 |
| |
VOL. 27, NO. 8, October 05, 2007 (Ashwin 18 2064 B.S.) |
|
On The Red Bandwagon
Will Girija Prasad Koirala realize that the immoral and unprincipled politics is not cricket?
By NARAYAN KARKI CHHETRI
Politics makes strange bedfellows. That is a common refrain. Last week, an uncommon scene surfaced on the political stage of the country’s largest party.
As the Nepali Congress got re-united after about six years, the party ended its six-decade-old policy.
Girija Prasad Koirala presided over the party’s conversion into a republican outfit.
The constitutional monarchist centrist party thus rode on the long-standing communist bandwagon.
The younger brother of the party’s founding leader, the late B.P. Koirala, bade adieu to the policy of national reconciliation.
But another founding leader, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, bade good-bye to the party over the party’s abandonment of the late Koirala’s time-tested policy.
Prime minister and de facto head of state Girija Prasad Koirala deemed it opportune to preside over something he had opposed throughout his life, in the earnest hope that the move would ensure his continuation in the office.
Bhattarai thought it immoral to remain in the party that apparently chose to defy him (see: box).
If the subsequent events are any indication, Koirala’s hopes look less likely to materialize.
Jolting his hopes are none other than the Maoists whom he wanted to please by riding their republican bandwagon.
The Maoists are now pressing him to go a step forward: declare the country a republic without a popular verdict. They also want him to turn back on a previous agreement: the mixed election system.
Koirala would perhaps be not averse to the fresh Maoist demands. But he has resisted himself, because he is no longer sure of the next move of the former rebels.
One is not sure if he has learnt a hard lesson at the fag end of his long political innings:
immoral and unprincipled politics is not cricket. It can get you out anytime no matter how you play your shots.
On the wrong side of the eighties, time may be running out for him – physically. But it is not too late yet for the veteran politician to correct himself and his party.
Let wise sense re-dawn upon him to revert to the national reconciliation as called upon by his long-time colleague, Bhattarai.
A nation of 25 million people sandwiched between the rival nuclear powers with a billion people each can simply not afford a head-on confrontation between the country’s traditional and modern forces.
APPEAL BY KISHUNJI
Dear Mr. President and all members of the Mahasamiti,
I had felt great happiness at the unification of our dear organization, the Nepali Congress, which had remained split since a long time. That's why I forgot my physical handicap for a day, attended the unification conference and stayed there for long and expressed support (for the unity).
Despite that, this historical organization has totally forgotten the country's all-time leaders, the late B.P. Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh, in the name of a total and meaningless slogan of a federal democratic republic.
So, I will have no relation or contact whatsoever with this party. With a heavy heart, I am bidding a goodbye to you all colleagues for ever.
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai
Bhainsipati
Sept 26, 2007
MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
The Nepal Multilingual Education Symposium jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Sports, Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies and Central Department of Linguistics, Tribhuvan University, UNESCO, and SIL International opened ON October 1.
The symposium was organized with the purpose of bringing key stakeholders from both the government and I/NGO sector involved in primary education together in order to build a common understanding of Nepal’s multilingual educational needs, states press release by UNESCO.
The symposium discussed issues including why students from minority language are at an educational disadvantage, what are the benefits of multilingual education and what steps are needed to ensure that students from minority languages are able to complete their education.
The Department of Education reports that 44% of all children have dropped out of school by class 5, and among the Dalit community 92%. Research indicates that language is considered a significant factor compounded by the issue that in many classrooms multiple languages are spoken.
Research conducted in many countries with multiple languages show that unless a child learns to read and write in their own language they are unlikely to learn to read and write a second language (such as Nepali) or even a third language (such as English) well.
“Those children who do not speak Nepali as their mother tongue face enormous challenges when they go to school and are taught by a teacher in a language they don’t speak and who uses textbooks in a language they don’t understand. The result is that many of these children stop going to school at an early age and are deprived of economic opportunities as they enter adulthood. Not only is this a huge disadvantage to them personally, and since only about 50% of Nepalese speak Nepali as their first language it is a significant problem for the nation as well.”
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE
Remembering Mahatma Gandhi
At a time when the cases related to violence have increased around the world including in South Asia, the global community celebrated the first International Day of Non-Violence by remembering Mahatma Gandhi.
For a country like Nepal, Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence is very important as the society is gradually heading towards more extremism and violence. Organized by Indian Cultural Center, Embassy of India and B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, many speakers spoke on the theme Universal Relevance of Non-violence at a function organized in Kathmandu to mark the day.
"Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence is very relevance for a country like Nepal which is embracing peace and democracy," said Indian ambassador Shiva Shanker Mukherjee, who has worked as an Indian High Commissioner for South Africa where Mahatma Gandhi experimented his non-violence and public disobedience campaigns.
Gandhi said, "I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills." There are only a few followers in Nepal who can really abide by Mahatma's non-violence.
Throughout his life Gandhiji spoke about tolerance which is one of the basic things of non-violence. At a time when Nepal has been passing through a violent phase there is growing sense of hatred and revenge. According to Gandhiji, one has to embrace love
against hatred and peace against violence.
Although Gandhi was born in India, his philosophy of non-violence has global significance. That is why, the United Nations declared October 2nd as the Day of Non Violence.
