Report lacks convincing evidence to accuse late King Dipendra for the massacre

-Mr. Khom Datta Baral, Kathmandu

Mr. Khom Datta Baral is a teacher of Political Science in addition to being an Account Officer, Loan Recovery Department at the Central Office of the ailing and sick Rastriya Banijya Bank. He graduated in the Law discipline and accomplished his Master degree in Political Science from Nepal's Tribhuvan University.

Mr. Baral originally hails from Eastern Nepal-the district of Illam. Besides these, to mention a few, he has attended notably Seminars on "Human Rights" organized by Danish Center for Human Rights at Copenhagen, Denmark; "Training of Effective Loan Management" held at Colombo, Sri Lanka and others.

He has also authored many such seminar/research papers as, among others, "Women in Criminal Activities in Different Countries", on "Finger Prints and Handwriting", "Problems in Deciding Income Tax" and others.

Mr. Baral is also associated with the POLSAAN and prefers to take part in healthy political discussions.

As others, Mr. Baral too is disappointed over the functioning of this order since 1990.

He is amicable and social as well. In effect, we are the neighbors in Ghattekulo, Dillibazar.

We approached this intellectual for an exclusive interview to which he readily agreed. Below are the answers of the questions put up by The Telegraph Weekly for this week edition:

TGQ1: With the sudden death of King Birendra, a sort of vacuum in the existing politics of Nepal has apparently occurred. How the politics will move in the future with the new monarch? Do you expect any sort of change or will it go as it was during late king Birendra?

Mr. Baral: First of all, I deem it my responsibility to identify myself with the bereaved Nepalese people enduring pain and sorrow because of the unbelievable massacre of the Royal family. A new king has superseded to lead the nation, which is currently overwhelmed by the unexpected accident, towards progress and prosperity. With the accession of His Majesty King Gyanendra to the Nepalese throne, we can also expect Him to abide by the norms of the Constitution and the role of the Constitutional monarch, as did His predecessor. There is no reason to doubt the role to be played by His Majesty the King to foster such objectives of the Constitution as Universal adult franchise, Parliamentary system of Government, constitutional monarchy and multi-party system and others. The first proclamation made by His Majesty the King on the very day of His accession ensures the retention of sovereignty on the body politic.

TGQ2: As a teacher of Political Science, how you viewed Premier Koirala's governance in the past, more specially after he managed the unceremonious ouster of his friend Mr. Bhattarai?

Mr. Baral: I consider myself more a student than a lecturer of Political Science. I feel as it seems, the accession of Girija Prashad Koirala to the Prime Ministerial position was more to avail the privileges and to enhance his own and his familial status than to give good governance to the nation. On several occasions he had uttered that he would contain the Maoists insurgents, would protect Nepal and life and properties of the common people and had also asserted to solve the fundamental problems of the nation. But instead of leading the nation towards the assured issues, the country in now heading towards disaster. To quote some, for instance, the Lauda scandal that seems to involve almost the entire Council of Ministers; and being unaware of the ghastly Royal Palace tragedy for more than two hours, even after holding the Royal Palace portfolio demonstrates his weakness. I feel, it would be advisable to boast of only those things that are possible for him to materialize.

TGQ3: Mr. Baral, you being a banker also, enlighten our readers about the state of Nepalese economy? Is it possible that Nepal can go without foreign aid or grants? Your opinion please!

Mr. Baral: Inspite of the adequately available foreign aid in Nepal, it has not been properly utilized and therefore it now looks like putting water in sand. During Panchayat era Nepal used to receive approximately 30 crores(Arab)of rupees or the kind as foreign grants and loans, whereas during the past ten years country has already received 300 Arab of rupees. But Mr. Upadhyaya, it could not have the desired utilization. Functioning of a political party and the functioning of the State are two different things. But the political leaders, as it appears, have learnt merely to run their own parties by any means and not the state. During Panchayat regime the present day supposed peoples' representatives, who accused panchayati protagonists of intolerable corruption, overt favoritism, the denial of various fundamental rights to the body politic and others, themselves proved to be today corrupt, greedy, worthless and unfit.

Yes, Nepal's economy is almost at the verge of collapse. Seventeen Industrial enterprises and Commercial Companies were privatized. More specifically the first privatized institutions like Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory, Bhrikuti Paper Factory and Harisiddhi Bricks and Tile Factory has reached to the state of defunct. Change, as believed by all, should stand for betterment, but the privatized institutions have ceased to provide employment and are also unable to pay the minimum of revenue unlike when nationalized. Market, today, is deprived of the services and products catered by such institutions. Failure to collect the revenues and the deployment of army's to check the revenue leakage by the government implies the failure of the administration.

