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| Kathmandu, Monday February 17, 2003 Falgun 05, 2059. |
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Act responsibly
The decision of some
political parties to boycott the meeting called by Prime Minister Chand appears to be
guided more by confrontational politics, which this country is by now fed up, than by any
real motive to help establish peace and security in the country, or to really uphold the
1990 Constitution. With or without the Constitution, the Maoist problem, all agree, is the
biggest ever faced by this country in recent times, including the Panchayat days. The
Maoist threat was a threat to the very survival of the nation, not merely a challenge to
one political system or the other. The Maoist goal may have been to establish a
totalitarian communist regime but its fall-out can certainly affect the territorial
integrity of this mountain kingdom. The truce announced by the government and the Maoists
almost three weeks ago was a major relief to the common people from the armed conflict and
the resultant insecurity. It is also an opportunity for political parties to set their
priorities right and think in the right direction. An important question to be asked at
this crucial point by political parties is whether the government-Maoist truce should get
the priority it deserves in their agenda, or the question of the legality or
constitutionality of the present government. It might help if the parties, which are
supposed to reflect the views of the people, for once venture out amongst the common
people and feel the pulse and get their opinions on the truce. None will rue the day when
political parties listen to the voices of the people instead of dictating them what the
people should think.
The quest of political
parties especially those that were represented in the dissolved parliament is not merely
understandable but needs to be appreciated. Democratic system is something that must not
be sacrificed for anything, but at the same time, political parties ought to understand
the need for peace and security in the country. It was basically for the absence of peace
and security that elections had to be postponed, also at the behest of political parties,
and this had cost Deuba his prime-ministerial chair. Hence, while political parties must
not lose sight of the democracy and democratic values, they must not also play the
stumbling block to the peace process. Posterity will hardly ever forgive them if they do
so. Political parties have had seven long years to try to bring the armed Maoists under
control and also to end the insurgency through talks. This was not successful as after
three months of truce, the Maoists resumed their politics of violence. The number of
people, who were killed in the insurgency, have been on the high side, but ten-fold more
have suffered and are still suffering because their bread earners and loved ones were
killed. Political parties need to undertake a sincere self-examination and take flexible
and responsible attitude towards government-Maoist talks. |
