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| Kathmandu Saturday April 13, 2002 Chaitra 31, 2058. |
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A house divided
In a highly charged campaign ostensibly designed
to tame the unruly and the disgruntled within the Nepali Congress (NC), the party’s
central disciplinary committee expelled Minister for Information and Communications Jaya
Prakash Prasad Gupta from the party for one year the other day. On the face of it, the
Koirala camp was enraged with Gupta for apparently supporting controversial remarks made
by the Chief of the Army Staff. He is not alone in incurring the displeasure of the party
high command, however. Other NC leaders like Dhundi Raj Shashtri, Badri Narayan Basnet,
Chhabi Prasad Devkota and Keshav Marattha met a similar fate. Minister for Women, Children
and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel, however, got away with relatively moderate punishment
a couple of weeks back. They used their right to expression rather too recklessly, or so
the Koirala dominated CWC said. In the name of maintaining discipline, party insiders say,
the Koirala camp is over-stretching itself, propelled as it is by its frenzied desire to
topple the Deuba government. This so-called disciplinary move appears to be just another
tactic to send out the message that the Koirala faction is a force to be ignored at
one’s own peril. Since the declaration of the state of emergency, NC supremo Girija
Prasad Koirala has gone about trying out one recipe after another to reclaim the
premiership he reluctantly abandoned about seven months ago. Surprisingly, none of his
tactics has made any dent thus far. Koirala’s prescription of a Broad Democratic
Alliance did not work out. Nor has his warning letter to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
borne fruit, although that is not likely to discourage Koirala who knows the game of
survival all too well. And if he fails to rein in his urge to power in time, it will be
ominous for the party and the public in general which has entrusted it with a mandated
responsibility. Any misconduct or attempt to create instability in these times of national
crisis will only serve to erode the party’s already dwindling popularity and further
taint its image. Ironically, the words of NC leaders, who never tire of equating the party
with democracy, are not in tune with their actions. Their tall talk is painfully at odds
with the crucial social and economic indicators. Burdened with a slew of domestic
problems, the escalating Maoist insurgency topping the list, political instability is the
last thing the public needs. And in the thick of this grave crisis, some irresponsible
political leaders are jockeying for power. The public is silent but watching all along; a
befitting response could come at the next elections. For most of the last twelve years
since the restoration of democracy, the NC has been in office. And all the ills starting
from corruption to insurgency have been attributed to the party’s incompetence and
lackadaisical attitude. Also, the party has earned itself a reputation over the years for
harbouring the most corrupt political leaders, who are slowly emptying the nation’s
coffers. Ministers involved in corruption charges are in office, and other NC loyalists
remain far from the loop of the law. Reviving democratic culture within the party, in the
true sense of the word, is not that easy. But it’s not an impossible task either. A
sense of urgency and duty should dawn on former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai,
Koirala and Deuba alike. The Nepali Congress is already a house divided. Any misstep now
might bring it to ruin. |
