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Kathmandu Monday February 25, 2002 Falgun 13, 2058.
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‘Time is not ripe for
constitution amendment’
‘I was also held as a Naxalite’
Speaker of the House of Representatives and a
former General Secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress Taranath Ranabhat, was not less a
revolutionary than anyone else when he took up gun against the then autocratic Panchayat
system three decades ago. Ranabhat, an MA, BL and B.Ed, took to politics in 2017 BS (1960
AD) primarily because of the influence of his father who suffered a lot in jail during the
Royal coup when the late king Mahendra did away with the democratic system. His father was
beaten up brutally on his feet and was hung upside down with his head facing the floor.
The authorities had hardly agreed to release his father, even to observe the obsequies of
his grandmother.
Recalling past experiences, the Speaker
shares his heart-rending events, which he had narrowly escaped. "I have so many
stories to tell," said a serious Ranabhat while his wife Narmada was listening
quietly seated on the next sofa with diamond like teardrops falling from her eyes. Narmada
has also languished in jail for the greater cause of democracy, experiencing several
hazards and obstacles she had been through. Born in 1944, Ranabhat took to teaching also
for some time during the rule of the Panchayat regime. "I was also a law
practitioner, mine is license No 619," he said, pondering into his past. "When
we were going to meet Subajnajee in India in 1971, I was caught as a Naxalite soon after I
got off the train in Kolkata and detained for about four hours. My friends got me
free."
Speaker Ranabhat, who has served a six and a
half years jail term, spoke to Rudra Sharma of The Kathmandu Post on Saturday morning.
Excerpts:
The Kathmandu Post: Since violence is
escalating all over the kingdom and the Maoist problem is rather compounding, what is the
way out? What may be the solution to the Maoist problem?
Ranabhat: Three things
should be carried out simultaneously to quell the Maoist issue. First, the arms taken by
the Maoists should be returned through the mobilization of the army. The role of the
security forces should be limited just for disarming Maoists. Second, we should counter
the Maoists ideologically and thereby draw them to the negotiating table. Thirdly,
corruption must be addressed. Corruption is the root cause of the Maoist problem.
Development should be given to the people at their doorstep. If development is implemented
in the villages, then the Maoists cannot cash in on unemployed people.
Since the army has been mobilized for
the last three months, what is the main cause that has led to the army’s inability to
achieve success as expected?
Lack of information and proper organising of
intelligence are the major causes. Information is the main force now. People do not feel
secure when providing information to the security force. Our intelligence should be highly
classified so that people can freely provide information without any fear. The environment
should be such that people could provide information freely without any threat.
Since the opposition has been
demanding for amendment of the constitution and government, including the ruling party
that has accepted the demand of the opposition. What is your reading about the amendment
of the constitution?
I personally think the time has not come for
amendment of the constitution.
How will the functioning of
Parliament be from now onwards?
Parliament will run smoothly.
Since many Bills have been termed as
‘finance Bills’, this has created some chaos on the nature of the finance Bill.
Comments are rife that the Speaker should have checked it? What do you say about this?
Yes, many Bills are termed as finance Bills
and the practice has created some problems. But I have checked the trend to a certain
extent.
Since you are discharging a big
responsibility as the Speaker, are you getting enough time to look into your constituency?
Yes, I agree that I am not providing enough time
to my constituency. But I will never lag behind in fulfilling my duties and
responsibilities to the constituents and the constituency.
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