National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Sowing Dissensions

There is a wave of 'sowing the dissension' against the country's popular and stable institution

By A CORRESPONDENT

Kautilya says, in his Arthashastra, that sowing the dissension is a way to weaken the King and oligarchy at the time of crisis. Kautilya further says the rival King should have to use the King or oligarch's close relatives or former officials to weaken the King not through denouncing him but through his pronouncement.

If the activities of the past few weeks are any indication, there seem to be a wave to create an environment suggesting that King Gyanendra is really interested to be more authoritative. Just a few days before Tihar festival, statements by Minister for Information and Communication Dr. Mohamad Mohasin and reportedly a Royal nominee in the present cabinet kicked off the controversy by making remarks that the failure of this system could pave the way for authoritarian regime. The controversy subsided following the clarification by the minister.

A week ago at a talk program chaired by Manoja Shahi, daughter of Princess Sobha Shahi who is the sister of King Gyanendra, participants asked the King to take active role to end the country's ongoing problems. At the same program, former chairman of Rajparishad Standing Committee Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi demanded the formation of cabinet under the chairmanship of King.

Dr. Rayamajhi, one of the trusted communist leaders of pro-Russian plank during the cold war, also demanded the formation of standing committee to look after the parliamentary affairs.

Regional conference of Rajparishad : Unsought advice

It is true that the links and loyalty of that person to the monarch has given ample reasons for anti-monarchists to draw the conclusion that King Gyanendra is trying to overthrow the present system.

In his last three years as a monarch, King Gyanendra has often reiterated his firm commitment to the multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy. King Gyanendra even scaled down from his earlier reported statement from assertive monarch to constructive one.

Nobody wants to listen to the King's commitment on liberal democracy and constitutional monarchy. Instead, different forces try to sow dissension against the monarch and weaken the institution.

Similarly, the move by Raj Parishad chaired by Parshu Naryan Chaudhary - former Congress leader - also provides ammunition to tarnish the image of the monarch as a liberal King.

At a time when King Gyanendra is making efforts to prove himself as a liberal king, some royal relatives and former palace officials are trying to tarnish the image in the name of praising the

King as a strong and dedicated person.

"I have found that King Gyanendra holds firm commitment on constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy," said Taranath Ranabhat, speaker of House of Representatives. "After meeting with him several times, I can say that the King cannot take any regressive steps."

"The best method to weaken the King or oligarch is to sow dissension among people through various operations exploiting his supporters, opponents and relatives," writes Kautilya.

Following the couple of events and actions, every day new rumors travel around the city aimed at sowing dissension against the monarch and his commitment to the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy. "A wise King shall protect his people (his important chiefs and the ordinary population) against the intrigues of the enemy, irrespective of whether the persons are likely to be subverted or not. The kinds of people easily subverted by the enemy are: the angry, the greedy, the frightened and the haughty," writes Kautilya in his book 'Arthashastra'.

As the country has been passing through the critical phase of uncertainty, these kinds of rumors will weaken the institution of monarchy - an institution of stability.