Haunted By The Shadow Of the Past
Though the characters are different, Nepal's history of power struggle has repeated again
By KESHAB POUDEL
As it is said, history repeats itself. For many people, it is difficult to presume the recurrence of past but such is the reality in the life of many nations like Nepal. What has been happening in Nepal resembles the power struggle of about 160 years ago. Difference between now and then is the characteristic of political leadership, clan, elites and nature of pressure groups.
Under the leadership of military commander Jung Bahadur, modern and unified Nepal's major political upheaval occurred in the form of Kot massacre in 1846 when a political crisis led to a sudden bloody confrontation, assassination of many leading officials and the emergence of a new dominant faction that moved to monopolize its control over the critical institutions of government. Along with establishing Rana oligarchy, the famous Kot massacre of 1846 curtailed Nepal's monarch’s authority and power.
Similarly, the midnight pronouncement by King Gyanendra in April 24, 2006 was another turning point in the political history of Nepal. Although the nature of events and persons involved in the actions were completely different, the consequence is similar as it also diminished the role of monarch. Restored by the King under his own proclamation, the House of Representatives scrapped all powers, privileges and prestige enjoyed by the institution of monarchy.
Following April 24 mid-night proclamation, Nepal has seen many unusual and unprecedented political developments. In the name of mandate of Popular Uprising II, eight party governments have been legitimizing all their actions.
Oligarchy Of Different Form
Jung Bahadur, who took oath as a prime minister from King Rajendra, captured all the state power on the sword through a Panjapatra (Palm document) at the mid-night in Kot massacre establishing himself as the sole authority of state.
Whether it is coincidence or repetition of history, Girija Prasad Koirala - a person with enough democratic convictions and personal history of a long struggle against autocracy – has made a history by leading the present political event which brought similar result like in 1846.
Some interesting events are there in the history of Jung Bahadur period as well as Koirala.
"The difference was that Jung Bahadur's period was of family oligarchy but Koirala's period is of eight party oligarchy," said a political analyst.
Belgium-based International Crisis Group's has also made an interesting observations on the political situation. "Warning of a ‘new dictatorship’ are exaggerated but the peace process has so far delivered an oligarchy of party leaders rather than a popular democracy. Party leaders have shown little appetite for pluralism: the interim legislature will have no official opposition, royalist parties may be excluded from the CA …. In any case, ‘consensus’ decisions will leave most power in the hands of party leaders," states the International Crisis Group's Policy Report 26, February 2007.
"Managing the transition in the palace roles may also present difficulties: political leaders have skillfully stripped royal powers comprehensively but gradually, with no single step sufficient to prompt backlash," writes the ICG.
"A handful of SPA and Maoist leaders have controlled closed-door negotiations; limited parliamentary scrutiny has not even extended to recognition of opposition. The interim constitution has granted the prime minister and cabinet sweeping authority, subject to minimal checks and balances; the compromised independence of institutions such a judiciary has weakened the principle of separation of powers," adds ICG reports.
The description of 1846 Kot massacre presented by Leo E. Rose and John T. Scholz in their book Nepal Profile of a Himalayan Kingdom is very much closer to the present political situation. Like in the present when leaders of eight parties have even disqualified politicians to join politics on the ground of their involvement in previous royal regime, many Bhardars (local ruling elites) were decimated after Kot massacre. Jung Bahadur took several gradual steps to take over complete control over government. One of the first steps was systematic suppression of Bhardar families.
Jung Bahadur Syndrome
Following April uprising eight party alliance, under the leadership of prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala suppressed a large number of sympathizers of royalists allowing RPP led by Pashupati Sumsher Rana and Rastriya Janshakti Party led by Surya Bahadur Thapa only a limited involvement in the parliamentary politics. To isolate the King from military affairs, Jung Bahadur had taken control of all the senior army positions. Similarly, the eight party alliance enforced a new Army Act making prime minister as the Supreme Commander of Army.
