National 2 (Spotlight Weekly)

Politics of Extremism

As extremism is leading the political course, moderation is nowhere to be seen

By KESHAB POUDEL

At a time when the constitutional evolution requires moderation to move forward, the extremism is leading the political course. Be in the mainstream political fronts or others, extremism is breeding fast.

In the five parties political front including Nepali Congress, Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Communist Party of Nepal-UML, Nepal Peasant and Workers Party and United People’s Front, Nepali Congress is the only moderate force representing liberal ideology.

Although all other parties oppose the extremism and violence launched by the Maoists, these parties are delivering the workers groomed under the shadow of their ideology.

Violence in street : Disturbing trend

Politics is not the only front dominated by the extremism. From student unions to professional organizations, media and other social sectors, Nepalese society is moving towards extreme ends.

Media, knowingly and unknowingly, is harping the extremism in society taking up all the major and minor issues and showcasing them in extreme light.

Just a couple of days after the withdrawal of indefinite strikes of education institutions in mid-western region organized by the Maoist student front, seven students unions including the student wing of Nepali Congress, have threatened to close down private schools and university in case of their demand to cut monthly fees is not fulfilled within two weeks.

Two teachers associations have already issued statements threatening to boycott the School Leaving Certificate Examinations raising their own set of demands. Similarly, university’s part time teachers, who have been launching agitations for the past few months, blew conch-shell (sankha) to press policy makers.

Lawyers and former judges have also joined the bandwagon. The lawyers association has already decided to raise the question regarding the Chief Justice’s role in recommending the name of three persons at the Constitutional Council. Former chief justice Mohan Raj Sharma has backed an extreme opinion of lawyers to question the Chief Justice’s actions.

In all these fronts, no one sees or hears the moderate politicians, intellectuals and lawyers who can back liberal and democratic political process. “It seems that this is a session of extremism where the voice of moderators has no place,” said a political analyst. “Democracy process cannot survive in such extremism.”

Although Nepali Congress is a moderate democratic party and Rastriya Prajatnatra Party is a conservative, their behavior also swings from moderate to extremism. Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala, who remains a follower of reconciliation, finds himself in trouble whenever he preaches moderate words.

All these developments indicate that Nepalese society is moving from moderation to extremism. And there seems to be no room for accommodation and systematic process.

Democracy and liberalism grow only in social stability and order whereas the extremism breeds the anarchism and breaks laws and precedents. The recent trends of Nepalese society show that every one is committed to disruption of process rather than compromise.

There is no respect for rule of laws. In rural parts of the country, one kind of extremism is flourishing with gun power whereas in urban areas people are under the influence of those who do not have gun but extreme views and opinions.

Although Nepalese character is based on moderation and accommodation, the entry of extremism has hampered social fabric. The extremism had also flourished under the protection of Panchayat system. During Panchayat days, the communist parties were encouraged to weaken moderate Nepali Congress.

The extremisms was groomed during the Panchayat days but Nepali Congress supported it to receive international recognition in the internal and external front.

As extremism threatens to gradually engulf the whole of Nepalese society, it seems that it will have to pass through more difficult phases of chaos and uncertainty in the days ahead. The rural extremism is tearing apart traditional order in society whereas the urban extremism is breaking the rule of law and democratic process.