Indepth Analysis

Politics cashing in on tragedy!

Kathmandu: By Thursday uptil when the two man Royal Commission to investigate the Friday June 1 st Palace tragedy gives its report, lines will have been drawn. Events at the Royal Palace have, by and large, already come out. However, there is a skeptical public whose grief has been apparently cashed in upon by political interests inimical to monarchy. King Birendra's popularity is being turned into a political movement apparently designed to threaten monarchy and the nation on the precipice of disaster.

King Gyanendra is being placed in a dilemma of sorts from quarters that must now suddenly turn pro-Birendra in order to mobilize the tremendous goodwill the late King Birendra had garnered in to political cash. Each step taken officially to defuse the situation is being countered by the skepticism generated by the enormity of the calamity itself. That a son can wipe his own family out in a massacre is one thing. That the tragedy should take place in the security prone Royal Palace is another. That the Crown Prince should be the killer (?) is yet another. Moreover, that the monarchy should now shift to King Gyanendra and his lone son Paras have been brought to play in fuelling the skepticism whose purposes are now being increasingly clearer still.

The Palace options were limited at the very outset. Apart from Queen Mother Ratna, the eldest surviving Royalty, the new King Gyanendra was in Pokhara. The Crown Prince Dipendra automatically acceded the throne until he died. The Royal Council had no other option. King Gyanendra as regent made this very clear in his first public address as regent. Constitutional and legal hindrances were cited. It was after King Dipendra's death that the Royal Council nominated Gyanendra as King of Nepal. The constitution, traditional legalism had been served. It was naturally up to the new King to seek the formal details of the happenings. The Royal Commission was formed headed by Chief Justice K.P.Upadhyaya.

Each of these steps has been countered in the Kathmandu rumors. Deliberate dis-informations has taken place with design. Given the formality of the affair, Palace restrictions have been well anticipated.

Firstly in the absence of a formal report of the actual happenings at the Palace tragedy the dissemination of news has had to come through informal means. Even this has been challenged. Had no news come at all, the situation would have been even more unreal. It is another thing that none less than DPM and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel who first surprisingly and unbelievably bluntly told the foreign media that Crown Prince Dipendra was the killer. But even this is challenged by a sizeable chunk of the Nepali population. With official statements only to be forthcoming on the details of the incident after the Committee report who else is to feed the public on the incident?/

Then there is the constitution of the committee itself. Why does the leader of the Opposition first agree to stay in the committee and then back out? Who else is to constitute a committee on the Royal Palace? Why is there no accord on the manner of expediency with which the committee was formed in the political circle? Clearly it is the political responsibility of the political parties operating under the constitution to inform a seemingly unknowing public of the constitutional provisions applied in the country.

And then there is the contradictory reaction on the eye witnesses account of those present in the tragedy. Firstly, there was firstly the questions regarding why those present at the tragedy did not speak out. There is now the question why those who did speak out did so when the Committee was already in place? To demand information first, question the silence and then refuse to acknowledge the information is apparently a strategy surely at rendering the incredible further incredible.

In so many ways thus the political sector(s) appear to be inciting the unbelieving public instead of calming it. What has happened has unfortunately happened and the nation must get back to the business. There are sectors it seems that want to prevent it. The late King Birendra's loss to the nation must be turned into political capital by some. The effort contributes more to the tragedy than the tragedy itself.

-Democrats in dilemma-
People anxiously wait Royal Commission report!

Kathmandu: The grief stricken Nepali population over the ghastly killing of their beloved King and Queen on June 1 evening at the Royal Palace is still in a sheer dilemma regarding the actual happening inside the Palace on that fateful evening.

Rumors, counter rumors backed by national and international media speculations all have compounded the mystery lying behind the killing of the Nepali Royales on June 1.

Most unfortunately, in the absence of any solid and plausible justification of the sad event from the responsible government quarters, the reports emanating from the international media is creating havoc in the minds of the Nepali people who are by and large forced to believe the real-unreal accounts supplied by them. The net result has been that the people stand largely confused.

The government's hands apparently are tied for the Royal Commission headed by CJ K.P.Upadhyaya is yet to submit its final report to King Gyanendra. In all probability and if things go smoothly the Upadhyaya Commission will make public its "findings" of the killing of the Nepali Royales by Thursday evening.

In essence it is this report that is yet to be submitted by the Royal Commission instead of making the Nepali population happy rather has made them anxious.

