Except the Maoists, which parties were not closer to the King?

-Radha Budhathoki, Journalist

Don't get flabbergasted! I was born in Malaysia. Later I had my primary schooling in Calcutta, today's Kolkata, India. Still later, I came to my own earth, the BHARSE VDC in Gulmi district.

It is from this place I secured my School Leaving Certificate examinations in the year 1987.

After SLC, I came to Kathmandu and joined Padma Kanya Campus and studied Intermediate of Arts, IA, which followed the entrance into Trichandra Campus for Bachelor studies.

Later I did my Bachelor in Law and Bachelor in Education concurrently which should have been in the year 1996.

I then took Nepali subject in my Masters level at the Tribhuban University. However, my Masters degree in sociology discipline is yet to be completed.

Regarding my doorway into the sector of journalism, it all began when I was studying at Padma Kanya Campus. It was at this college that I happened to be one of the active member of the students union, AKHIL 5th, a political affiliate of the Mohan Bikran Singh led MASAL communist grouping. Later I was instructed to work at the MAHIMA Weekly as a reporter. Later I joined another weekly under the editorship of D.R.Lamichane-the Nav Jan Kranti-new people's revolution.

Still later, I worked for yet another weekly, the Naya Hank-the New Challenge, which was basically the mouthpiece of the MASAL party. Due to financial crunch, the weekly had to be bunged. This led me to bring out a new daily called Naya Morcha-New Front, which later turned out to be the SANDHYAKALIN daily, the Eveninger.

When I had joined this sector, it was not a professional one but task (mission) journalism. We had then a mission that had got to be propagated among the masses and we did it well.

Later, some factors or say compulsions forced me to entirely think of my future line of business and then I took a drastic decision and the resolution being that I quit the party for good.

The reason?

Let me tell you in the details. Well I had joined the communist party inspired by Marxism and its ideals. I kept on working as a very disciplined cadre of the party. I was enjoying my work for it was not simply a work but a sort of devotion towards the party and its avowed goals. However when I began sensing that the party was deflecting from what it sermonized and what it in real meaning practiced. This made me some what vigilant and when I learnt that those close to the top-hats of the party were elevated to higher ranks and not those who were simple but yet hard workers. I also came to know that the party leaders did not weighed up the cadres fairly. The party did not in effect believed in "egalitarianism" in its conduct. All these put together, I concluded that my longer stay in the party was neither viable nor desirable.

I now conclude that if political parties were rated for their performances and strong discipline and fairness in dealings, I would say that of all it should be the communist parties which are the most perverted and decomposed ones. What is projected to the laymen is not what it is in effect. Ear pleasing and attractive philosophies are there but those never come for implementation or practice. It is all a mirage only.

The most interesting of my career as a communist was that I had the privilege to work with Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai and Comrade Prachanda. Dr. Bhattarai, a real learned man, could be seen always at the library. He spoke less and hence we the cadres concluded that Dr. Bhattarai is a man of strict discipline. Dr. Bhattarai used to take classes. He was kind hearted. His wife, Hisila Yami, too was a kind woman.

I think I could have met comrade Prachanda in Patan during the year 1990-92.

Comrade Prachanda's face is absolutely like a normal human being. No body can say that this normal and kindhearted personality could be a revolutionary of this sort? Later Prachanda switched to another party.

I have very high regards For Mohan Bikram and Dr. Bhattarai.

I recall that I could have seen Comrade Prachanda last time around the year 1996 in one of the busiest part of the town.

Since then, believe me, I haven't met those leaders. I don't know about their whereabouts.

So my dissatisfaction with the communists expanded to the extent that I joined pleasingly a new political party, the SAMATA Party, under the leadership of Mr. Narayan Singh Pun who later became the minister in Chand's cabinet and was entrusted as coordinator of the talks with the Maoists.

It was interesting that I had quit the Communist party so did Mr. Pun who had only recently quit his Nepali congress party for some exclusive reasons. Both of us had quit their mother parties for some common reasons. A mere conjecture indeed.

The SAMATA party has a new political dimension to it. It is in between the Communism and Socialism. This is a party now registered at the Election Council. The new party got a moral boost when its supreme leader was selected as one of the ministers in the Lokendra Bahadur Chand's cabinet.

Let me tell you that the talks with the Maoists would have been finalized that time for good. However, some interested quarters ditched the entire process and thus the talks failed.

As regards the claim of my president Mr. Pun that he would if told to resume the talks with the Maoists and that too well within 24 hours, he can do what he claims. His contacts and connections are still as good as they were that time. The crux of the matter is that he is being denied this role. I don't know who is playing the villain.

As of the Deuba set, what I can say that this government has tried to provide a shape of an all-party government. It is a mish-mash establishment and thus it is only but natural that the different constituents in the government would work harder to pull the gains to their sides which if happens would invite disasters for this "mix" government.

Talking of Koirala's claims that he would settle the Maoist issue for good, at least, I for one, don't believe in his claims. Had he claimed what he is claiming today when in power would have some meaning. Now when he is not ion power, his attempt would be a cry in the wilderness.

The UML! It is a fragmented party now that is not an united entity. Internal wrangling are there which has made the party pretty weaker. At times I feel that if the Deuba government collapses, it would do so because of the UML.

Talking of my party closer to the Monarchy let me put you this way. Except the Maoists, which parties were not closer to the King or for that matter the monarchy? My party believes in Constitutional monarchy and multi-party system.

Last but not the least, I am at the moment editing the SAMTA weekly. That's all.

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