I wish the King adhered to the values of a democratic system both in words and deeds

Ms. Sujata Koirala, Social Worker/NC Leader

Politics is in my blood.

This is very natural because I took birth in a family that was highly political and adhered to the establishment of a democratic system in the country. My family, beginning, Grand Pa, Senior Pa (read the legendary late B.P) and my own Pa ( G.P.Koirala) and the rest of even the feminine members of my family were in politics and thus no body should take any surprise in my being in politics. This is a fact.

Since all along these thirteen years, I am in active politics. However, my politics is geared for social awareness, development, democratic stabilization and its consolidation. I believe in the theory that if we have no democracy, we will have no economic development and vice versa. Both are interlinked to one another.

I am also of the firm judgment that having democracy alone will not do every thing. The fruits of the system and the norms and the values of the system have got to reach the grassroots. If it is not so, democracy will have no meaning.

Nonetheless, at the moment, my attention is to serve the country through social services. In this respect, for example, in Sunsari district, we have extensively been successful in implementing Micro-Credit programs among the browbeaten and the gloomy population. It is with, thanks, the German funding, that the "ultra-poor" of that very particular VDC-8 are benefiting from our services. Come in the category of the Ultra-poor those who have no means to manage two meals a day. Just bear in mind them as rag-bag-bobby-tail. In so many respects we differ with other similar Micro-credit programs.

We be at variance with others on the count that we train those who are to receive credits much ahead of their getting credits which enables the recipient with the skill on how and where to use those money, even if it were in undersized amount. We fund in cash-crops, crop growing and the likes and I tell you quite comfortably that the speed of the come back of the loans thus spread among the poor is almost hundred percent. We are in this program since seven years only but the results are more than cheering.

The difference in our funding? Yes! It is there. We provide health insurance. Above all, we have a component of education as well, which allows the poor to send their offspring to the schools. It is already a model to be copied by others.

Apart from this format, we run a Hospital at Salambutar, Sankhu village, some ten kms east of Kathmandu.

"Plastic and Reconstructive" hospital as it is which comes to the rescue of those who unfortunately are burnt and in the process have lost either their nose, face, cheeks, or even lips, or limbs. It is a sort of plastic surgery. It is again a German INGO, German Inter Plast, which has been supporting us. We have a team of doctors guided by a German expert who visits the hospital frequently. German experts have so far been supportive in cases, which could not be treated here, to be sent to Germany itself and there are scores of cases wherein we have sent such patients and they have come completely changed.

This is not all. We have a Staff Nurse college in Kathmandu. We provide CMA training to students in Nepalganj. We now concentrate our efforts in the health and the education sectors.

Is it time consuming? Indeed, it is but then since I am being lent a hand by a group of professionals which provides me comfort and allows me to engage myself in the domain of politics.

I am planning to fight for a CWC membership come the impending NC General Convention early next year. If I emerge triumphant, naturally I will have to quit the presidency of Sushama Koirala trust in favor of a suitable and reliable personality.

Yes, I wish to devote full time in politics. I believe in the dictum that good politics should guide the nation. If politics were good, it would yield good results. However, we all who are in politics should try to correct our past mistakes and blunders. Knowingly or unknowingly, leaders have committed mistakes. Let's learn from our past slip-ups. After all, politics is a learning process. This in no way means that the system did not deliver over these years. It did deliver indeed. Our own inexperience and immaturity at times has had some negative impact on the overall politics of the nation. Let's correct it and proceed with new energy and vigor.

We have to give attention to our efforts on effecting extensive reforms and manage abnormalities and mismanagement and also curb corruption.

Today's politics is bit mystifying. Well, the nation's priority, as I see it, is peace, the restoration of peace, and a permanent peace indeed. Unless we have peace, we can't create jobs.

I consider that democratic system has been hard hit at the moment.

We have had three rounds of talks with the Maoists but unfortunately those failed miserably. This time the talks should be "result oriented" and to achieve those positive results, I thing we should not hesitate in engaging the United Nations. I think the UN should have its presence at the talks. Let's accept their "good offices" in this regard. What others say regarding the presence of the UN system at time of the talks is immaterial for us. That has and should have no meaning to us. What should be a matter of national priority for us all as Nepali citizens as to which mode would benefit the nation and the talks? We have to decide ourselves on what should be done and what ought not to be.

I wish the UN were here as "observer" and use her good offices in our conflict so that peace is restored.

Regarding India's stance over the UN. Well, I don't think that India as a traditional neighbor would not wish peace in this country. I firmly believe India would not object. And why should India object? After all its spill over effect is what they have begun experiencing of late.

If the UN is present at the talks would mean that the two conflicting parties can's ignore the talks and above all will be pressed a continuity to the talks. That means that parties concerned can't leave the talks at their will. The Maoists in the presence of the UN can perhaps find it comfortable to lay down the arms. If they do so will automatically break the Unified Command structure. Later the civil society will become adequately active to monitor the emerging situation. The GUNS would thus become silent.

Umhh! Umhh! Umhh! My last India trip?

My fresh India visit was just a private one and nothing more than that. Don't politicize it.

Well, I have been the target of some elements, both from the party ranks and outside, who wish to tarnish my emerging political image and thus label charges that are just unfounded but being propagated with dubious and mal-intentions of the highest order. I challenge all those who hurl corruption charges against me and my family are all nonsense. Come with adequate proofs and let's face each other at the table.

His majesty the King?

I wish the King adhered to the norms and the values of a democratic system both in words and deeds. He should also think on how to provide continuity to the monarchical system in the country. The entire world knows that it was the Nepali Congress that has ever shielded the institution of the monarchy in the country even at bad times beginning the epoch making changes of the 1950.

A statement to the Maoists too would be not out of order here. Well my suggestions to them would be to them "be serious for the talks". It is getting late.

However, I wish that the Maoists too supported the NC agenda that of the "restoration of the now dissolved parliament". Let the parliament be restored, form a cabinet which would later initiate talks with the Maoists. If done so, the new cabinet backed by the strength of the parliament would definitely strongly and effectively take up the issue with the Maoists. Later, the parliament could be adjourned sine die.

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