National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Culture of Extremism

Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala's recent statements cross the limits of liberal democracy

By KESHAB POUDEL

Democracy is a belief of liberal values including reconciliation, tolerance and patience and there is no room for extremism in it. The culture of intolerance invites clashes, conflicts and chaos.

This is what the five agitating political parties seem to have gained in the last four months: violent agitation and intolerant remarks against the institution of monarchy. With the dismissal of prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government, King Gyanendra has lost his constitutional safeguards and there is no democratically elected popular leader to defend the King. This is where the King has found his political limits.

Koirala : Is he losing patience ?

At a time when major political parties are criticizing the monarch, nobody has seen King's nominated prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa coming out in his defense. King's own appointed former ministers, who enjoyed the privileges in the name of monarchy, too, have washed their hands off at a time when the monarch is feeling the heat.

The derogatory remarks made by communist parties are understandable since their ideology thrives in anarchy and confrontation. However, it is strange to see Congress leader Koirala, who leads the country's oldest and largest liberal democratic party, using un-parliamentary, detestable and indecent words.

Declared as the supreme leader of agitation launched by five political parties, Koirala, who was regarded as a staunch anti-communist leader, is now the darling of leftists and radicals — because of his recent remarks.

Leading the three communist parties in the joint front and making loose alliance with other seven communist outfits, Koirala uses fierce statements†- much harsher than†late Congress supreme leader Ganesh Man Singh - who had lead only seven leftist fronts during the agitation of 1990 that ushered in democracy.

Koirala has already nominated CPN general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal as the de facto leader of the movement. The only thing Koirala will win out of his recent statements is that he will invite more anarchy. Instead of gaining political mileage, Koirala is losing his image of a liberal political leader.

Had the communist leaders used offending remarks against monarchy, people would have ignored them keeping in mind the communist traditions. For Girija Prasad Koirala brother of legendary leader late B.P. Koirala who returned to Nepal with the call for reconciliation, the derogatory remarks do not suit his personality.

At a time when Congress president Koirala is waging a nation wide agitation demanding the revival of dissolved House of Representatives, his extreme views against the monarchy will further widen the differences. If Koirala continues to promote extremism, his demand for the revival of House of Representatives will also suffer.

"How can the King restore the House of Representatives demanded by Koirala who is using all kinds of derogatory remarks against him? The more extreme Koirala becomes, the less possibility for the revival of House of Representatives," said a political analyst.

In the five decade long history of democratic politics in Nepal, this is for the first time when the country has seen such a low graded leaders at the top. The lower level leaders have shown far better quality than the top icons.

In the beginning, there were highly qualitative leaders like B.P. Koirala, Subarna Sumsher and Surya Prasad Upadhyaya in Congress who were always careful choosing their words. Even late Ganeshman Singh, who was known as a wild leader, maintained certain decency in public speech.

"I don't understand why Girijababu is bending so low and using such level of languages, which are more inferior in quality than those used by firebrand communist leaders. Girijababau is gradually losing his stature," said the analyst. "More frustrating is to read opinions by Koirala's close political advisors - professors and political scientists — which are more irritating."

The leaders seem to have no control over their statements and there is no one who can tell the politicians their limits. Being a politician with countrywide follower, Girijababu must maintain his decorum as a leader of liberal democratic political party. His role is not to counter the derogative remarks used by chairman of Raj Sabha Standing Committee Parshu Narayan Chaudhary.

Democracy cannot flourish in extremism but it requires a quality of reconciliation. As long as King do not realize his constitutional and political limits just like the political leaders, the politics of confrontation will continue pushing democratic development far away.