Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Bandh (Close) Mind

Our politicians are known to be shrewd. They know what to speak and what not to speak; what to change and what not to change. Following the unpopularity among the masses towards the call for Nepal Bandh, Nepalese politicians have changed their tack. They have repackaged their old wine in a new bottle calling it Aam Hartal instead of Nepal Bandh (both mean general strike). It seems that politicians want to show that they are smart enough to gauge the pulse of the people. Tired of facing the Nepal Bandh, Kathmandu bandh and various area bandh, local people seem to have become enraged over the latest proposal by the parties to impose two days of general strike. Although CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal declared that the general strike is not aimed at terrorizing people, it remains to be seen how it will be different. Because, as has been amply proved, if the idea is to put pressure on the government, it is not going to work. That is for sure. The only thing such bandh and strike result in is the inconvenience to the public. The parties did play a trick by waiving off the inconveniences to the donors and media. By announcing that vehicles of diplomatic missions and press would be allowed to ply in bandh, they have tried to win the hearts of two of the most vocal critics of their policy of bandh. How the general will take up their latest policy public remains to be seen.

Losing Credibility

Political forces are gradually losing their credibility in front of the common people. Although the parties declared that their agitation was going to be peaceful and non-violent, it turned into a destructive and violent right from the beginning of the agitation on April 1. In the last one-month, the agitators have destroyed more than two dozens of government vehicles and uprooted the railings that protect pedestrians in the streets in various parts of the city. In addition, despite all these things, agitating parties do not blink an eye when they say that theirs is the most pure, disciplined and peaceful agitation. These kind of statements and opinions will only act to hurt the credibility of the political parties – the one thing that they need the most at this crucial juncture when they are desperately trying to woo the public support to strengthen their agitation.

Poll Plan

PM Thapa : In the hot seat

When opposition parties are pressing for the resolution of the present political crisis, the government led by Surya Bahadur Thapa is busy harping its own agenda of holding the general elections. No matter what slogans the opposition parties are chanting in the streets of Kathmandu, prime minister Thapa is busy talking about holding the elections. At a time when his own party has jumped to the street demanding for his resignation, nobody knows how he would realize his dreams.

Agitation Of A Different Sort

Shrestha : Power play

A leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Jog Mehar Shrestha has declared that his party’s street agitation is not just aimed at getting somebody’s resignation but at getting somebody appointed. Former minister Shrestha, who always belongs to anti-Thapa camp, argues that prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa must pave the way for the appointment of another new leader – preferably from his own party. Whether one likes it or not, Jog Mehar Shrestha of RPP is not the only ruling party member seeking the resignation of the prime minister. In 1995, student wings of then ruling party Nepali Congress started this kind of exercise by chanting slogans against their own prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Thank God, RPP leaders are yet to throw out the picture of prime minister Thapa from their party office as Congress students did in 1995 charging Koirala of ‘Antarghat” (betrayal) against another senior Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.