Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Biratnagar: How could have Girija Prasad Koirala envisioned in advance that his one point-agenda for the restoration of the Parliament could have so much and so many things in store that would one fine afternoon change the entire structure of the country?

In effect this is the general question being raised in the academic and the intellectuals of Biratnagar-the hometown of the legendary political personality-Girija Prasad Koirala, whose political career in the past decades have remained almost controversial both within and without his party.

But the hard fact is that Prime Minister Koirala who is definitely seated in a heated-pan has made this miracle to happen last week.

It was a time when his house restoration agenda had not only become a laughing stock in and among his own partymen but a matter of high-flying "impossible" agenda even in the Kathmandu's diplomatic circuit wherein it was debated that that Koirala's agenda neither could press the unyielding monarch to yield but even if the parliament were restored as per the wishes to the lanky Koirala it could not deliver as promised by Koirala.

However, now after two years of his relentless struggle in favor of his agenda, he has not only won the battle but has also succeeded in making a history of his own in the annals of Nepal's political history.

While making his own history, Koirala concurrently blurred the image of the ruling monarch to the extent that Nepal's monarch now has no political space left for him to maneuver but instead been forced to embrace the future as charted by the all-sovereign parliament.

Intellectuals in Biratnagar have plenty of reasons to rejoice over Koirala's political fiat that in the manner the latter so smoothly and convincingly managed all the differing voices which were at the initial phase against the restoration of the parliament in his favor but so easily seduced the Maoists even to add strength to his agenda.

All put together, he gained a new political strength which ultimately forced the monarch to yield in his favor and the latter restored the parliament but presumably he had nor expected that the parliament restored by his command would do so much harm to him and his ancestral titles.

Question here remains: Had the monarch restored the parliament if he knew beforehand that the house restored through his command would do every thing to initiate processes to eliminate his Royal prerogatives? Knowing the results beforehand, had he invited troubles for himself and that too in a quick succession? If so what other options were left for him to proceed to satisfy the growing demands of the mass? What if he would have opted for other options other than the restoration of the parliament? Would the people have accepted his fresh political offers?

Equally significant is the question that had Koirala envisioned that if the King restored parliament then he would use the parliament as a new, effective and forceful political tool in order to tame the monarch in a manner that he did later?

Was his house restoration agenda aimed at this direction which he never ventilated at least in his public speeches?

Or was it that some time later some "intelligent brains", both domestic and international, whispered in the ears of Koirala that he can use the restored parliament this way if and when the King yielded to the people's pressure?

Or was it a sort of Maoists brain which opened the eyes of Koirala and his colleagues housed in the agitating alliances who later so suddenly provided a full-sovereign status to the parliament that is rarely found in the pages of world history?

Questions galore indeed.

Nevertheless, the fact is that Girija Prasad Koirala-the otherwise not so intelligent political personality comparatively speaking has indeed made a history.

Look what a teenager in his hometown told to this scribe without knowing that he was ventilating his expressions in front of a Katmandu journalist this Saturday evening, "I had simply heard about the brilliant brain of late B.P.Koirala. I was told that Girija Prasad Koirala was a political personality albeit but who never cared for practicing internal democracy in his own party. But look the manner he has accomplished this miracle, I am forced to believe that had his late brother been alive, he too would have said of his younger brother, BRAVO and KUDOS!

Nevertheless, a section of independent brains possess different views over Koirala's recent political victory. They say that the victory was bagged by Koirala by default because the Maoists "extended their full strength to his struggle against the King".

Sounds though surprising but the hard fact appears not that distant from what they say albeit in private.

Maoists' earth-shaking show of strength in Biratnagar

Kathmandu: The Maoists will not settle for less. This becomes abundantly clear from their messages that they have been airing through numerous lectures, speeches and radio programs at different places in the recent days and weeks.

