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VOL. 27, NO. 10, November 02, 2007 (Kartik 16 2064 B.S.)
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DASHAIN RECEPTION
Meeting For Consensus
Organized by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, two major political parties, Dashain receptions provided unique opportunity to meet divergent interests of people
By A CORRESPONDENT
Many see the gathering of hundreds of people and party leaders in Dashain Reception organized by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, country's two major political parties, as just a jamboree. In practice, it has a political meaning.
Presence of unmanageable huge crowd showed that this kind of public reception has no meaning in other sense. However, this kind of reception is politically important in negotiations and reconciliation.
Started by Nepali Congress leader B.P. Koirala following his return from exile in 1977 as a part of reconciliation process, the Dashain Tea Reception continues to play an important role to bring all political forces together. Despite giving up political ideology of B.P. Koirala, Nepali Congress could not do away with this tradition.
When B.P. Koirala initiated the Dashain Reception, even he could not have imagined that this tradition was going to become a permanent character of Nepali politics to strengthen the political relations.
This is now a reality. In all kinds of circumstances, whether amid high tensions or normal relations, Dashain Reception has become a venue where political leaders of divergent interests and various ideologies find it comfortable to renew their relations.
This kind of reception has made such an impact that even CPN-UML leader Manmohan Adhikary started it since 1996 as a Dipawali reception. After Adhikary's death, CPN-UML has carried on the tradition by rescheduling the date.
"The presence of such a large number of party workers of different political parties and meeting of various political leaders proves again that B.P. Koirala's national reconciliation is more relevant today than ever," said Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala. "Nation and democracy will survive only through the reconciliation between all the political forces."
Like previous years, all political leaders and party workers attended two receptions. From prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala to CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and from Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara to Rastriya Janashakti Party leader Surya Bahadur Thapa, they all exploited the reception to try to bridge differences.
Along with the political leaders, the presence of foreign diplomats, senior state officials and retired bureaucrats were other highlights of the reception.
"This presence of party workers and party leaders of various political parties gave opportunity to renew political relations," said CPN-UML leader Raghuji Panta.
B.P. Koirala started the reception from a small room with presence of few politicians but the ruling Nepali Congress chose Birendra International Convention Center as a venue for this year's Dashain reception. And even that sprawling BICC compound became overcrowded as thousands of party workers and people from various walks of life jostled with each other.
Nepalese people and political leaders have demonstrated that they are accommodative towards each other. At a time when this kind of open political gathering is rare in other South Asian countries, it is still possible in Nepal.
Interestingly, when Nepali Congress workers and leaders were celebrating Dashain festival, King Gyanendra also received warm welcome in Bhaktapur Navadurga Temple. Contradictory to populist newspapers' negative publicity, King Gyanendra mingled with the crowd.
All in all, this shows that despite the armed struggle for more than a decade, Nepalese political culture is still tolerant and peaceful.
