Coconut in monkey's hand!

The current deadlock seen in the Nepalese parliament could best be described as the proverbial saying "coconut in the monkey's hand". The monkey on his part neither can open the hard outer cover of the coconut, nor he can enjoy the taste of the material inside the coconut and hence it is of no use to the monkey holding the precious coconut. Nepali democracy almost has become the victim of its own leaders who man it and of those very shockingly who remained instrumental for its restoration during the early 1990s. The people apparently then were mere spectators and perhaps continue to remain mere onlookers of the unfolding scheme of the ongoing jocular events as it has been made available by the notorious pundits and gurus of the system today more specifically speaking inside the parliament. Bluntly speaking, whatever is happening inside the parliament at the moment is simply shocking and has been made to happen at a meaningful time when the nation is observing national democracy day. Evidently, the managers of the present system and the men in effective opposition have through their sheer childish and unparliamentary behaviors made the whole affair detestable for the lay men. A very wrong message is being conveyed to the people. The people have been forced to understand that in a democracy like in love and war every thing, legal or illegal, ethical or unethical, were allowed. If this were the message then it not only bodes ill for the parliamentary practices in the country but for the system as well.

A democratic system demands restraint from all the concerned parties, be they in government or in the opposition. This system also demands a compromise at times and that too to give continuity to the system. This arrangement warrants the proper observance of democratic values and the established norms both from the men in government and in the opposition. In a similar fashion, this order also expects transparency and accountability from the men in the government or outside. This order expects that the managers of the system exhibit their total loyalty towards it so that a positive message is conveyed to the lay men who could later form their opinion that such unconditional loyalties towards the system were a must should the system were to consolidate and strengthen. Such message in the long run bodes well for the order undoubtedly. However, the fact is that the rulers and the champions of the multiparty order in the nation have not only corroded the beauty of the system but have also generated ill feelings towards the system in the minds of the lay men through their unacceptable and unethical and undemocratic conducts. They have not only cut joke at the system but have through their corrupt practices made the order vulnerable to any sort of powerful intervention from some powerful quarters. If by chance any such interventions take place in the days ahead will perhaps not surprise any responsible citizen of the nation albeit such dramatic events will annoy the leaders who have tremendously benefited from the order now in place.

Nepali democracy remained a democracy for the namesake only. We have parliament. We have elections. But that is not all says the newly appointed Norwegian Ambassador to this Kingdom. No one will disagree when Ambassador Ingrid Ofstad says that "democracy is much more than that and that people's participation, democratic institutions and independent media too were vital parts of democratic system". When she points out to these vital constituents that comprise a democratic order one is forced to look at the Nepalese ground realities. The fact is that people , the vast majority of the people have kept a distance from the whole affair for obvious reasons. Democratic institutions were there but have become redundant in the face of heavy political partisanization and add to this the media which has too become a tool in the hands of political parties and have become a source of propagating misinformation thereby confusing the people even more through their politically biased reporting. Unless, all the segments of the society participate in the process and unless peace dawns in the Kingdom, the strengthening and the consolidation of the system remains a dream only. In paper and in the constitution we have democracy but the behaviors of the leaders were just the otherwise.

The present mess seen in the parliament amply tells the sorry tale of Nepali democracy. The manner the opposition is demanding the outright resignation of the Prime Minister for his alleged involvement in the Lauda air scandal and the manner in which the ruling circle is seen adamant in not tendering resignation forces us to conclude that this event will ultimately cut short the longevity of the system now in place should the deadlock continue for long.

Revealingly, the Prime Minister is thinking on the lines to go in for yet another misadventure of throwing the nation to yet another expensive mid term elections. And this he will do to save his chair from the onslaught of the opposition. If that becomes the fate of the nation then the lay men will only curse the leaders of the system for pushing the country to an economic disaster that is perhaps approaching.

All said and done, the follies of the leaders manning the system have become disgusting to say the least and the nation is being deliberately pushed to the brink.

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