"Some aspects of prime minister Koirala resembles Jung Bahadur Syndrome and, therefore, some harsh critics and cartoonists often compare his style with that of Jung Bahadur – who emerged into power as a daredevil having a military background. Koirala, on the other hand, has an activist background with enough of democratic convictions but the political circumstances of the country have forced upon him a political role resembling that of an autocrat," said the political analyst.
In his book, Tyasbakhat Ko Nepal, Ranakalin Akhire Tin Dashak (Nepal of That Time: Last three Decades of Rana) long experienced senior bureaucrat and diplomat late Sardar Bhim Bahadur Pande, describes how Rana prime ministers changed the seals one after another. Like Jung Bahadur who introduced Khadga Nishan against King's Lal Mohar, the eight party leaders have issued similar kind of stamp giving authority to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to ratify laws and other legal proclamations.
"Jung Bahadur was greatly concerned with systematic stability and adopted several measures to further this objective. Effective control over the military was an absolute necessity. This was achieved and maintained by the total monopolization of higher military ranks by the Rana sub-family faction dominant at any particular point in time. Neutralization of the royal family was also essential, and several strategies were employed for this purpose. The royal family was effectively isolated and lived under a virtual condition of palace arrest, being allowed to mingle with the elite or the general population only under careful supervision," writes Leo E. Rose and John T. Scholz in the book Nepal, Profile of a Himalayan Kingdom.
"The King's power to veto any act of government by refusing to place the royal seal (lal mohar) on the document was ended by the simple expedient of transferring control of the seal to the prime minister. Later, the prime minister concocted his own seal (khadga nishana), which was used for all but the most important documents," write Rose and Scholz.
Nepal's Hard Reality
Situated between two most powerful nations, China and India, external factor remains decisive in Nepal's internal politics whether in the Kot massacre or the recent political development.
Signing twelve point agreement through a negotiated settlement covertly arranged by New Delhi, the present political alliance came to power. Maintaining the good rapport, Jung Bahadur too had blessings of imperial British India government. "Good rapport with the British India government was established by Jung Bahadur relatively early in his period in office and before coming to power, guaranteeing its support to India," write Rose and Scholz.
As Rose and Scholz said, for Nepal to survive as a unified, independent state, some degree of stability was essential. Jung Bahadur restored stability overcoming anarchical and unstable situation. However, the recent regime change pushed Nepal from a relatively stable country to most unstable and chaotic - diversifying armed groups from one to dozens.
"It is a normal phenomenon for the foreign policy of any society to be strongly affected by domestic political and economic factors, and this is certainly the case in Nepal. But the reverse principle- namely, that international factors have a strong and often decisive impact on Kathmandu's domestic politics- is even more apparent. This is a painful fact of life for many Nepalis, and one that some of them would prefer to ignore. But despite intensive efforts over several centuries to isolate the country from alien influences of all kinds and to emphasize indigenous responses to new situations and challenges, the penetration of Nepal from outside is truly massive in scale and probably irreversible," writes Rose and Scholz.
Despite taking complete control of power, Jung Bahadur did give some symbolic role to the monarchy including as head of state. However, leaders of eight political parties, through new Interim Constitution, suspended monarchy and made eight political parties the supreme authority.
"Country's peculiar characteristics evolved in a long process of change with continuity. There used to be regime changes in Nepal in the past as elsewhere by wars, court conspiracies or other ways of force or overthrow of regimes. Nowadays such changes are made through revolutions which are called revolution of 1951, Popular Uprising I 1990, and Popular Uprising II, 2006. They were in the pattern of bloodless revolution. That way since its integration in 1768, Nepal has gone through three various upheavals and changes of historic importance. Persons involved and purposes pursued by them are different but some basic characters remain almost similar," said the analyst.
"Every nation has its own character with its own behavioral pattern in politics. What renowned writer Edward Crankshow described in his book "Shadow of the Winter Palace" is completely based upon that concept. According to the author, what Lenin, Stalin and others did in new Russia after communist revolution as ruthless dictators was in a similar pattern and behavior like that of during Tsarist regime. The way the Peter the Great and his successor ruthlessly ruled the Russia, communists under the Stalin regime followed the same pattern but in a different garb," said the political analyst.