A sort of fear psychosis has gripped the entire peace loving Nepali people who think what would happen if the "findings" of the report by the Upadhyaya Commission is not a convincing one and reject to support the said findings summarily? Similarly, how the government under Koirala will react to the agitating population if they come to the streets and challenge the findings of the Royal Commission?

The fact is that the majority of the population now exhibit their reluctance in accepting King Dipendra to be the killer. However, if the circumstantial evidences and the press interviews of the eye witnesses of the June I calamitous episode inside the Royal Palace were to be taken into account then it becomes clear that the Commission will submit presumably a report implicating King Dipendra.

The mass, read the Nepali citizens, appear not to be in a mood to accept this theory.

The Royal Commission apparently too is in problem on how to dump all the charges on a person who had already been declared the King of this Nation? Is it possible or even justifiable to implicate a personality who was so popular and loved one among the population?

The story does not end here. The Upadhyaya findings would also be very difficult to digest or reject for the democrats of this nation.

Understandably, in a democracy one has to trust and respect the findings of a commission that is headed by nation's Chief Justice. The CJ in a democracy must be considered as a truly non-partisan and most revered figure whose findings must be a binding one to all and sundry. However, chances are that if by chance the Commission implicates King Dipendra then the people will be put in trouble and a sort of dilemma will instantly grip their minds on how to accept it or even reject it.

Thus it is this dilemma which has made the population to think of the unthinkable in the aftermath of the submission of the report. Could be a fear psychosis only.

Let us all hope that the report satisfies all and no untoward incident grips the nation. After all the sad event has happened and there is no justification in weakening the already weakened nation.

Dr. Rajiv Shahi's press meet raises more questions than answers

Kathmandu: The sudden and unwarranted press conference summoned by Dr. Rajiv Shahi at the premises of the heavily guarded Military hospital at Chhauni last week has surprised many a brains here.

The eye witness account offered by Dr. Shahi summarily puts all the blames of the June 1 Palace event onto the heads of then Crown Prince Dipendra who later was declared King of Nepal.

The press conference where newspapers like ours were summarily rejected for unknown reasons and revelations made there by Dr. Shahi have raised more questions than have answered regarding the mystery surrounding the Royale killings of the June 1 evening.

Firstly, the press conference was not a two-way affair reportedly. Media men present on the occasion were not allowed to ask questions countering Dr. Shahi's eyewitnesses account.

Secondly, the summoning of the press conference in a hurry too were clearly made at a time when new monarch Gyanendra had already announced the formation of a Royal Probe Commission headed by Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya.

A question automatically now arises as to whether it was a deliberate design to "influence" the would be findings of the Royal Probe Commission? A million-dollar question indeed.

Secondly, Dr. Shahi has maintained that Crown Prince Dipendra was in a state of drunk and in the drunken spell he killed his mother and brother in a most horrifying manner. Doubts could be raised here as well over as to how a drunken person of the sort of Crown Prince at that particular moment could collect such a courage to kill his own mother and brother in the manner as revealed by Dr. Shahi. The fact is also that medical reports have confirmed that there were no traces of 'Alcohol' in Dipendra's body.

Thirdly and most surprisingly, Dr. Shahi has himself given the account that on that fateful evening no body talked of the marriage of Crown Prince Dipendra and hence there is little to presume that Dipendra got annoyed and irritated over his bride choice which were reportedly disliked by his elders and killed all of his family men. A contradiction indeed.

As per the revelations of Dr. Shahi, during the killing spree inside the Royal Palace, he was active in his bid to save His Majesty King Birendra and others. This means that he should have been busy in those fateful moments and could have been moving here and there. How it was possible that not even a single bullet injured Dr. Shahi during the calamitous episode?

Dr. Shahi says that Prince Paras simply could save his life and some of his sisters when they jointly begged of Dipendra to spare their lives. How it is possible that a drunken person who could kill his entire family so brutally could spare the lives of others?

And many such other equally pertinent questions could be asked at this juncture. However, since the Royal Commission so graciously constituted by His Majesty King Gyanendra is busy in finalizing the details of the ghastly killing hence it would not be desirable to talk more on this topic.

This notwithstanding, media reports have it that Dr. Shahi is being taken to task by the military authorities for having met the press men. Military sources say that Dr.Shahi summoned the press on his own.

Unconfirmed reports have it that the military might penalize Dr. Shahi for having addressed the conference and that too without the prior permission of the military authorities. To recall, Dr. Shahi is himself a military officer.

This adds to the further confusion of the already confused population.

How govt. reacts to Prachanda's fresh statement ?

