EDITOR'S NOTE
The recently concluded convention of Nepali
Congress does not seem to have strengthened Girija Prasad Koirala's fragile position,
neither as Party president nor as Prime Minister. As a matter of fact he should have been
able to command an unassailable leadership by virtue of his party's absolute majority in
the parliament and his strong showing in the party. But the spate of demand for his
resignation from the post of Prime Minister is rising steadily every day. Girija Prasad
Koirala has lost all credibility. Except a handful of sycophants, a few close relatives
and insignificant member of the mercenary party cadres, he would hardly find a man with a
kind word for him. His commitment to root out corruption, ensure good governance and
provide total security to the people has proved to be nothing but empty rhetorics of a
power hungry corrupt politician. The charges he had leveled at his predecessor to oust him
from the chair of the Chief Executive have boomeranged against him in a more devastating
manner. If he had even a tiny bit of wisdom Girija Prasad Koirala should quit peacefully
in the overall interest of the nation. But Koirala is made of different kind of stuff. He
will not bat his eyelid to sacrifice his country's interest, if he can make his coterie
happy. As such, he is not going to oblige his critics bat use all means in his power to
stick to the chair. Portents, as they are, signify bad days ahead. If there is any one who
can save the situation from deteriorating, it is the king only. Although we do admire his
patience and faith in constitutional monarchy, we do urge him not to forget that both
sides have to play by the rule. If one party is bent on ruining the country, the other
party cannot afford to stay a silent spectator. If he has certain obligation to preserve
the constitution, he has even bigger obligation to preserve the integrity of the country
and safeguard the lives and property of his twenty two million poor people. It need not be
emphasized that the country and the people are bigger than the constitution.
* * *
The more than a decade old Bhutanese refugee
problem, many may think, is on the way to be resolved. But, we would rather not come to
such a hasty conclusion. Because, if Bhutan does agree to take back all the refugees, why
did it drive them away from their home and hearth? It seems so unnatural. Even though she
has agreed for spot investigation and has sent her first team, the resolution of the
vicious problem does not seem to be easy. It is going to be a long drawnout and laborious
process. That the Bhutanese refugees should have come to Nepal is in itself quite
surprising. Without a contiguous border, even of Nepalese origin, the Bhutanese refugees
should have stayed in contiguous India. But the first few batches of the refugees had
reported that they were forced by the Indian Border Security Force to come into Nepal. And
after that all those who were driven out of Bhutan followed the same course. The
involvement of Indian B.S.F. in the influx of Bhutanese refugees to Nepal is indeed
incomprehensible. But one thing is certain. India could play a very positive role in the
speedy solution of this vexing problem if she agreed to use here good offices with Bhutan.
But she insists this is a bilateral problem and must be resolved bilaterally. That India
follows different pattern in her relationship with here two smaller northern neighbors is
there for anybody to see. Where as India took an active role in pulling down the
dictatorial Rana regime in Nepal more than fifty years ago in the name of introducing
democracy, she is not only blessing the authoritarian regime in Bhutan but rather helping
it to entrench the feudal rule. Such blatant discrimination is apt to generate serious
misgiving. With her given clout on Bhutan, her refusal to intervene in the early solution
of the refugee problem is bound to create doubts in the minds of Nepalese about here bona
fide.
| Chief-Editor & Publisher |
: Madhav Kumar Rimal |
| Editor |
: Sarita Rimal |
| Consulting Editor |
: Keshab Poudel |
| Senior Correspondent |
: Bhagirath Yogi |
| Senior Reporter |
: Navin Singh Khadka |
| Reporter |
: Sanjaya Dhakal / Sunil Kumar
Gupta(Nepalgunj) |
| Photographer |
: Shyam Chitrakar |
| Editorial Office |
: GPO Box 7256,Baluwatar,Kathmandu, Nepal. |
| Telephone |
: 977 1 423 127 |
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: 977 1 417 845 |
| email |
: spotligh@mos.com.np |
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