Of the rotten eggs and time honoured culture

The manner former Prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was ousted by his own party-colleagues and the sort of the sentimental but yet symbolic statement he made while resigning from the prestigious chair apparently had hinted that the impending days in the nation's politics would be somewhat different than what the new personalities assuming power at the centre might have thought of. The lust for bouncing back to power exhibited by Koirala during those fateful days and the subsequent clear division seen in the congress also bespeaks of the pretty weakened state of the party ruling the nation at the moment. The new threat posed to the ruling party by the street actions of the main opposition also has cornered the government under Koirala and the latter appears to be in a dilemma on how to cope with the UML threat that is more or less people centred. If Prime Minister Koirala takes a hard posture against the UML street actions, fear remains that he would be declared as anti-people. By the same token, if Koirala lets them go their way the people will prefer the UML to the congress. The lay men in Nepal have also a habit of preferring the opposition than the men in the government and the standard assumption is that the ruling government normally neglects and rejects the people's genuine concerns. Looking at the jocular presence of a sizeable chunk of the declared corrupts of the congress in the Koirala government it could be fairly said that the people definitely prefer the opposition than the government. This Prime Minister Koirala understands better but then his summary weakness has been that he can't move an inch without the help of those rotten eggs.

The fresh pandemonium which the UML created in the Parliament regarding the issue of minister Aftab Alam also has added fuel to the fire. Slowly but very steadily the UML has been able to corner the government of Koirala by initiating less meaningful programs but yet those have appealed the common men of the population. It is altogether a different matter that the UML leaders who have been seen all out against the misuse of the State owned vehicles by the officials and the ministers alike, too had exhibited the same scene when they too were in power and that too not long back. Unconfirmed reports have it that some UML bigwigs still have been using the state owned vehicles.

The current stand-off in the Parliament, the clear division of the 69 versus 43 congress parliamentarians, the UML street agitation coupled with some other equally forceful protest programs launched by minor parties, and the daddy of them all- the Maoists' sponsored armed shut down of April 6 this week, all put together bodes totally ill for Prime Minister Koirala. If the elixir of the fresh Bhattarai disgruntlement is poured in to the tincture of the Deuba rivalry with the Party prime minister then the resultant compound that would emerge after the chemical reaction would surely be the one that would do away with the Koirala Premiership. The stage is apparently set for yet another clash or Battle Royale of the sort what we all entertained and witnessed just a fortnight back whose grand finale will be seen during the Budget session if the number of the mouse-parliamentarians in the Deuba camp swells. After all, the Congress has the distinction of having a long history of being cheated by her own party men at crucial moments.

Resume Nepal-India  talks!

The fresh Nepal-India talks on the resumption of the now suspended Indian Airlines flight to Kathmandu has unfortunately failed. What has been given to understand is that the two "friendly" nations will have yet another session of the talks well after three weeks or so. The next round of the talks will presumably continue if the two sides stick to their declared commitments made to the Nepalese media men soon after the failure of the five day stretched talkathon. 

What in essence transpired in between the two countries and what were the positions respectively acquired by the two sides at the "negotiating table" has not come to the open as it should have been in a democratic system. However, what has so far trickled out is very surprising. The adamance of the Indian negotiating team regarding the facilities they wished to have well inside the Nepali territory for the needed security check up of the IA passengers is simply puzzling. More disturbing is their supposed demand, as per the media reports that the PIA flights to Kathmandu be outrightly stopped if the IA flights were to resume their come back in Nepal. Without passing any negative comment to the friendly negotiating team that was in Kathmandu what can be politely said, is that we the Nepalese population fervently wish not to become a fertile ground for a mini Indo-Pak war right here at the TIA. If the Indian side dared to demand this facility from Kathmandu authorities then it amply means that they wish to face the Pakistanis, apart from Kargil, in Kathmandu as well, which is unimaginable and unacceptable to the Nepali population. However, the Indian side has made it clear that they have not even uttered a single word regarding the suspension of the PIA flights and whatever has appeared in media here were all malicious. O.K.fine. If their version is correct then we have nothing to comment. But the stoic silence assumed by the Nepalese side only adds to the confusion. Quiet diplomacy perhaps!

One remains puzzled over the supposed Indian demand that the PIA flights be rolled back. And this demand has come at a time when the two warring nations still continue with their flights to each other's countries. Added to that, the Lahore Bus service and the SAMJHAUTA Express train perhaps still is on. On top of that the two nations have not severed their diplomatic relations given the fact that they have fought several wars at the battlefronts. However, the fresh Indian proposal amply speaks of their animosity with the Pakistanis. For us, both the nations are friendly countries and powerful members of the SAARC process. Undoubtedly, India is very close to us and we can't afford to displease the latter as we have in the past seen its end results. We do not wish to lose India 's friendship at any cost come what may. On top of that various factors such as religion, tradition and culture and the treaties also bind us.  But yet as a sovereign nation we can in no way displease Pakistan or any other nation with whom India does not enjoy warm relations. It is here that India must exhibit her magnanimity and bag accolades from her immediate neighbors. Small things count at times.

Let us hope that some options yet unused remain under the sleeves' of the two countries would ultimately facilitate the resumption of the IA flights to Kathmandu that satisfies the "'ego" of both the nations. How this is accomplished should be the concern of the two negotiating sides. Failing to arrive at an amicable solution to this imbroglio at the earliest might invite retaliation from the other side in unpredicted forms. A retaliatory measure would in all probability follow if Indian sensitivity were not honoured!. To recall, former Prime minister Gujaral too sounded the other day in Delhi his displeasure towards Nepal and told that Nepal must remain sincere to India 's security perceptions. Kudos to the Indian leaders, who despite of their political differences at the home front, possesses strikingly similar view vis-à-vis external relations. Shame on us who get some times lured by friends and forget our interests those are genuine. Shame on us all.

Wisdom must prevail on both the sides and the abruptly suspended IA flights to Kathmandu should be resumed.

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