Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Comradely Politics

CPN-UML leaders always try to portray their party as a socialist democratic one but their actions always follow the principle of extremism. Whether in the case of burning the effigy or chanting slogans, CPN-UML leaders do not mind going to the extreme and using radical remarks. Student leaders of their party are real example since they say whatever comes to their tongue. Despite the modest approach exhibited by their leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, other CPN-UML leaders and student cadres seem to feel that using radical and extremist slogans is the best way to attract the attention of common people towards their agitation. Since all communist parties in the world thrive on radical and extreme slogans, the recent drama of CPN-UML does not come as unique. The communists need only few commas and full stops to raise whatever issues they want.

Students of Politics

After witnessing the ongoing student rallies and agitation, many people have started asking questions since when did the Congress general secretary Sushil Koirala and spokesperson Arjun Narshing K.C have become student activists. They must have joined college recently as they are seen marching in the forefront of student demonstration instigating and encouraging the students to make extreme slogans. Although the demonstration is said to be organized by the student groups, Koirala and K.C as well as other Congress leaders are the front-runners in the agitation. A few years ago, Koirala and K.C used to rebuke communist parties for harping radical views and extreme stances. Now, they themselves are doing the same.

Happy Chand

RPP leader and former prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand is now one of the happiest person around in Nepalese politics. Following the demand of resignation of prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa by his party, former prime minister Chand has started to regularly attend the meeting of party’s central committee. A die-hard rival of prime minister Thapa, Chand is said to be spending a lot of time these days in his most favorite pastime - worshiping the god. It is anybody’s guess what figures prominently in his prayers these days. Chand, a soft-spoken person, has even started hitting at the bad governance of Thapa government.

Party Vs Minister

RPP central office secretary Shiva Hari Poudel recently announced that the followers of the Minister for Information and Communication and immediate past party general secretary Kamal Thapa barged into the party office and made way with many pieces of important papers and documents from the office. Although Thapa’s followers ransacked the party office before denouncing the party president’s acts and breaking down the locked doors, the party is yet to lodge any complaint at the police office. In the first bout of fight between the party leadership and government minister, the party is clearly on the defensive. People have to watch what kind of strategy party will adopt in the second spell of the confrontation.

Mandal’s Musing

Whether one likes it or not, Badri Prasad Mandal is still regarded as an unopposed leader of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party. Former deputy prime minister Mandal in his recent press conference claimed that his rival group was responsible to pull down the first deputy prime minister of Madhishe community. Mandal has declared that his party would raise this issue in the coming election against his former party colleagues.