Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Second Impression

The self-styled civil society members who had become more vocal than the politicians during the royal regime have fallen flat.

Some members of the so-called civil society, I am told, have gone crazy and have been talking nonsense against the political parties with whom they had expected some booty in the just formed interim parliament. I can understand their mental agony because the manner they have had extended their “free and unconditional” support to the agitation, definitely they had expected some tangible rewards from the political parties they were affiliated with even in an indirect manner. However, things turned up side down and the political parties who “used and over used” the strength of the so-called civil society at time of the agitation brought instead their own near and dear ones to the interim parliament concluding perhaps that the members of the civil society were a bunch of crooks who could be used and over used once again when the time so demanded in the future as well.

In a way the politicians made it known to the fire-brand civil society members that they were no more no less than lap dogs who could be made happy if a piece of meat is thrown in front of them.

The manner the high flying civil society bunch have been sidelined by the entire political paraphernalia does speak that in politics this much should not be taken as an evil act.

My own analysis has been that the civil society as such should be confined to act like a pressure group as per its definition but not vie for posts and perks.

I have been listening to the frustrating comments made by some civil society aspirants wherein they provide an impression that they have been cheated by the politicians. They perhaps must have come to their senses in fully understanding the traits of Nepali politics that is in vogue after the 1990 movement.

Long time back when I was in America, I saw for the first time a handy camera in the departmental stores. The camera had a nice look. However, what was painfully disturbing for me when I learnt that the camera could only be used for a time. Get the 36 shots, unroll the celluloid and throw the plastic apparatus. That’s all.

Now I am reminded of the same when I have been told that not a single civil society man has been picked up for the post of the interim legislature. Some even tell me in private that a congress leaning civil society vocalist is on the verge of going mad. Let’s pray for him and the likes.

May be the Nepali leaders knew in advance thatw the members of the civil society were no more superior to the Use and Throw camera who could be used when their support was needed.

The dollar-earning civil society members must have cursed the politicians who perhaps had assured them that time permitting their contributions to the agitation would be duly honored. However, this was not in their fate. Wait until the next agitation please!