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VOL. 27, NO. 17, January 04, 2007 (Paush 20 2064 B.S.)
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A Day To Remember
At this juncture of national politics, B.P. Koirala's national reconciliation is more relevant than ever
By KESHAB POUDEL
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BP Korala:Evergreen principle of national reconciliation |
"Today, our country is in a national crisis. All have realized that this crisis is getting heightened since the last few years. As a result, the very national identity has been endangered," said B.P. Koirala in the statement he gave on return from exile on December 30, 1976.
Although more than three decades have already passed since he issued the statement, Nepal's situation is getting much worse. From regional groups to ethnic groups, there are even demands for separation.
At a time when the country needs to have strong unity and reconciliation between the democratic force and traditional institution of monarchy, under the leadership of B.P.'s own brother prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the government is marginalizing the institution of monarchy by putting it in torture chamber?
Congress leaders particularly prime minister Koirala have sacrificed everything for the cause of power. Prime minister Koirala- who has a long history of democratic struggle, has given up morality, values and ideals for the sake of power.
Prime minister Koirala - who even recently promised that he will go even to hell to bring Maoists to mainstream and has pushed the monarchy – continues to preach the national reconciliation with his own interpretation.
For B.P. Koirala, monarchy was an important component of national reconciliation but junior Koirala prefers reconciliation without monarchy. Contradicting and distorting his own brother B.P.'s ideals and interpretation on national reconciliation, prime minister Koirala has invented his own version. "I have been following B.P.'s national reconciliation by bringing Maoists into political main stream," said Koirala. "Monarchy is no more a component of national reconciliation."
Even from his death bed, B.P. reminded his follower the importance of reconciliation between monarchy and democratic forces to protect the country from crisis. "We are in a very difficult situation. Our country, our race and our land is passing through a very difficult situation. We need to protect them. For this we need to maintain better relations with those institutions including monarchy which can protect the nation. Monarchy is such an institution which can contribute a lot to protect our Nepal, Nepal's nationality from outsider. Thus, we need to act cautiously. Otherwise the element - which has been destroying our nation – can use us to achieve its objective backing us from behind and supporting us."
"If our party follows what I said as reconciliation, our party and country has future. If party leaders give up reconciliation and take other way or decide to take support of foreigners or choose a way for confrontation with King, our party and country do not have future. If our party gives up reconciliation which I have interpreted, our party and country do not have future," said B.P. Koirala in his last message to the people (See King, Nationalism and Democracy page 153).
These messages given by B.P. Koirala from his death bed is now more relevant than in the past.
Till his last breath, B.P. Koirala had never compromised with his political ideals and commitments. Although he had taken many extreme steps including the armed struggle, he maintained morality in politics. Whether he was in prison or exile, B.P. Koirala always saw monarchy as an important component for Nepal's independent identity.
By pursuing the cause of national reconciliation, he pleaded unity between the democratic forces and monarchy. For B.P. Koirala, morality was the key in politics. He argued that the people and monarchy must combine, that there must be total understanding between these two elements of national life. The alternative to this is total ruin.
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PM Koirala: Self interpretation |
"If we have to exist as a nation, if we have some role to play in this part of the world, national reconciliation between the King and democratic force is the line. So I don't have any alternative to the present line in my mind. I don't think of any alternative to reconciliation. It is just unthinkable. For that would bring about disintegration of our country," predicted Koirala in his interview to Indian journalist Bhola Chatterjee.
As soon as prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala gave up B.P.'s national reconciliation and chose the confrontation with monarchy, what his senior brother had predicted is coming true. From the voices calling for disintegration of country to fast erosion of base of Nepali Congress, new tragic situation is emerging.
Whatever one says about the importance and relevance of B.P.'s national reconciliation, his own followers including his own brother GP Koirala, is in rush to sacrifice everything for the sake of power.
Nationalism and Democracy
The statement B.P. Koirala gave on return from foreign exile on December 30,1976:
After a pretty long period of exile, we are returning to our country. On this occasion, I would like to say a few words to the countrymen.
Today, our country is in a national crisis. All have realized that this crisis is getting heightened since the last few years. As a result, the very national identity has been endangered. Others have also admitted this. All including the King have from time to time referred to the danger posed to national identity. We are returning to home after realizing this grave reality. We think that the lack of national unity is a major factor for such a national crisis as a result of which foreign elements have started to become successful in playing their dirty games and making Nepal a center of international conspiracy. National unity can be achieved only through a collective campaign and efforts of all Nepali people. Such a collective campaign does also lay the grounds for the institutional base for the emotional unity of the Nepali people. If the sloganeering alone could do this, the national unity would not have suffered so much nor our country would have landed in such a miserable condition in the last sixteen years. Today, there is selfishness, communalism, individualistic practices and the tendency to have external-tilt is rampant in the country. In such circumstances nationalism becomes the first casualty.
Till yesterday, our struggle was confined to the attainment of the people’s democratic rights. That’s why, we emphasized more on the democratic side. Today, there is a new dimension added to it. A dual responsibility has befallen the Nepali Congress. This second responsibility is, safeguarding the national identity. We have visualized two fold faces of today’s Nepal : Nationalism and Democracy.
It means the Nepali people should take the responsibility of restoring democracy as well as safeguarding the nation. If we talk of only one responsibility we will be following the wrong track by being one-sided. And, if we emphasized only on the restoration of democracy, we will not be contributing to addressing this national crisis. Moreover, we may even fall into the trap of the foreigners by such one-sided action. Similarly, if we talk of the nationalism only, we will be repeating the same 16-years-old hollow slogans of nationalism, and will be siding with the authoritarianism. Such a hollow slogan of nationalism cannot generate an internal willpower in the countrymen to safeguard the nation. Therefore, we need now to understand that the national unity can be built on the foundation of democracy only. And the foundation of the democracy can be cemented by the economic development and the just economic system. Therefore we feel that nationalism, democracy and economic development are interdependent on each other.
It is well known that the Nepali Congress has taken historical and serious decisions from time to time in the national interest. The decision to wage the 1951 revolution and its executions are some examples. After finding that there was conspiracy to put off the elections forever, it took the leadership of national campaign for the holding of the elections. We received the cooperation from various parties in that campaign. Nepali Congress launched the resistance movement for democracy after the cruel and the fatal blow dealt to democracy in 1960. And today, we have taken this historical decision seeing the crisis the nation is facing. This is in accordance with the tradition of the Nepali Congress.
In the history of every nation there comes such moment when its people have to risk their lives to safeguard the national identity. We think, such a moment has come in Nepal today. Our well-wishers had advised us not to return Nepal seeing the dangers involved in it. We would like to tell them that we have taken this historical decision because the likely danger to our lives is nothing as compared to the danger to the nation. The workers of Nepali Congress have also shown the example of unprecedented courage and love towards nation by returning to the motherland following the party directives.
In this hour of national crisis, all of us should get united by forgetting and ending the past unhealthy debates, experiences and differences. Our program should be directed by the feeling that we will no more exist in the absence of our nation. I do not know what fate awaits me after I return to the country. Through this statement, as the Chairman of Nepali Congress, I would like to appeal to the entire countrymen that let us all unanimously unite in the pious task of defending the nation, its progress, happiness and prosperity of the people. If I get an opportunity, I will put forth my feelings before His Majesty also. The responsibility to save the nation is the common responsibility of all.
Jai Nepal !
Bishweswor Prasad Koirala
Dec.30, 1976
(This excerpt has been reproduced in order to re-emphasize the importance of national reconciliation)