What comes out to be precisely clear from what they have been talking politically is that whatever political gains they have achieved or accomplished so far were only the "tip of the iceberg" and that they will advance much farther than what their colleagues in the seven party alliances, now in the ruling clique, have thought of.

This means that they have, as much is visible from their fiery lectures made Saturday afternoon in Biratnagar, taken the fresh gains as only one step forward towards their final goal which is, in their own words, continues to remain the republican agenda.

Analyzing further their fresh avowals expressed with firm determination what appears to be for sure is that the Maoists will press their seven party colleagues to the wall until the latter would cry, its is enough now!.

Certainly the ruling clique which has not yet been able to take a formal political shape appears frieghtened listening to the Maoists fresh agenda and their threat-loaded declarations.

The fact is that the ruling cabinet is trembling with fear with what is being said by the junior level activists of the Maoists and appears to have taken proper note of the country's politics when the Chief of the Maoists insurgency, Comrade Prachanda, will appear in person?

Looking at the sea of men converged from every possible nook and corner of Biratnagar and the far flung areas nearby this town, what now remains not in controversy or any sort of dilemma or even say illusion that if the Maoists so wish or desire they can easily overwhelm the country-if the Biratnagar mass were any indication.

Those young boys, cadres, activists and the junior level leaders who have had come to Biratnagar to attend this particular zonal assemblage were all beaming with pleasure perhaps thinking of the days ahead which in their mindset were theirs and no force on earth could deter them from approaching to their proclaimed goals.

The mass meeting was an indication that the Maoists were every where and any where but for a variety of political reasons and compulsions were not visible to the people and the then government.

One analyst put his impressions about the Maoists fresh upsurge this way: "to me it appears that the Maoists have made it known to all and sundry that their first battle with the King was over for the moment. I sense that a day will come soon when the Maoists will overpower the parliamentary forces now in government and steer the country's politics in a way that suited to their final and ultimate agenda. Clearly, to me, the Maoists will fight their next battle with the political parties".

Yet another political scientist who teaches political Science at the local Mahendra Morang Campus says that the Maoists have clearly exhibited that they can swing the politics of the country their way and there were plenty of indications to this effect that they will act accordingly".

Nevertheless, this scribe found yet another set of intellectuals who took the Maoists fresh political overtures in a natural way. They claim that what was the harm in testing the political acumen of the Maoists leaders if they come to join the government. This set more or less expressed disgust the manner the country was being ruled since all along the 1990s by various governments including a small portion of the rule by the monarch himself. All have had dismal performances.

This set, as a matter of fact, opined that after all the Maoists too were sons of the same soil and hence they be allowed or even encouraged to rule.

How they will rule will have to be watched? concluded this set of intellectuals.

All in all, Biratnagar and its suburb have become all Maoists which hopefully were the same elsewhere as well including the very capital district of Nepal government.

How the political stalwarts in the seven party alliances take these Maoists' political unbelievable political advances with a greater percentage of success will have to be carefully watched.

Maoist's high command must allow economy to expand; tame errant cadres

Kathmandu: It has not for anything been said, "old habits die hard".

This exactly fits into the acts of extortion, prolongation of forced donations' terror and uninterrupted acts of intimidation being carried yet by the Maoists.

Nevertheless, what is also for sure is that the high-command might not have told its lower-rung cadres to go in for such acts even after the party has repeatedly been assuring the people and the international community that they would henceforth wish to join the mainstream politics of the country, but the ground reality speaks just the otherwise.

The leaders seated in the high command albeit at times ventilate their feelings that they have had to continue seeking donations for carrying out their day-to-day duties of "governance" of what they call "people's government".

Sounds logical indeed but the terror that now exists in and among the business community speaks bit different.

If one were to believe the words and the mental torture to what they have been subjected to by the now free Maoists' cadres at their factories/business establishment, analysts are forced to believe that it would take pretty long time in order to tame or discipline the low-rung Maoists cadres by the men seated at the top rung of the party. Until this happened, the Nepalese businessmen and the leaders of the Nepali industries will have to endure this torture. This is their fate for the moment.

