Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Perpetual Prison

Nepal does not lack troublemakers created elsewhere who step in from time to time to ruin the country. After spending a long time in a virtual prison in the Indian city of Patna, anarchist Ram Raja Prasad Singh has returned to the capital with a slogan handed to him by the media of Nepal's "friendly" neighbor. As the country's major political leaders are hesitating to meet with their party colleagues and workers, they seem to be inspired enough to meet Singh, whose "revolution" took the lives of more than two dozen innocent Nepalis. Singh was fortunate enough to have secured an amnesty from the state just after the political change of 1990. For the following 10 years, the so-called republican leader remained tight-lipped in a high-security bungalow in Patna. After his return to Nepal a few weeks ago, Singh remains surrounded by people resembling little more than security personnel. At his first press conference, Singh did not have to distribute his press statement, as his bodyguards assisted him. As Singh's followers say, Ram Raja is in prison wherever he goes.

Gautam : Red rift

Comradely Theatrics

Political parties have to enact different kinds of drama in accordance with the times. The have to hug rivals and betray allies with equal dexterity. The CPN-UML has performed the drama in record time. After successfully concluding the party's seventh "unity" general convention, UML leaders find themselves playing the role of villain and hero. Interestingly, a one-time villain is now the hero. Despite their bitter relationship, K.P. Sharma Oli and Bamdev Gautam are now sharing the same platform to criticize general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and his henchmen. At a recent meeting, some Nepal loyalists joined hands with Oli and Gautam. Amid the theatrics, one person is

NC-democratic leaders : Swaying stances

sorely missing: the director. Would Nepal, Oli and Gautam be kind enough to disclose their guru?

Congress Unity?

When all other major parties are caught in internal fighting, Nepali Congress leaders are trying to bury their differences. Although it remains unclear when and where former prime ministers Girija Prasad Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba would step in to unite the party, it seems some initiative is under way. A few months ago, Deuba favored unity and Koirala opposed it. Koirala is now in favor of uniting but Deuba is against it. Nobody understands the rationale behind this cat-and-mouse game. Like all the other political parties, the

Crowd in a mass gathering : Vulnerable

Nepali Congress has no ideological differences and is merely torn by personal rifts. When UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal can share the dais with archenemy Koirala and vice-versa, what is wrong with Congress leaders standing together? In Nepali politics nothing impossible. When Nepali Congress activist-turned-pancha-turned-Nepali Congress spokesman Arjun Narsingh K.C pleads for unity, that goal may not be far off. But at what cost to the country?

Common Cause

Like in national politics, the making and breaking of alliances in the campaign to burn tires and throw stones at the police is nothing new. First eight student unions belonging to all factions formed an alliance to oppose the government's decision to raise the prices of petroleum products. When the issue of the student unions came to the forefront, seven groups opposed Tribhuvan University's decision to postpone the elections. The Maoist-affiliated students, who should have been pleased at the fulfillment of their demand, brought out a torch procession in solidarity with the seven. The student groups may have differences on many issues, but they can stand together as far as destroying state property is concerned.