Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Dateline

Niraj Aryal

The incumbent chairman of the CPN-ML, Chandra Prakash Mainali (CP) recently talking to a local radio station in Kathmandu affirmed a covert foreign hand in the current quagmire in the party ranks that led to the state of a vertical split in his party.

Amid all splits in the communists ranks declared as ideological differences or gluing ups interpreting the acts as need of the hour, this split in the CPM-ML has gathered plenty of notice as there has been voices from both the Maoists and as well the UML during the same period for an all communist alliance before the Constituent Assembly polls.

Mr. Mainali, who is also considered as an advocator of the broader communist alliance, had to bear the brunt of division within the party that resulted in an undue attention in the media that the communist parties in Nepal do not deserve. For example, Mr. Mahara, the highflying Maoist leader recently accepted that in the past he was associated with the Nepali Congress. Perhaps in competitive politics changing ideologies and changing parties are acceptable. The present day communist leaders who basically share similar histories are experienced enough to handle such issues.

Further, Mr. Mainali talking to the radio station accused foreign power centers that are clearly having their say into the Nepali politics at the moment, not wanting the Left wing in the country to form an alliance by creating such rifts within the Communist paraphernalia. Mainali in the same vein charged his former brethren for being a courier of those mysterious centers and also alleged them for trying to drag the country into the state prior to the heroic deeds of King Prithivi Naryan Shah to unite the country that was divided into countless number of small principalities. Whereas, leaders from the other camp in the CPN-ML instead blamed Mr. Mainali for toeing the Royal line for showing his concern over the issue of forgetting heroes of Nepal of the likes of Prithvi Naryan, thus smearing the glorious Nepalese history. Such allegations and counter-allegations are common in Nepal.

Concerning the issue of formalizing one among the two groups in the CPN-ML, there has been no declaration yet made by the concerned government authority.

To recall, the CPN-ML is also a partner in the current SPA led government in Nepal. However, hearsay indicates the problem in the party rank and file is not more than the issue of representation in the interim parliament.

To add to this saga, the new Nepal government scrapped the public holiday to observe the national unity day to remember King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s gallant effort to unite the country. Further, a ceremony to show respect to the recently renovated statue of King Prithvi in front of Singhdurbar that was destroyed during Janandolan-II, was disrupted by student wings of various political parties.

However, just in front of the main entrance to Singh durbar-the Prime Minister’s secretariat, Saif Ali Khan- an Indian film hero stands tall encouraging the Nepalese to become alcoholic. His full-size portrait also symbolizes visible Indian economic dominance in Nepal. This now amounts to a question: Who is the Nepali idol?

The non-entity Saif Ali- Posing for the Indian Economic Dominance or King Prithvi Narayan Shah- a towering personality by all accounts is reminding us all for the maintenance of national unity?