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VOL. 27, NO. 7, September 28, 2007 (Ashwin 11 2064 B.S.)
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The 2006 April agitations that sounded the death knell of the two hundred thirty eight years old kingly authority were the direct sequel of the self-destructive and insensitive behavior of King Gyanendra. He and his handful of sycophantic cohorts not only precipitated the down fall of the authoritarian monarchy but also betrayed the people by pushing the very institution to the brink of the precipice from where it might, any day, fall into the bottomless pit of ignominy and death. The myth that the institution had bound the heterogeneous Nepali society into a strong unit has been shattered for all time and now the Nepali community stands splintered into small irreconcilable units that can be more easily used to keep the poor country into continued destabilization so that interested parties may always fish in the troubled waters to serve their own designs. In such an uncertain situation, the country is expected to go to polls for the Constituent Assembly. That the country most urgently needs a constitution prepared by its own people is the only need of the hour with topmost priority. But to use the utopian means to achieve one’s objective not realizing the underlying impracticalities would be nothing but sheer foolishness. A Sanskrit proverbs says” There can be no desirable end to a task started with ill intentions”. And there can be no ray of doubt that the intentions of the incumbent government are not only ill but out right evil. They are bent on depriving a very large number of (hundreds of thousands) people from exercising their fundamental right to vote. As long there is no total peace in the country and the law of the land is applied without any obstructions and as long the lakhs of displaced persons are not rehabilitated in their villages and homes, how is it possible to hold a free and fair elections? If the elections are to be a farce and the international community wants that, so be it. Otherwise, the powers that call themselves guarantor of equality, freedom and democratic rights must step forward and stand behind all those whose rights are being trampled under feet by the unconstitutional government. As a matter of fact such an historic act of elections to the Constituent Assembly for framing a constitution of the country by the people must be conducted by a national government that commands the confidence of its entire populace. A government which has no constitutional validity and is blatantly subservient to alien powers must not be permitted to conduct such elections. Since the constitution only has to be the arbiter what kind of government our country should have, no political party, howsoever big or powerful, has any business to suggest that Nepal must go republic. Moreover, the Maoist have not yet been tested by the Nepali people. They must fist establish themselves as a legal political party. So far, they have only used bullets not ballots. They must realize that bullets don’t count. Only ballots count. Moreover, we don’t think they have not realized the urgency of the two factions of Nepali Congress to unite at this juncture. Since the knowledgeable Nepalis are very well aware who was behind the division and who is behind the unification of the two factions of the Nepali Congress, we trust the Maoists tool would understand and bring necessary changes in their thinking and behavior, if they want to survive as an influential political force. Instead of going for polarization the Maoists, forgetting their past allegiance and mistakes, must try to win the support and confidence of Nepali people and emerge as a truly national and patriotic force. Can the Maoists fulfill the aspiration of the Nepali people? Or shall the Nepali people have to solicit to the savior to come to their rescue?
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