National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)

Regional Affinity

Whether it is mere coincidence or more, recent visits by South Asian dignitaries indicate the complexity of the political processes in the region

By KESHAB POUDEL

Despite their busy schedules in organizing anti-monarchy agitations, Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal found enough time to meet two important foreign dignitaries.

From India's foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal to former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president of Bangladesh Hussein Mohammed Ershad, Nepali political leaders enjoyed holding talks with them last week.

Although he came to take part in the secretary level meeting of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which fixed the date for the 12th summit in Pakistan, Indian foreign secretary Sibal, as usual, called on prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa and other political leaders of mainstream agitating parties. Sibal visited former prime minister and Congress president Koirala and CPN-UML general secretary Nepal.

Bhutto ( left) and Koirala : Strange Alliance

Interestingly, the foreign secretary of India, which currently is ruled by pro-Hindu BJP coalition, met two agitating leaders who are demanding, among others, abrogation of an article in the Nepalese constitution that declares Nepal a Hindu State.

When Sibal was meeting with the agitating political leaders, two prominent Sankaracharyas, respected authorities on Hindu religion, from India were blessing King Gyanendra - the only Hindu Monarch, on his birthday at Naryanhiti Royal Palace. The two Sankaracharyas criticized the demands of five parties for turning Nepal into a secular state terming it as a conspiracy of non-Hindus.

Two Sankaracharyas condemned former prime minister Koirala. Amusingly, the Congress president was among those who had, in 1995, sought the resignation of Padma Ratna Tuladhar. Tuladhar was the then Health Minister and he had made a controversial remark supporting the slaughtering of cow — a sacred animal for Hindus.

"I have told the two Sankaracharyas not to teach me what we need to do in Nepal. If you want Hindu State, you must first transform India into a Hindu State," Koirala told journalists at his daughter Sujata Koirala's residence.

Strangely, just a couple of days after the first incident, dissident political leaders of two Muslim countries of South Asia Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan and Hussein Mohammad Ershad of Bangladesh, who hold contradictory political ideologies, arrived in the capital city of Kathmandu to attend a marriage ceremony of a son of Charles Mendies, a Christian.

Pakistan's former prime minister Bhutto, who claimed her visit was personal, did not mind speaking against her own country's ruling authority but also described that political situation of Pakistan and Nepal was passing through similar fate.

When Koirala and Bhutto talked for more than hour on political matters at Soaltee Hotel, it clearly indicated that it was not simply a personal or informal visit. "We have discussed political situation of both the countries. I have seen many similarities in prevailing political condition in both Nepal and Pakistan," said Bhutto.

Enthusiastic and encouraged, Congress leader Koirala issued a statement threatening to create the situation more volatile in coming months. Interestingly, all these unusual political developments took place in Nepal at a time when the process for normalization of relations between India-China and India-Pakistan has already began.

Bhutto - who is convicted in a corruption charges back home - seems to be in a desperate move to make alignment with any force against the present system there. Ershad, who was overthrown by a popular movement and spent more than three years in prison on corruption charges, too seem frustrated with the present prime minister Khalida Zia's government. Ershad, too, is searching for allies. Likewise, Koirala also yearns for regional and international pressure on the King to accept his demands.

Despite the various colors of parleys that took place last week in the capital, it seems that political instability in the Himalayan Kingdom has entered into another phase. As it is said by great Greek political philosopher Plato, who famously argued that "Philosopher Kings" sometimes had to be willing to tell "noble lies" in order to keep the ignorant masses in line.