Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Wedding Reception Or An All Party Meet?

Nepalese political leaders have the ability to pull off strange coups to avert the crisis and make impossible meetings possible. If they cannot see eye to eye in official all party meetings, then they can certainly enjoy informal tate-a-tate over some gathering. From wedding receptions to rice feeding ceremonies, leaders share their views in casual atmosphere. When Lokendra Bahadur Chand was prime minister, he invited political leaders at the rice feeding ceremony of his grandson. The political leaders, who used to shun Chand like some disease-infested street dog, gladly came to give him regards then. The present Prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, known for his political acumen, has successfully performed similar stunt. Knowing that they will come, Thapa invited political leaders to his home in Maligaon on the occasion of wedding ceremony of his daughter. The leaders of five agitating parties, who had not even come to the reception he had organized in Singha Durbar in honor of Kingís birthday, meekly came to bless the couple. The traditional ceremony transformed into a major all party meet. From Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala to CPN-UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikary and RPP leader and former prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, all of them turned up at Maligaon. Unfortunately, even after the chat among the leaders, the political deadlock remains unchanged.

Communist Flavor

Although the leaders of the CPN-UML claim that they are on their way to democratize the party organizations, their actions, however, depicts that they still have not overcome the flavor of dictatorship of proletariat. One of the major characters of the CPN-UML is intolerance against the opponents. Unlike other parties, the CPN-UML has its own way to chastise rebels. Although, the process of initiating the disciplinary action is long and lethargic, once rebels are caught, they will be simply knocked out. While senior comrades speak publicly in sober tones, rebels are severely punished as soon as the leaders decide. The latest victim was no other than a senior leader Radha Krishna Mainali, brother of C.P. Mainali former ideologue of the party who was also expelled from the mainstream party a few years ago.

Nepal : Overseas comraderie

Comradely Lessons

What is common to all Nepalese communist parties? Simple, they all have bitter relations among each other. Strangely, even as they do not trust each other, they have, however, found a common friend at least in a far away island nation of Sri Lanka. Whether it is the CPN-UML or CPN-Maoists, Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP), a radical-turned-moderate Sri Lankan leftist party, is a common friend. A year ago, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal attended the JVP's annual convention in Sri Lanka. This time the student wing of CPN-Maoist invited student leaders of the JVP to attend their convention in Kathmandu. The CPN-UML and JVP have already turned to liberal parties. Is the CPN-Maoist also learning the course on how to moderate? If it is so, one can hope that the JVP's experiment will help to change the course of another radical communist party CPN-Maoist just like CPN-UML.

Joshi : Dieting exercise

Fasting For Health

Although it was organized as a part of protest program, Congress leaders have discovered their latest agitation program can have dual benefits. On the one hand, it helps their cause against regression while on the other hand; it could be the effective way to downsize their belly. Some Nepali Congress leaders have exploited the relay hunger strike as a good opportunity to bring their weight down. From former deputy prime minister Ram Chandra Poudel to former minister Govinda Raj Joshi and former minister Laxman Prasad Ghimire, all senior Congress leaders took part in the 24 hours fasting. Interestingly, all these leaders are overweight. For their party workers, the fasting has been hailed as a serious stand but Congress leaders seem to be relaxed about it. It seems that the Congress leaders want to continue the relay hunger strike for another few months more to see whether it will actually turn them into better shape.

Suicidal Move

Nepalese film producers have shown that they know how to commit mass suicide. Their call for boycotting Nepalese film theaters has done them more harm than anybody else. Because of the strike called by the Film Producer Association, Nepalese film theaters have found the opportunity to show latest Bollywood movies. In the last one decade, this is the first time all Nepalese theaters are running Indian films. Nepalese producers have proved that they are penny wise and pound foolish.