Nepal’s communist movement is not the real one

-Dr. Surendra K.C. T.U

Dr. Surendra K.C is not a new name for those who go thorough Kathmandu newspapers. He is widely acclaimed for his critical writings on matters that have a direct impact on Nepal’s genuine national interests. He is in essence a research scholar of international standing. His special spheres of interests are the evolution of the communist movement in Nepal. He has obtained doctoral degree in the discipline of History and has extensively written on the issues of Gorkha recruitment, ethnic crisis and most importantly on the border problems.

At the moment, Dr. Surendra K.C is an Associate Professor teaching at the Central Department of History in Kirtipur.

Since a month or so, he has been a columnist for the fortnightly magazine called "Nepal"-a sister publication of the Kantipur-Kathmandu Post Dailies.

His depth of knowledge is very deep and prefers to send his free time reading books.

With a view to benefit from his knowledge, we approached this scholar for an exclusive interview. Dr. K.C agreed. Below the results-Chief editor.

TGQ1: How do you Dr. K.C analyze the existing political scenario in the country? Given the Maoists’ episode that we witnessed courtesy the Nepal Television a few days back, how you see the impending events to follow both from the government and the Maoists’ side? Also tell us what could be the solution to this overly stretched imbroglio? Your exclusive comments please.

Dr. K.C: The existing political situation of the country is uncertain, unpredictable and near to anarchy. So far the question of the very ‘episode’ is concerned, it has absolutely proved that the intentions of the Nepali Congress led government was not fair. They played double standard- externally the government favored the dialogue with the Maoists’ insurgents whereas internally not. The result is before the press as well as among the people. Here we can share with the Maoists’ commander’s statement, which he defined as the "drama without art". So far the question of a solution is concerned, to me personally is that the only way is to reevaluate government’s own policy and programs that were introduced by practically all successive government’s formed after the restoration of the multi-party system in this Kingdom. We must accept the Maoists’ movement is not the result of Dolpa and Rolpa… rather the policy and the programs introduced by Singh Durbar.

TGQ2: You are a historian of repute, we are told. How Nepal as a nation has evolved from mere small-scattered principalities to the present day of an independent and sovereign nation-state? Please let us know your opinion about the ups and downs seen over the centuries by this nation. Which period did Nepal enjoyed free from any coercion from the neighboring countries or some other powers?

Dr. K.C: We have only a dynastical history. Our government has no more any policy regarding the national history. So we do not have national history yet in the written form. So, till the national history is written we can’t visualize the actual history of our past. This is the central question why our intellectuals now days are quarreling over the dispute of Jati-Janjatis. Actually speaking, it is irrelevant and stupid to speak more on that controversy till the country does not resolve the status of definition of Nationalities, ethnic, tribal and the caste complex.

As you have questioned regarding the scattered principalities that did not occupy any importance since it was the later phenomenon of our country’s to the process of making as a nation. The major question is its existence even before the Christ and the process of coming of people of different origin into Nepal from different age. Only after the growth of Nepal as a sovereign nation and the question who are the first settlers of this nation comes. But this is never a controversy. Whatever, Nepal was a free and sovereign country. Nepal is not less ancient country than India and Tibet.

TGQ3: We have been told that you are associated with some group that is concerned regarding the supposed encroachment of our land borders by India? What are the real findings of your team? In this context, do you feel that India has annexed Kalapani which we claim to be ours? Or we are just making it a propaganda? If not why our leaders at the highest level feel reluctant to initiate talks to sort out this sensitive issue? Where lies the fault?

Dr. K.C: I worked for six months last year in a committee formed by the reputed citizens from different walks of Nepali society in the capital. And we also had made public a 12 page report in 1999. The findings of the report are without any reservation that disputed land belonged to Nepal and the Indian side has encroached into it. But what I personally feel is there might have some sort of understanding between India and Nepal Durbar during the Panchayat era. It is also the question of consideration when and how the Indian BSF-Border Security Force- established their base camps and why the government of Nepal did not try to stop the encroachment? Only after, the reality behind the crisis began to brew.

TGQ4: Nepali intellectuals say that Nepal’s communist movement in its truest sense of the term has in essence deflected from its avowed ideologies? Common men also take Nepali communist parties as to have become feeble in raising the issues that have a direct bearing on our national interests? Why and how such changes have affected the communists? Have they really abandoned their established theories or were adapting to new changes in the global scenario? Your comments please.

Dr. K.C: The Nepalese communist movement is not the real one. It is merely an intellectual movement originated by the middle class youths belonging to the high and middle class bourgeoisie of the Kingdom. This is the major reason that even after 50 years, this movement has not any solid achievements in its bag. The movement has proved itself as the history of split, confusion and abuse. Accordingly today there exist not less than 13 communist groups in the country. Consequently, this movement has also created the frustration, anarchism and extremism as the Jhapali movement and the present day’s Maoists’ movement. This is nothing but the middle class extremism occurred within the Nepalese communist movement.

Now you can examine what types of our Nepalese communists are and how they have been changed now a days. I do not think that they are able to conceive the changes in the global context prevailing today.

TGQ5: We talk of good governance. The government talks of good governance. What is good governance. How it could be achieved? Do you see that the ruling party could offer the nation good governance given their own never ending power struggle and the ever growing strength of the Maoists. Consider also the violations of HR by the law and order agencies? Your opinion please.

Dr. K.C: Generally speaking, justice without delay and free and fair, automatically more administration with transparent manner, no politics within the bureaucracy and rule of law backed by humanist approach can be considered as the good governance. After visualizing this concept now you can test our case. How are judiciary, bureaucracy and the police mechanism have been working? Do they command good governance in an effective manner?/ Do our police conceive the sense of modern concept of administration and the sense of Human Rights?/ How our employees even the judges work? If we go deep go through the tendencies of those mechanisms of the government including the judiciary and the police, we feel sorry for the society. In such an environment, it is too early to claim as having attained good governance from any of the sides of the society mentioned above.

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