposed sanctions and limitations as and when the authorities see chances of disturbances in the existing law and order situation. Nothing new that Nepal as a nation-state did on that day. It so happens everywhere in the world. A sensible government must look for the betterment of its society members and should be allowed to act in a way that she considers appropriate for the well being of its citizenry.

Equally noteworthy is the restraint and sensible behavior exhibited by the wise-seven, let's call them, on that very fateful day by not crossing the limits. In doing so the agitating seven appear to have understood the intentions of the government and thus provided a free hand to the government to deal with the situation. Thanks are due to the agitating seven that they advised their grassroots' workers not to defy the government orders. Had they thought of disturbing the government daylong ban on people's movement in the valley they could have done so very easily but they did not do so for a variety of understandable political and humanitarian reasons. It is here that the agitating seven must be appreciated for their controlled behavior shown on that day thereby facilitating the law and order authorities to handle the situation on their own.

To create panic is easy indeed which through the wisdom of the seven party alliances got averted.

All said and done, the question then still remains: Why this sudden change of minds? Why the irritated and the Herculean adventurists' housed in the seven parties' grouping decided not to come to the streets on that day?

This is a question that the parties' in the alliances better know. Who else could know it better than those who took this decision. Still some political analysts in Kathmandu see some sort of "understanding" that could have reached in between the government and the agitating alliances partners. Moreover, what could have been decided in between the two, it appears, not to reveal this intimate understanding that had been struck in between the two sides, e.g. the government and the agitating partners.

Okay! Let's presume that there had been a secret arrangement in between the two. If it were so we appreciate both for having averted a situation, which possessed the seeds of unmanageable violence. If not then the parties in agitation deserve thanks for their wise decision, which saved the valley and its people from several sleepless nights.

That some, if not all, of the leaders contained in the agitating alliances had provided their tacit understanding to the government's idea of imposing a curfew to avert the would be panicky situation becomes clear from the manner some of the prominent leaders of the seven party have been duly released from their custody. Questions could be asked as to why not all but a few were released by the government? Should this mean that those who associated themselves with the government idea were released and those who differed have yet to see the light of the Kathmandu streets. This is meaningful indeed. This also establishes the fact that the course of politics is not a straight one, as some would believe it to be.

The rest should be clear to all.