Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Season Of Ceremonies

Even in the midst of deepening uncertainty, people are organizing marriage ceremonies and parties with undiminished fervour in the capital. At a time of declining tourist arrivals, marriage parties have helped star hotels generate basic operation costs. With people drinking, dancing and talking as usual, one tends to wonder whether the country really is in the grip of a national crisis.

Mind Games?

As they age, people tend to lose their memory and strength and withdraw from regular activities. Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala used to be an exception to this rule. In recent months, however, the former prime minister is losing his reputation for unwavering conviction and strong action. The ruling party chief has been making contradictory remarks on crucial national issues. One recent morning, Koirala was urging party colleagues to initiate meaningful dialogue with the Maoists. A few hours later he emphasized the need to continue security operations against the insurgency. Is this really a reflection of old age or the inconsistency of a man with an abiding quest for power?

Master Of Maneuver

Chakra Prasad Bastola is not a new name in Nepali Congress politics. During the party's decades in the political wilderness, Bastola was among the go-getters. After the restoration of multiparty democracy, he was Nepal's top envoy to India. He subsequently served in the council of ministers, holding the foreign affairs, tourism, agriculture and home portfolios. He has served under three prime ministers, Girija Prasad Koirala, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba. If Bastola is making a desperate bid to become prime minister these days, he does not lack experience and exposure. Apart from the strong blessings he has from Nepali Congress strongman Koirala, Bastola's sister-in-law Shailaja Acharya is also proposing him as the next leader of the ruling party. But the problem with Bastola is that he wants to prove that he is a master of maneuver.

Nembang's Order

In public statements, the leaders of ruling and opposition parties claim that they are champions of liberal democracy and freedom of press. As far as their actions are concerned, however, they are little more than unreconstructed autocrats. Chairman of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Subhas Nembang recently decreed that no newspaper has the right to criticize the way he functions. A meeting chaired by Nembang recommended stern action against newspapers that do not abide by this rule. The fact that this decision was taken on the basis of consensus shows that there is no difference in ruling and opposition parties as far as curtailing the rights of media is concerned.

Ministry of Dang

Many employees in the Ministry of Home nowadays prefer to call it the Ministry of Dang. After his appointment as home minister, Khum Bahadur Khadka has turned the ministry into a shelter for Dangalis. He takes little time in locking horns with subordinates if they appear to harm people from his constituency. Instead of resolving national issues, Khadka's priority seems to fall on one district.