Are Nepali politicians above the laws?

A bizarre disclosure made by some parliamentarians and political leaders of the nation has in essence stunned the nation of late. For this country such divulgence have become common in the sense that nothing of that sort happens after each such revelation for the men involved in such "common phenomenon" were the ones who make the rules to break themselves. This means that the persons involved in such occurrences were either above the law or at least pose to be above the law. However, the fact is that the nation's constitution clearly stipulates that no body was above the law. In reality there are some men placed at higher political echelons who either twist the prevailing laws of the land should they commit a crime. It is these sets of high placed personalities at times even give an altogether new interpretation to the laws should they feel threatened by their own unlawful conducts. It is not for nothing been popularly said in Nepal that for the poor, the laws were intact but for the richer sections of the society only luxury.

Last week parliamentarian Lila Mani Pokhrel and RPP leader Jog Mehar Shrestha surprised many a brain in Kathmandu when they both stunningly revealed that they possessed ample proofs that hinted that high placed ministers and even the Prime Minister of the nation had at time or the other offered "donations" to the Maoists. The manner these two leaders expressed their hair-raising revelation gives some inkling into how the men in higher posts talk double in this country. The royal ordinance entitled Terrorist and Disruptive act brought some two months ago in order to tame the threat of the Maoists insurgency which at the moment enjoys the authority of a law clearly stipulates that any person who is found supporting the members of the insurgency either cash or in kind could well be tried as per the said ordinance. If it is so then what could be understood is that the men currently in higher political echelons will be tried or will have to be tried under the prevailing laws. However, what is hundred percent sure is that neither the very special men who supported the Maoists insurgency will be exposed by the men who now claim to have clear proofs nor the law of the nation dare to approach to those men in high places. The beauty of the democratic system lies in effect in bringing one to propaganda and later nothing of any sort very special happens. Albeit the people are given to understand that the laws of the land will take its course of action and the men involved in the process will be duly penalized. If past experiences were any guide then what could also be predicted in advance that the men who now strongly claim to have clear proofs with them that implicates Nepalese politicians to have supported the Maoists insurgency either themselves will take their revelations back or would be forced to do so. Both the sets, the men accused and those who have made such accusations, will settle their differences albeit clandestinely and the people in the streets will be yet again be given to understand that what ever had happened was all but a propaganda to malign the democratic system and that too by the reactionaries who wish the erstwhile system bouncing back.

It is time perhaps some enthusiasts come forward and go deep into the matter and file the needed writ petition at the nation's apex court and bring the wrongdoers to book. Or else, the laws of the land will only be used to penalize the most ordinary men leaving the high placed politicians to act as per their wishes.

Hopefully, Nepal's competent parliamentarians will take up this episode in the upcoming winter session of the parliament. If they do so will mean that Nepal still possessed some law abiding parliamentarians who wish that nation's prevailing laws must apply to those even who apparently consider themselves above the laws. The million-dollar question is who will be the wild cats?

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