Turning Point

The Tenth General Assembly of the Nepali Congress taking place in Pokhara right now shall prove to be a milestone in the history of Nepali Congress. Those who get elected to the Central Committee today will provide enough signs of the future course of the party and will be an indicator of the strength and progress of the party in the right direction. This huge party which has a long and illustrious history of struggle and sacrifice has often been called a melting pot. This melting pot which is a suitable name, consists of an assortment of personalities and characters that by the sheer enormity of their numbers sometimes proves unmanageable. But this composition of the party is a legacy of Nepali Congress, or rather our struggle for democracy. The Nepali Congress is not merely a party, but a living testimony of the pains and sacrifices of those great souls who went on with their struggle even when there was no light at the end of the tunnel. No wonder that this particular crucible and its composition is too varied and too democratic. Too much of democracy within the party, which should have been a plus point, has often ended up in washing of dirty linen in the public which otherwise, elsewhere is done discreetly, away from the public eye. One debate that has caught the limelight as well as public interest in the recent years is that of the older generation versus the second generation. The demand for handing over of the reins to the second generation seems plausible at first sight, but is leadership is something that can be handed over? Besides is it something to bicker over that will ultimately weaken the party of such size and history, which also happen to be in the majority government? This call for second generation is nothing but attempts to debilitate the leadership, for passing over of leadership to the younger generation is a natural process. Time cannot be reversed and from among those who form the cadres in the organisation will emerge persons with the kind of vision, dedication and charisma that is required of a leader. The only condition is that patience, discipline and fairness are practiced and displayed within the party not only by the top ranking leaders but also by the party workers. If the forces that are working on division today direct their energy towards constructive tasks this particular crucible or melting pot could prove to be an example of how effective democracy can be if we practice a certain degree of discipline and restraint. And this election of the Central Committee, the kind of persons elected and the conduct of the party-men during the Assembly will tell a lot about the destiny of Nepali Congress.