Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Headline

INDEPTH ANALYSIS:
Koirala continues to fight at several fronts

Kathmandu : Undoubtedly, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is at the center-stage of the country's politics.

Analysts conclude that it is Koirala and Koirala alone who has remained instrumental in handling the current turbulent politics of the country with such a finesse that many a brains both within and without bank on his political acumen firmly believe that he can only provide a safe and peaceful landing to this country more so after signing the peace-agreement with the rebels.

Imaginably, Prime Minister Koirala has uphill tasks ahead even after the accord of peace is signed with the Maoists.

He has, if on the one hand, to convince his countrymen and his foreign friends that the Maoists will henceforth abide by the terms and conditions stipulated in the agreement, on the other, he has equally to "persuade" the militant rebels and their leaders to act and abide by the norms and the behaviors that are demanded of a democratic system wherein the latter have practically been forced to enter.

Surprisingly, the rebel leaders, more so the top-hats of the party, obey the "instructions" of Koirala alone and that by this time it has already been proved that if there is some one to tame the fierce leaders of the bygone era, it is only Koirala and Koirala alone.

Not so many people know that Koirala is playing smooth and all-accommodating politics in the country and that too at a stretch. He has so many cards under his sleeve to be used or what is being already used in order to bring the country's politics under his total grip. For example, firstly, he has to bring in the Maoists to the main political stream. Fortunately, this job is almost done at least in words. Secondly, he has to disarm the rebels from their weapons. The accomplishment of this tough job is currently underway which hopefully will settle in a month time or so. Thirdly, he has to discredit the dogmatic and rotten communist ideologies' practiced by the Maoists by luring them all to embrace the democratic system by imparting in them a sense that whatever they have wished for long could well be achieved and accomplished if they assimilate themselves in the participatory democratic system. The Maoists appear to have almost abandoned their dogmatic ideas at least to some visible extent.

The fresh speech made in Delhi by Prachanda in the midst of the known democrats of the globe was a grand departure from his old speeches wherein he used to eulogize the communist ideologies by aggressively coming heavily down against the prevailing democratic system in the globe. This should mean that sooner or later, Prachanda will embrace the system now in place in the country albeit providing several excuses in order to keep his die-hard cadres in good stead.

The credit for all this change of heart in Prachanda goes to Koirala which, if he has wished to attend the Delhi meet, could have easily done it so but he did not do it so for a variety of political reasons.

The fact is that Prachanda after the Delhi meet is bound to change himself or else his new credentials will be challenged even by his own trusted and tested colleagues in the party.

Fourthly, Prime Minister Koirala has to bring about a grand fissure in between the two communists-the UML and the Maoists. He has to do so in order to bag gains at times of the CA polls. Fortunately or unfortunately, the two communists' parties have begun attacking each other which is what apparently Koirala desired.

Fifthly, Koirala has to bring the UML to its size keeping in mind the illogical comments currently being made by Madhav Nepal against him and Prachanda.

By aligning himself with Prachanda, Koirala has already indicated Madhav Nepal and his party that in politics such absurd does happen. The UML got a Himalayan jerk from Koirala when the latter the other day told point blank that those who would like to remain outside the interim cabinet can do so and that the country's politics that is to take a formal shape within days can't remain hostage to some one's whims.

This should mean that Koirala is determined to announce the Interim cabinet even without the participation of the UML.

Sixthly, Koirala appears determined to keep the UML and the Maoists tussle going for an indefinite period. The political reason understandably is to exploit the advantages from such a Maoists-UML feud. Bluntly speaking, the UML of today appears to have been reduced to the ranks of a mere Nepali NGO demanding recognition from all and sundry. The UML if it wants to survive in the political arena as a party then the party must push its "original nationalist posture" or else its extinction from the political scene is inevitable.

Seventhly, Koirala has a two pronged task vis-à-vis the monarchy.

While, on the one hand he would wish to cut the wings of the monarchy, on the other, he would prefer to guarantee the institution of the monarchy come what may. This should mean that Koirala preferred a monarchy with wings cut.

And finally, Koirala has to reunify the two congresses in order to secure greater number of seats at time of the CA polls which will not only guarantee the congress rule even after the polls but would also ensure the continuation of the institution of the monarchy.

All put together, Koirala's political acumen remains at par excellence. With so many duties and obligations in his head and shoulder he is marching ahead as if for him things will come automatically his way of thinking.

One has to admit that TIME also has come to his side.

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Indian establishment flatter Prachanda with a design?

Kathmandu : New Delhi is not that bad as is being projected by some in Nepal .

Similarly, New Delhi 's South Block establishment is not that "diplomatic" and clever in its conduct with her smaller neighbors as she is being highlighted in these countries.

The sum total is that India more often than not gets "exposed" from her own diplomatic follies.

Poor India and her British trained diplomats made a Himalayan blunder that is sufficient to expose this country in the eyes of the world's democratic leaders and nations.

However, it is not that they committed this blunder unknowingly. They did it with ample courage ignoring as to what its impact would be time permitting to her namesake "democratic" image among the comity of nations.

