Mysterious RPP merger !

Nepal's potential major political forces have so many things to acquire from the party of the former Panchas. The Panchas who ruled the nation for well over three decades know how to create news and capture media headlines. After a long spell of over two years or so, the formally split party of the former Pancha stalwarts, Thapa and Chand, have again managed to come closer and that too formally. One must cheer up their efforts aimed both in the making and breaking of the party that they execute with total finesse, which was there for all to see. This time yet again they exhibited to the national population and the outside world that they can patch up their differences if the time so demanded. Conversely speaking, this also implies that they would go in for yet another spit should the time so warranted or some one so instigated. However, some questions could well be raised over the timing and the logic furnished by Lokendra Bahadur Chand of his merger into the mainstream RPP-Thapa faction. Eyebrows could also be raised over their sudden and "meaningful" merger that has supposedly materialised after the much-publicised trip of a Bharatiya Janata Party, India, stalwart Murli Manohar Joshi who was only recently in Kathmandu and as the rumours had it had also met with His Majesty King Birendra.

The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party in India religion wise has tremendous respect for Nepal's Hindu Monarch. This is a fact that the BJP wallahs do not hide. To come closer, the former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is rumoured to have closer links with India's south block than what the Nepali Congress party perhaps today enjoys. Thapa's "my dear relations" with Indian South block dates back to the reign of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Since then practically all successive governments formed in friendly India have nurtured their exclusive relations with Thapa in Nepal. Not very surprisingly, the Indian establishment continues to honour her relations with Thapa even the system that Prime Minister Thapa steered for decades and decades now stands collapsed.

Democratic dispensation takes care after two factors namely, nationalism and democracy. The two RPP that is one headed by Thapa and Chand till the other day took care of "nationalism" and "democracy" separately. And that now they have decided for a reunification meant that the two elements will be taken care of by the two stalwart jointly exhibiting the international community that they were the real champions of the new dispensation. While presumably, the nationalism part will remain under the strict supervision of 'hardliner' Chand then the democratic part would automatically go to the 'liberal' Thapa. This also means that those outsiders or for that matter the men of the erstwhile system who have yet to join any party and those in the meanwhile subscribe to these two separate elements as incorporated in the new RPP after the Chand merger, could join the party of the former Panchas. However, this is not that easy task as the men manning the new RPP might have in their minds. For, Rajeshwar Devkota who is still alive and kicking with the RPP-Chand party, is advocating the need to consolidate and energise the party left by Chand only the other day so that nation's national interests could well be preserved in an effective manner. Devkota's plans are to invite to the fold of his party towering personalities like Kirtinidhi Bista and Marich Man Singh Shrestha who are considered to be the vanguard for the preservation of Nepal's national interests.

Given the fresh developments in Pakistan; the ever growing threats posed to the system by the Maoists; the dismal performance of the government; the plight of the silent majority; the ever continuing wrangling in and among the major political parties of the Kingdom; the anxiety of the donor community in Kathmandu regarding the corruption at the higher echelons and the misuse of their funds meant for the projects; the recent statements of Ambassador Rajan at a banquet applauding the role of King Birendra and the fresh trip of a BJP stalwart perhaps provides some meaning to the abrupt merger of the party of the former Panchas who separately assumed the post of the Prime ministership and that too not in the distant past.

A democratic dispensation like ours needs vibrant political forces so that the nation benefits from their skill and acumen and vision as well. If political parties who possess similar credentials in their declared political agenda, their merger should not come as a surprise to anyone. However, the split and the reunion of the RPP wallahs have taken place so many times in the past and hence this is not a big news in itself. Nonetheless, the timing of the fresh reunification is somewhat mysterious. Things will perhaps begin unfolding in the impending months.

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