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VOL. 27, NO. 18, January 11, 2007 (Paush 27 2064 B.S.)
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Elusive Peace
Anyone can diagnose the source of destabilization but nobody has the prescription to cure it
By KESHAB POUDEL
As Machiavelli once said it is very difficult to diagnosis Tuberculoses (TB) in early stage but it is very easy to cure it then; and it is very easy to diagnose but difficult to cure the disease when it is at the last stage. So is the political situation of Nepal.
When B.P. Koirala diagnosed the source of prolonged political instability and urged political forces for unity among themselves to preempt it, he could not find a supporter even in his own party. Ruling Panchas termed B.P.'s national reconciliation as a foreign-inspired slogan and his party followers saw reconciliation as a surrender to Panchayat and the King.
In his life time, B.P. reminded that Nepal needed reconciliation between the King and democratic forces. Whether in his message from death bed or through his interviews to Indian journalist Bhola Chatterjee, Koirala always upheld the view that alternative to reconciliation is unthinkable. For that would bring about our disintegration, he said.
People talk much about B. P.'s national reconciliation these days. From Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai to Girija Prasad Koirala to Kamal Thapa and Rabindra Nath Sharma, from two opposite sides of political spectrum - they are all telling about the relevance of national reconciliation.
As it is said there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies in politics, former Panchayati activists like Kamal Thapa and Rabindra Nath Sharma have now appeared closer to B.P.'s thesis of national reconciliation than B.P.'s own brother G. P. Koirala and his followers.
"B.P had visualized the whole area of South Asia as a zone of turmoil and because of that, a small country like Nepal- which is situated between two big giants - needed a broader national unity to uphold its integrity and independence. It is the basic tenant of the policy of national reconciliation," said a political analyst, who was very close to B.P. Koirala. "People talk more about the threat to the national integrity and independence these days than in the past. This kind of dangerous operation against Nepal was not visible at that time and the whole country had an ideal mosaic of multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-linguistic commitments. That seems to have been completely shattered and now, even a layman in the street is worried much about the peace and stability of the country than his own personal problem."
Although in public meetings, politicians harp radical slogans, they all express, in private conversation, same worries and concerns about the peace and stability of the country and, thus, its integrity and independence.
"Feeling the pulse of the people, politicians have occasionally expressed the concern about the peace and stability of the country. But, unfortunately whenever they take their organized political postures, they are carried away by a machination of destabilization reluctantly and helplessly," said the analyst.
Peace and stability is public agenda for politicians now. From prime minister to Maoist leader, they want peace. "Our foremost important work is to restore peace and stability," said prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, too, made similar calls. "We need peace and stability in the country. There is a threat to our national identity from external power," said Prachanda, who came over ground from decade long armed insurgency following a 12-point agreement signed in New Delhi with seven party leaders.
Similar comments come from Congress and CPN-UML leader. "Our priority should be to restore peace in the country. Otherwise, we cannot preserve our national integrity and independence," said CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Beside these leaders of major political parties, there are other parties, with smaller roles and insignificant impacts, who have also been expressing greater worries than their bigger allies. Former deputy prime minister Amik Sherchan, Naryanman Bijukchhe and Chitra Bahadur K.C of United People's Front are openly accusing India for its role in meddling in Nepali politics.
"Seven Party Alliances are compelled to sign the agreement under the Indian pressure. We all know how Indian officials are actively meddling our politics," said Mohan Bikram Singh, CPN-Masal leader.
All can see that the source of crisis in Nepali politics lies not in Nepal but across the border. "Unfortunately, Nepal lacks a large hearted and good neighborly attitude from India. Again remembering B.P. Koirala's much talked about interview to the India's weekly Dinman, where Koirala had said that India does not have a large heart as its size," said the political analyst.
“ India’s Nepal policy has two facets: security with stability; and ajdustemnts to democratic change. India does not find many problems in the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1990 but. Nepali politicians try to project their nationalist image by raising the issues of the same treaty. They also want India’s favor when they need. But continue to apply the same old strategy of trying to corner it by kneejerk response to criticism from various quarters,” writes Lok Raj baral in his article in (The Himalayan Times January 8 2008)
Nepal has many liberal and dependable well wishers in the democratic countries of the world. They have done enough on their part to salvage Nepal from this crisis of unstable politics - which is characterized by all kinds of unruly agitations, violence and separatist tendencies.
"Now the pertinent question is regarding the correct diagnosis and correct treatment of the problem. A decade back Maoists thought that parliamentary institution was hoax and therefore they raised the arms against the smoothly functioning parliamentary democracy.
"In early days, people thought that Maoists had linkages with International Revolutionary Movement (RIM) and Shining Path of Peru. Nowadays when Maoists have become successful to get a share in the parliament as well as in the government, nobody talks about RIM and Shining Path. There are reports now in most of the newspaper regarding their stay in India and their links with Indian agencies," said the analyst.
To understand the nature of crisis more explicitly, one has to go through the worries and concerns of Nepal's two closest neighbors, as both of them want guarantee of their security from Nepal.
Founder of Nepal King Prithivi Narayan Shaha illustrating Nepal as a yam between two boulders had indicated the coming difficulties and vulnerabilities of Nepal to survive as an independent nation.
" Nepal would not have survived with its long history and long continuity of political identity in the absence of any one of these two. Instability occasionally erupts in Nepal of insurmountable dimension like the present one. The present one has been the most disastrous and widespread than any time in the past because of the developed technology and easy accessibility. But this is not a completely new phenomenon in Nepal," said the political analyst.
American scholar late Leo E. Rose, in his book Nepal: Strategy For Survival in 1971. writes, "to Kathmandu, the current potentialities of external domination and subversion are not very different in kind- though they may be in degree – from those with which Nepali' governments have had to contend for at least two centuries. And if the problems are not particularly new, neither is the repertory of response devised by the Kathmandu authorities."
Nepal has survived despite all brunt and scratches. There is a great interaction going on with whole of the world community through all kinds of technological support from aviation to electronic means. This may be the reason skyline in Nepal has two contradictory scenarios. On the one hand, there has been killings and signs of annihilation but at the same time the whole country is vibrating with economic activities and mass awareness.
As Nepal's two neighbors have yet to settle their differences, peace has been elusive in the country. "Unless India and China repair their damaged relations of early 1960s, Nepal has to go through a prolonged instability as its geo-strategic position is yet to become a yam between two boulders," said the analyst.
