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Koirala's empty rhetorics and lip service

-Ramesh Sharma

Girija Koirala has felt to have been snubbed by his colleague and Prime Minister Bhattarai for several times in the recent past. Bhattarai did not heed his suggestion that he dispel Bal Bahadur KC from the cabinet for his vulgar activity relating to an amorous skirmish with a married woman. Instead Bhattarai publicly gave a clean cheat to KC by saying that there was not any substantial evidence to prove the latter's crime.

In a similar vein Koirala was bound to go back without having a chance to express himself on some topical issues when premier Bhattarai last week declined to 'grant him an audience' because a parley with the Indian envoy had already been scheduled at his official residence. These are but a few instances that illustrate the souring relationship between the two senior Congress stalwarts.

Thanks to Koirala's mercy, Bhattarai was elevated to his present position some six months ago. Had Koirala refrained from being lenient towards him he would have hardly become an elected Prime Minister of democratic Nepal. Inspite of this reality, Bhattarai does not seem grateful to Koirala. On the contrary he is allegedly hell bent on eliminating the Koirala legacy from Nepalese politics. No doubt, that will be in the comprehensive interest of Nepal and the Nepalese. But how far can it be agreeable particularly for the socalled Koirala camp when this 'conspiratorial move' is engineered by a person none other than Bhattarai himself? They are perhaps seeking a new definition of 'gratefulness'.

However, Koirala also appears to have decided to retaliate in his own way. It is an open secret that he has left no stone unturned when it comes to exposing the 'irresponsible Bhattarai government'. Nowadays Koirala has adopted a new strategy based on 'implosion'. He wants to see the present government imploded from within. In the process, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, a Koirala protege, has been deftly used. Over the last several weeks he has been overtly revolting against the leadership of Bhattarai. Against such ambience, Koirala has been trying to present himself as a viable alternative.

Consequent to Acharya's 'subservient suggestion' that Koirala lead the movement and terminate violent Maoist insurgency, the NC President, addressing a regional meet of teachers at Biratnagar, vowed to curb the rebellion by launching a movement on his own. He also did not fail to shed 'crocodile's tears' on the death of hundreds of innocent people at the hands of Maoists. Koirala is widely believed to have been trying to cash in on the Maoist insurgency by making such rhetorics. Had he been truly serious towards this problem he could have done something concrete during his premiership some couples of months ago. It should be clear to all: Koirala's commitment is nothing more than a lip service.

What is of special import is that the way Koirala is announcing such programmes unilaterally is most likely to facilitate the disintegration of his own party and its government. Nonetheless, it could be a welcome recipe for his opponents. Gandhian rhetorics cannot always conceal Machiavellian machinations.

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"India cannot be pressurised to sign the CTBT while nations that have exhibited their aggressiveness in the past hesitate to ratify it. Why should we sign the CTBT if the countries to whom it really applies still decline to do so?" Perhaps it might be surprising to know that any politicians of India do not make these remarks. But they are the spontaneous nationalist outburst of the 69th Pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Jagatguru Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal. He further goes on to say in an interview with the Times of India (November 24, 1999): "We cannot afford to discontinue scientific research in this area and put ourselves in a vulnerable position. Defence preparedness is important."

Jagatguru Jayendra Saraswati the venerated successor to the Shankaracharya tradition is outspoken and does not hesitate to express his mind on the most sensitive area of contemporary Indian politics such as nuclearisation. He has a clear vision based on nationalism, the origin of which can be traced back to Lord Rama's legendary epigraph - 'Janani janmabhoomishcha Swargadapi Gareeyasi' (One's mother and motherland are even greater than  heaven). For the Jagatguru even the politics cannot be excluded from the ambit of religion. Not only that, he seems to have a very modern and pragmatic approach to the present-day realities. However, it does not imply that everybody should agree with him. What is important is the way he, as a Hindu Pontiff, looks at the mortal world.

The self-styled Dharmadhikaris (religious authorities) of this kingdom must learn a lot from Jagatguru Jayendra Saraswati. Most surprisingly, the so-called religious leaders of this kingdom feel comfortable in confining themselves to mere dogmas and bigotries. Their wretched narrow-mindedness has served to incarcerate our Hindu ideals and principles within the periphery of Pashupatinath Temple premises. On the one hand, they impose restrictions on the entry into the Pashupatinath Temple by hanging a board over the main entrance reading: "No entry except for the Hindus". On the other, they lament the increasing influence of the Christians and the Muslims. That the administration of the Pashupatinath Temple has since long been epitomising corruption and malpractices, is known to all and sundry. The so-called Bhattas of the temple are also seen to have willingly been a part of that desecrating process. Apart from this, notwithstanding a colossal amount of funds raised by the Pashupati Area Development Fund during the Panchayat days the conditions of the Pashupatinath Temple area along with other Hindu temples are really deplorable. Who was responsible for siphoning off that largesse?

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More than one thousand people died of viral influenza and starvation in Humla, Jumla, Kalikot and some other areas of that region in the recent past. Not even a Hindu leader or for that matter any Hindu organisations deemed it necessary to do something to share their moments of trauma and agony. They were quite impervious to the untimely death of hundreds of their compatriots. Nor have they bothered to speak even a word against some vital issues - Kalapani, Mechi encroachment, unequal treaty of 1950, pernicious impacts of our open border with the southern neighbor, Bhutanese refugees etc - that have left an ominous dent on our national sovereignty. Because, religion for them is not to save someone from dying or to prevent national sovereignty from being infringed by some alien forces. It is for them only a convenient means by which to launch preposterous diatribe against other faiths and make oneself privileged through subservience and servility, covert or overt, to some retrograde forces. S. Radhakrishna's observation - Religion is a passion for righteousness - is nonsense for them.

Hinduism, probaply the greatest of all religions in terms of philosophical depths and contemplations has survived innumerable onslaughts over its history spanning thousands of years. Since eternity is its fundamental character as that of human-soul, some desperadoes of this Kingdom need not safeguard Hinduism. It has got the strength and vitality to sustain itself for millenniums and millenniums to come. Hinduism is a faith quintessentially based on secularism. And 'True secularism', according to Jayendra Saraswati, 'is achievement of inner freedom to be able to have a healthy respect for all faiths'.

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Premier Bhattarai is reported to have spent 110 million rupees over the last six months from the Prime Minister's Fund without any justifiable grounds. According to a report published in a vernacular weekly close to the Congress quarters, Bhattarai has distributed that amount among some people fundamentally on the basis of his personal relations. In other words, the fund that represents taxpayers' money has been irresponsibly dissipated. This constitutes not only the misuse of authority but also the lack of accountability of the highest order and deserves to be invistigated. Even the Prime Minister should not be allowed to siphon off taxpayers' money with such impunity.

The most amazing aspect of this episode is that one of the recipients is Dr. Dilli Raman Regmi who never gets tired of advocating some moral principles - truth, non-violence and compassion. Regmi who is believed to have a ferocious craze for media publicity is reported to have received 800 thousand rupees from the Prime Minister's Fund. For what purpose? It is not clear. Anyway, those who regard oneself as a responsible member of the society should refrain from indulging in such unbecoming practices that tend to precipitate cruel exploitation of the innocent taxpayers. Nor should they incite the devilish elements in perpetuating their evil designs.