That India has been playing double with Nepal so far as the Maoists issues were concerned came to the limelight when she out of sheer excitement invited, of all, Nepal's rebel leader-Comrade Prachanda-to attend to a massive gathering of world's known democratic leaders.

The purpose?

As is usual with India , she has had to kill two birds with one stone.

By using Prachanda New Delhi wanted to signal their own Naxalites (Indian rebels much similar to Nepal's Maoists but greater in dimension and strength) that even insurgencies of the sort of the Nepali Maoists could be easily tamed and that if the Naxals preferred a solution to their objectives they can do so by toeing the Maoists line to what the latter have been doing in Nepal.

Secondly, through the use of the speech at the gathering and later the press conferences held in the Indian capital by Prachanda, New Delhi sent abundant signals to Nepali nationalists and the leaders in Kathmandu that " Nepal can not move even a single inch politically if they ignored the "Indian hegemony" in Nepal .

In doing so, India also made it clear that if the Nepalese leaders dared to criticize the past controversial treaties that Nepal have had with India, she will not tolerate such moves and could retaliate in any manner that would be suitable to them in that eventuality.

Thirdly, India by inviting Prachanda also sent signals to Prime Minister Koirala that for the Indian establishment it is immaterial who ruled Nepal . What was important for India was that who "could best serve Indian interests in the coming scheme of things in this country".

To recall, it was Koirala who was praised by Indian Premier upon the formers' arrival in New Delhi early this year wherein he had stated that "Koirala was the most respected leader in the entire South Asian region.

How come so sudden Prachanda could replace Koirala's stature?

Certainly, the Indian establishment sees immense potential in Prachanda's personality who could apparently deliver goods to India if held in good mood.

Here lay the Indian designs which perhaps Prachanda understands.

Interestingly, as per the expectations of New Delhi , Nepali leader in the making did not utter a single word in favor of Nepal . Neither he raised the issues of controversial treaties with India nor he touched upon Indian encroachment of our soils at different parts of Nepali territory.

And this is what India expected from Prachanda. Nevertheless, Prachanda raised these issues while he was back in his own territory and that too in a subdued voice.

But then yet some of the utterances of Prachanda made either in New Delhi or in Kathmandu upon return have exposed not only Indian maneuverings in Nepal but also contributed to the presumed theory that Prachanda in some way or the other remained under the protection of Indian establishment while in hibernation in the last decade.

The manner Prachanda had been greeted this time by the Indians, including some former Premiers, while in India gives some space to conclude that Prachanda's New Delhi hibernation period was not that troublesome as some within and without would interpret. This is loaded with meaning.

Who else better knows about this than Ambassador Shyam Saran and now Shiv Shanker Mukherjee!

Prachanda's becoming emotional at a local Delhi gathering does speak of his excessive interactions( which must have culminated in intimacy) with the local academia and friends from the RED community which was only possible when he should have spent much of his highly publicized hibernation period in Delhi. This means that Prachanda rarely visited Nepali jungles in order to provide instructions to his militia but instead some other junior level commanders did this on his behalf.

All put together, what becomes clear is that New Delhi was playing double. She was with the Maoists. She was with the Nepali establishment even when the King ruled.

What has also become clear is that for the Indian establishment the red corner notice still valid in India for the Nepali Maoists were a matter of no concern.

India gives platform to Nepal 's rebel leader. India concurrently denies meet with the top-hats of the Indian establishment to spread the information around the globe that how can she honor a rebel leader having an infamous tag intact.

Though India has been exposed this time very badly but then yet by allowing Nepal 's rebel leader to attend the democratic conference she must have calculated that after attending the conference, Nepal 's rebel leader will come to terms with the democratic norms.

And this is so because Prachanda has become less "aggressive" towards this system wherein he is supposed to enter very shortly.

Analysts wish to alert Prachanda not to get carried away by the flimsy welcome he received in New Delhi . For him national interests must remain a top priority. The rest Prachanda knows how to deal with India because of his long associations with Indians.

Analysts also wish to ask this question to the Indian establishment as to in what or which capacity they invited Nepal 's revolutionary leader for the Hindustan Times sponsored meet? What political stature Prachanda possesses at the moment in their eyes?

Because he is a promising leader of the future who could be made Madhav Nepal time permitting? Or a rebel leader who could convince their own insurgents to toe his "changed" convictions?

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Pakistan rebukes Prachanda's "claim"

Kathmandu : Analysts say even in the advanced countries the practice of "planted question first" is frequently seen in vogue.

Some cite examples that even the US administration brings at times this practice into use as and when she concludes that such planted questions were in the larger interest of the President and by extension that of the country itself.

No wonder that the Indian media persons put such questions as and when they are told to do so by their masters seated in invisible seats inside the premises of the South Block establishment.

The Indian media persons have a habit of asking about the increasing penetration of the ISI-the Pakistani intelligence agency-in the Nepali scheme of political things. More over they use to ask practically all the nepali leaders who unfortunately happen to be in New Delhi as to why the Nepali government has been so lenient towards the ISI men who, in their presumption, create havoc in their territory using the Nepali soil.