Voices of serious concerns have already been expressed by the responsible quarters in government over the Maoists words inked in the twelve point agreement and the deeds that they have been at the moment doing on the ground,

To be precise, finance minister Dr. Ram Saran Mahat the other day talking to the Nepali media even hinted that if the acts of harassment of the businessmen continued for long by the Maoists sector, the impending talks with the rebels might even get a "major set-back".

If the meaning underneath the words of Dr. Mahat were any indication over the extent of worry that the government had been feeling over the acts of continued extortion, the government will either be forced to take this matter straight to the perusal of the Maoists high-command or would send signals to the other camp that unless the other camp brought about a complete halt to such practices, the talks with them will have to be suspended sine die.

But then curiously enough, the Maoists middle-level leaders have made it pointedly clear that they have been only seeking donations from those "willing ones" but have never forced any one to donate.

Be that as it may, the fact is that the acts of seeking donations, whether by will or otherwise, is in prevalence. The fact is also that the government knows about this fact. And more significantly, what is also for sure is that the Maoists too have their own sort of compulsions which forces them to go in for forced donations. Undenyingly, the high-command wants to abide by the letter and spirit of the twelve point agreement in strictest sense of the term but for a variety of political compulsions, it can not bring about an abrupt change in its policies. Or it could even be that some of the party's cadres might not be under the control of the high command! This also could be a possibility because those who have had already made it a habit will do so until and unless the high command disciplines them with penal actions.

In sum, both the government and the Maoists appear to have been struggling hard on how to come out of this "menace" unscathed.

How Maoists' will fare with India and US when in power?

Kathmandu: The newly appointed deputy prime minister with the portfolio of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khadga Prasad Woli must have angered the Maoists camp to the hilt when the former in his inaugural briefing session with the Kathmandu based diplomats said in no uncertain terms that the new "Nepal Government" remained form and determined against all "forms and manifestations" of terrorism anywhere in the world.

The Maoists have resons to be angry with Woli on some counts, for example, the Maoists suspect the very political credentials of UML leader Woli who has recently been elevated to the ranks of the Foreign Minister. In essence, the Maoists top-hats were not that happy with his selection as the country's foreign minister for one believed that they knew some thing very special about Woli and his clandestine nexus with some invisible powers near and far.

Secondly, the Maoists leadership immediately after the conclusion of the movement are on record to have said that Woli have had no contribution at all in favor of the movement but has been rewarded a pretty handsome and key portfolio.

And now Woli has spoken or has been made to speak the "standard" line of any government in the world that they were "against" terrorism in any form and manifestations.

Maoists circle in Biratnagar claim that Nepal's foreign minister had been influenced by some powerful countries to make a reference on terrorism and thus abiding by the instructions, the minister made the declaration much to the discomfiture of the Maoists.

Now that the Nepal Government has lifted all the tags related to terrorist activities, the Maoists have become a common men like any general Nepali people and the parties. However, there are some powerful countries yet in the world which have yet to scrap their names from the groups of the terrorists.

Notably, the United States of America is one such country in the globe which has though sent congratulatory messages loaded with diplomatic niceties to the incumbent new government of Nepal but has no where in her statement touched upon the Maoists.

This means that the US will take some more time to look for herself or through its own diplomatic mission in Kathmandu whether or not the Maoists' changed political actions and behaviors were befitting to a political entity with a growing penchant for entering into the competitive politics as per the twelve point agreement and their subsequent speeches made thereafter in favor of multi-party system, the United States of America will presumably keep the Maoists camp in the same list where they have been at the moment.

The Americans must have taken proper note of comrade Prachanda's fresh interview in Janadesh weekly wherein he has talked in negative of the arrival of Richard Boucher to Kathmandu who happened to be here just minutes after the successful conclusion of the movement. Prachanda saw a conspiracy in Boucher's arrival to Kathmandu on such a crucial time. He suspects that Boucher might have come here with an ulterior motive. And in the same interview he explodes at the manner Ambassador Moriarty stood against the twelve point agreement on February 15 early this year after it was inked in Delhi on November 22.