Kathmandu: Coinciding with the eleventh day of the traditional death rites of King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, the Maoist camp has issued a strong worded statement that seeks support from all the nationalists and Left oriented parties and individuals for the formation of an "interim government" at the earliest and thereby work for the creation of a sort of 'Republican System' in the country.

The statement also appeals all the nationalists to unite in order to safeguard the sovereignty and the national pride as well.

The Chairman of the Maoists party-Comrade Prachanda signs the press release dated 11 June 2001.

The Maoists have issued the statement at a time when the country and the countrymen were anxiously waiting for the final report of the Royal Palace killings.

The hair-raising part of the press release issued by the insurgents' analyses the killing of the Royales of June 1 evening as to have resulted in the end of the monarchical system in Nepal theoretically.

It is altogether a different matter as to how the conscious elite and the lay citizens of this beleaguered nation take the appeal forwarded by Comrade Prachanda.

Questions are being raised in responsible quarters as to why the Maoists camp chose such a moment to push their appeal in the name of the nation when the country is all-anxious to get to the bottom of the Royale killings-the killings that have grieved the entire population.

In essence, the people wish to know the real killer who created disaster in Nepal through wiping out King Birendra and his entire family members. The Royal Probe Commission is yet to submit its final report this Thursday.

How the government under Koirala is to react or will react have got to be watched. Similarly, how the population takes Prachanda's appeal will also have to be carefully observed.

However, what is apparently for sure is that the insurgents have chosen the time to declare their frightening appeal when the nation, more so the government under Koirala, is pretty weak and the masses continue to remain under grief due to the unbelievable events that shook the nation on June 1 Royal sad episode.

Surprising as it may appear, however, the fact is that Comrade Prachanda too has some kind words for the late King.

At the end of the press release, the Maoist Supremo also appeals the Nepal's military force to be of support to the cause of the insurgents.

To recall, the Nepali military force has a track record of being loyal to the Nepali monarch under any circumstances come what may.

The Kantipur publications, to recall again, was summarily penalized for having printed Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai's controversial article in which he too had praised late King Birendra and went to the extent in admitting that a sort of undeclared working relationship existed in between the late King and their camp.

All put together, things appear to be some what difficult in the impending days. The fresh press release issued by the Maoists will definitely invite mixed reactions from different quarters.

Let us wait and see.

Why blame foreign media for distortion?

Kathmandu: Nepali psychology is very difficult to understand. It changes according to the season, which gets reflected in the double standard manner they react to any particular event.

Consider the case of the Royal killings of June 1 evening.

The government could not supply any information regarding the ghastly killing that occurred inside the ramparts of Nepal's most secured place-the Royal Palace.

The government controlled media maintained the time honored tradition of toeing the government dictated versions on the sad incident. The rest was only the mourning tune which is only but natural on such sad occasions.

Then comes the report through the international media, read the BBC, the CNN and Zee News followed by Star News, that the killer of the entire Royal family members was none less than Crown Prince Dipendra who later shot himself.

Unbelievable as it might appear, however, the fact is that all the international media agencies quoted Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister cum Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel to be the news source that summarily charged Crown Prince Dipendra to be the real killer.

Later, the rest of the media organizations followed the suit, which continues till to date.

How Minister Poudel concluded that Crown Prince Dipendra was the killer and supplied the news to those foreign media institutions will remain shrouded in the mystery until Poudel himself kindly clarifies his source of the news.

Considering minister Poudel's news source to be very smart and accurate enough, then question could also be asked as to why Poudel's intelligence unit could not inform him about the smell of the would be event?

Be that as it may, the Nepali limitations encouraged the international media to play the Nepali event in a manner that suited them politically most. The net result was that we were forced to listen to their half truth-half false and at times planted stories regarding the Palace events.

However, one must admire the international media coverage on Nepali events that at least kept the Nepali population well abreast with the rumors. Thanks the Zee TV, BBC, the CNN and the likes that informed about the Nepali incident which in effect should have come from our own media channels.

There is nothing to panic. If we are weak and if we lack such technologies even in this cyber age, who else should be blamed other than we the Nepalese ourselves.

It is time that, as congress Minister Omkar Shrestha too opined the other day, Nepali establishment offer the needed green signal to the Space Time Network television which claims that its approach would be up to 52 countries of the globe.

In our opinion minister Shrestha has spoke the minds of the majority of the population.

It is time that the government acts in this direction or else the hegemony of foreign media will further increase. A word to the wise should be enough.

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