These were the questions which fall under the category of planted questions.

This time also when Prachanda was in New Delhi , some Indian media enthusiasts as a matter of ritual raised the same question.

Prachanda upon listening to this question, however, admitted that "one person who claimed to be from the ISI had approached him and had wished to extend support to him".

Look at the wordings of Prachanda while answering the question.

Prachanda does not guarantee that the man was from the ISI. Instead he says "who claimed to be one from the ISI…"

There is the difference in having met a real person from the ISI and claiming to have met one. Claims are claims only which possess no authentic proof.

But then yet, Prachanda by "claiming" that he was approached by some from the ISI, however, did not mention as to whether he was under the influence of the RAW?

Prachanda's stoic silence acquired vis-à-vis the RAW machinery is baffling which encourages Nepali analysts to smell the rat in his implied assertion that he was once upon a time approached by ISI men. But where? He remains tight lipped.

Should this mean that he made such implied allegations against Pakistan only to please India for certain political gains in Kathmandu ? And this is exactly what the Pakistanis have said in their fresh rebuttal to Prachanda's allegations.

Pakistanis have reasons to rejoice that Prachanda has used a word (read claim) which provides them with a clean chit for the word "claim" in itself is a meaningless word that carries no meaning.

The Pakistanis have one more reason to be pleased with him.

Prachanda, knowingly or unknowingly, has said that "because of their heavy presence in the country, the ISI activities, if any, have come to the lowest ebb.

By extension this means that Prachanda hints that though with their presence the ISI activities have come to a new low, however, he sees-by implication to what he said of the ISI- the excessive presence of the RAW activities in Nepal .

Even a dull brain can deduce this inference from what Prachanda said of the ISI's minimum presence in Kathmandu . If ISI is at its low should automatically mean that RAW has become all pervasive in this country.

All in all, Prachanda though with all good intentions wished to save and please the Indian establishment and its all pervasive RAW machinery but concurrently through his speeches and press meet damaged more the RAW than what was expected of him by his friends in New Delhi.

A news printed in Samachar Patra daily dated November 21 says that Pakistani Communications minister Tariq Azim took Prachanda's allegations against his country in a very light mood. Look how he cuts joke at what Prachanda said: " It could be that since they have just returned from India they might have made such observations in order to please some one".

The Pakistani rebuttal is loaded with meaning.

But then yet what could be deduced from all these hupla-goopla is that Prachanda in one way or the other has annoyed Pakistan . IN what form the Pakistanis would react to his not-so-tasty political overtures against the country would have to be watched.

May be the Pakistanis would now decide to put their entire weight on those political parties of Nepal who possess hatred against the Maoists.

Analysts suggest Prachanda to abandon the increasing media craze that has gripped him of late.

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Provide 20% seats to youths: Sujata

Biratnagar/Ithari: The so far neglected Youths of the country too have found some kind souls in the political quarters to voice their genuine concerns.

To recall, the Nepali youths, mostly those who have been the victim of unemployment opportunities plus that of the armed conflict that ravaged the country over a decade have now begun listening of late voices that were in the favor of their upliftment, their role in the society and more so in the upcoming constituent assembly polls.

To come to the point, the NC leader, Ms. Sujata Koirala, last week laid emphasis on the important and the significant role of the youths of the country at time of the CA polls.

She, while addressing a seminar held in Ithari jointly held by the Grameen Foundation, Nepal in close collaboration with the Graduate Institute of International Studies- Geneva- entitled "Role of the Nepali Youths during the CA polls.

Ms. Koirala, who is the Chief of the NC's foreign relations department, further, suggested that the Nepali youths be awarded a total of 20% of the seats in the impending Interim Parliament and the interim government as well. She opined that unless the latent potentials of the country's youths were recognized duly by the State machinery, the Loktantrik system can in no way be institutionalized in the nation and hence she stressed the need to impart a sense of theirs being a part of the system.

She also revealed that her party would henceforth remain ever alert in utilizing the competence and the energy of the youths of the country more so those housed in the party.

Those who spoke on the occasion were, among others, UML's Town Secretary-Chandra Bhattarai; NC's Jib Nath Kafle; Sunsari District Election officer, Prem Luintel; Chairman of Democratic Idea Forum, Prof. Ananda Acharya, local Hariyali party chief, Puspa Pd. Luintel, Muna Chapagain from the civil society, Sachin Pokhrel-a local journalist and GIIS-Geneva, Mr. Navin Banjara.

Presiding over the seminar the Chairman OF THE Grameen Foundation-Nepal, Mr. Mukunda Subedi who is concurrently a journalist as well, also highlighted the role of the youths and opined that the youths must get what was their due from the state.

"The state must focus on the genuine grievances of the youths", concludes Mr. Subedi.

Prime Minister Koirala also had sent a congratulatory message to the seminar which was read out by Muna Chapagain.

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