Analysts in Biratnagar opine that with India, the Maoists can manage "working relations" if they come to power. However, in the consideration of the Maoists, say Biratnagar intellectuals, America will continue to be their number one enemy.

But then how the Americans reciprocate to the Maoists scathing criticisms and allegations will have to be carefully watched.

Local analysts presume that sooner or later, the Maoists too will have to change their policies vis-à-vis the United States of America much the same way as the UML did in its initial days if one were to recall.

For the UML, the US was an imperialist power and the India was an expansionist State.

As of today, the UML perhaps is the best and the intimate friends of these two countries. The UML leaders love to send their kinds for Indian government scholarships and they possess a sort of pleasure when the UML leaders are picked up for a short trip to the US under the International Visitors Program.

What India means to a Nepali leader remains no longer a secret now. Though Prachanda indicates that he was not that happy with the manner India exhibited its double standard at time of the movement when it had already taken a new height. Time will only tell how Prachanda will take up his first four point demands contained in the forty point demands of the Maoists which generally were of Nepal's national importance to which the Indian see as anti-Indian demands. Some Nepali heads will certainly collide with the Indian heads time permitting if Prachanda remains determined in his commitments.

Whether the Maoists will change itself in due course of time on the lines of the UML will have to be also carefully observed.

The fact is that the conduct of politics in Kathmandu can't move an inch without having the support of the two countries mentioned above. Even if one does not need, Indian envoys provide it for free.

If the Maoists can do it without their support, their political acumen will be tested.

Enbrief

Buddhist monks ask the Government to hold talks in Lumbini

Kathmandu: "When there is peace in mind then there will be peace in reality. But when we do not have peace in mind then talking is valueless,” said Nirrardan Sihanuk, a monk from Thailand, said.

“So we ask the government to hold talks with the Maoists in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha,” he added.

Hundreds of Children injured during SPA protests

Kathmandu: Hundreds of children were injured in violence during recent protests aimed at overthrowing the King rule and restoring democracy. The Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center found that 224 children below 18 were injured in different parts of the Kathmandu Valley during the recent movement for democracy. Another 49 cases were discovered in towns outside the valley. Among the total injured, 119 were below 16 years of age, according to the center's investigation.

One girl was killed, 21 children sustained bullet wounds, 34 suffered head injuries and 29 had fractures in different parts of the body.

Sixteen new bird species found

Kathmandu: During a five-day excursion undertaken by a 32-member team of Nepali Bird Education Society (BES), in the altitude ranging 1275 to 1875 meters, as many as 16 new species of birds were found in central Nepal. The new species of birds were found in the area between Hugdi of Dhading and Hatiiwang of Chitwan district.

As the region remains almost untouched, more species could be discovered there in future, the team said in its press release. The new bird species include Large niltava, orange-flanked bushrobin, broad-billed warbler, striated laughing-thrush, chestnut-crowned-laughing thrush, streaked-breasted-scimitar babbler, silver-eared mesia, red-billed leothrix, cutia, rufous-winged fullvetta, whiskered yuhina, rufous sibia, fire-breasted lowerpecker, pale blue flycatcher, Asian house martin, and black eagle.

US has no interest in prescribing the architecture of Democracy: Boucher

Kathmandu: With a newly reinstated parliament and ambitious proposals to draft a new constitution, Nepal has a "hopeful" but "limited opportunity for peace," says Richard Boucher, the U.S. State Department's assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs.

The United States stands behind the people's right to make choices through a free and fair political process, and "will stand against any who attempt to deny them the freedom that is their right," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs during a hearing May 18. Boucher said the United States has "no interest in prescribing the architecture" of Nepal's democracy.”