In the same way, 40% of Nepal's labor market has shifted from the Nepalese hands to the aliens' control. Nepal's Carpet and Garment institutions are almost run by the foreigners. Even the employed skilled manpower are aliens keeping the local manpower redundant. Agricultural laborers are also uncertain about their future. While big landlords are permitted to keep their lands barren, the majority of the Nepalese population are under employed and unemployed.

The condition of the Foreign aids and grants is in a deplorable condition. Commission is the prime concern of every new project. The manner in which the foreign grants are misused has made to think of refusing such grants in the nations' interests; but generates the feeling to accept such assistance only for big projects and the institutions producing goods for the daily consumption of the common people.

TGQ4: If your profession allows you Mr. Baral, could you tell us something about the submission of the report of the Chief Justice K.P. Upadhyaya's Commission? Do you consider the report to be a complete one? What else would you tell our readers?

Mr. Baral: Envisaging a legal state with an independent and impartial Judiciary, as has been enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution as the third estate would not be effective unless it has been properly implemented in practice. But the recently formed three member Investigation Committee to probe the Royal Massacre under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice K.P.Upadhyaya was not recommended by the Council of Ministers, which is in contrary to the Constitution of the Kingdom; and realizing this, one of its member-Mr. Madhav Nepal, the leader of the Opposition party in the Lower House resigned. And because the formation of the Probe Committee was ordered by His Majesty the King through the Royal proclamation it might have been difficult to reform the Committee. It would have had been well if the Constitutional procedures were observed.

The nature of the report formally made public by the Investigation Committee cannot be taken as thoroughly investigated account. It's only a collection of an account narrated by the survived eyewitnesses present in the royal party. The report should also have contained the detailed investigation and analysis of the massacre and the final conclusion of the Committee members or say of the Committee. Veteran investigation experts found it to be very irresponsive, superficial and eye washing. In spite of all these honorable Speaker, before reading the report, confessed that the report does not express his opinion and he is only a member of the Committee.

For a proper investigation, before carrying away the bodies to the hospital the particulars of the accident spot should have been properly recorded, taking of snaps from various angles, prevention of the movement by sealing the spot; and the inquiry committee should have been provided with that spot. There was even the scope for postmortem report, blood test, and finger print, etc to facilitate the probing committee. And the report could have been effective by cross-questioning of the eyewitnesses.

Probably due to the time constraints and various other factors there are many serious loopholes in the report. Report lacks the convincing evidence to accuse the then Crown Prince Dipendra for the massacre. Even if the late King Dipendra is accountable for the incident, the Nepalese people, who regard the King as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, their sentiments are wounded. Till before the people who saw their King as the source of divine power, this incident may invite the stage when the same would suspect the King as the source of demon. In this aspect also the Committee failed to study and analyze its causes and consequences.

TGQ5: Given the sudden change in Nepal's politics with King Birendra's sudden death and the instability seen in Nepali politics, what you will suggest to Nepal's political political parties so that the nation regains normalcy and stability?

Mr. Baral: Certainly the demise of His Majesty King Birendra is sudden and unexpected. This increased the popular discontent. The people also demonstrated their revolutionary attitudes in the streets. By imposing curfew and the decision to form an Investigation Committee the prevalent popular discontent was appeased. Inspite of this entire people are still very reluctant to accept the decision of the Committee. Because the people in the streets were unorganized therefore it became easy for the administration to control the dissatisfied population.

Almost all the political parties have accepted the committees' decision of the ghastly massacre of the royal family. Some small left wing parties are reluctant to accept the decision. The incident is certainly unbelievable, but all should remain cautious that no such ghastly tragedy takes place in the ensuing days. Because of the inability of the political parties to provide responsible and able leadership, someone else can exploit the weakness. The Nepalese political parties, instead of relying on the peoples' trust, they depend more on the alien powers, which is also the source of all undesired consequences. Reliance of the ruling and the opposition parties on the people could not be found. Even in the Royal massacre incident, for instance, it was learnt that the incumbent Nepalese Prime Minister beseeched his Indian counterpart vis-à-vis Nepal's security and after the meeting of India's Security Council the Indian army's were deployed in the Nepalese boarders. These days the discussion that is awash is that many Nepalese political celebrities are under payroll of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). At this juncture, not only the individuals and the institutions but the very sovereignty of the country is threatened.

Therefore, the source of the power of any political party is the people; and in this hour of time with their support and confidence these political parties should honestly and responsively lead the nation, presently in uncomfortable and sorrowful state and cautiously transforming it to power and confidence, towards the path of progress and prosperity of Nepal and the Nepalese people. It is the appropriate time for all political parties to make people equally competent, able and vigilant; and in case of national issues all political parties should come out of their party boundaries and unite themselves in solving issues that are of national character.

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