"Kashi, Kashmir
ajab Nepal" is an old adage. It cannot be denied that adages do reflect some
perennial truths. The strange thing that could be happening in Nepal now is that 'Time'
seems to have stopped. Or is it moving backward? If Sher Bahadur Deuba has, once again,
proved that he is not only an utter imbecile but also demonstrated irrefutably that the
trust King Gyanendra had reposed in him was totally unmerited, Girija Koirala is croaking
like a broken record that the House must be restored. He and his handful of henchmen can
never forget the sunny days they had enjoyed at the expense of millions of poor Nepalis
and keep on dreaming. They do know that their dream will not come true, as the House is
Constitutionally totally dead and cannot be restored. In the seven and half months that
Deuba has been in power, he has failed to take the country forward even an inch, instead
the miseries and the hardships of the poor have increased manifold. The Maoists have
escalated their pressures and even blockaded the capital. And they do not seem, at all,
eager to start any kind of dialogue with the Deuba government. At a time when every minute
is precious and must be put to profitable use, we have senselessly lost seven and
half months. We just cannot afford this kind of luxury. Since there is no option for King
Gyanendra in the present circumstances but to rule the country under clause 127 of the
constitution, it is his and only his responsibility to nominate the government. Wise and
experienced as he is, he must have known by now that those politicians belonging to bigger
political parties who have ruled the country so far are not only immoral and unscrupulous
but even anti-national and can no more be relied upon. Consequently, he has to find
persons who are not only above board and patriotic but trusted not to look elsewhere for
their own survival and who try to find their moorings in their own country. The country
has been betrayed by such quislings for long and King Gyanendra is sure not to be betrayed
by them any more because, it will not only endanger the sovereignty of our small nation
but also erode the image of our pious institution of monarchy. Since King Gyanendra is to
visit our big neighbor in the South soon, he will need men who can offer him sound and
dependable advice. And this makes it imperative for him to change the incompetent
government so that it can play its correct role before and during the visit. Since this
visit of King Gyanendra must be totally different than former visits, as it must not only
prove to be quite productive but also must set a new trend in the bilateral relations so
as to strengthen them in the real sense of the term by not limiting them to simple
rhetorics. We must be able to impress upon our good friend that an atmosphere of misgiving
is never conducive to generate goodwill and confidence. We do need their unstinted
cooperation in resolving the Maoist imbroglio. They must not force us to seek help from
other quarters, whether it be the SAARC countries or the U.N. or any other friendly
country. And we must also convince them that we cannot permit the time to stand still. It
has to move forward. King Gyanendra has to do it when he meets his counterpart in New
Delhi. It might not be indispensable for them. It is for us. We are keeping our fingers
crossed. |
