|
In-depth analysis:
Pincer against King emphasized
Kathmandu: Lines are being drawn for a projected showdown between the political parties and supporters of the King's February 1 move after it has become crystal clear that the people at large have refused to budge to party initiatives to reverse the King's move on the plea of democracy alone.
Now that the administrative and the regulatory processes to allow the country to assert itself have been put in place, the decisive delivery and mobilization phase is to be sabotaged at all costs in order for the party to retain its sagging toehold in Nepali democracy. As a result, a seven party coalition demanding the restoration of the dissolved parliament, the dissolution of the Royal Commission for anti-corruption,, restoration of the press freedom and elections to the constituent assembly, is to take to the streets in an attempt to paralyze government and retain disenchanted international interests for possible intervention.
The redundancy of these demands will continue to fail public interest and so the attempt is to force the public interest by paralyzing government.
Already, a stage-managed affair pre-empting a long anticipated introduction of reforms in the media sector has unilaterally declared that press freedom is being curbed and a call for organized media non-cooperation and condemnation is to be the part of the agitation. Lost in the process is the fact that these new reforms have yet to be announced publicly. Portions of it were calculatedly leaked through the partisan media. This was lifted at a media forum to be denounced. The partisan federation of Journalists, which has been toeing the party lines, has used the forum to call for an agitation against the regulation. The journalist agitation carefully times to coincide with the seven party agitation is now underway in the name of press freedom. While authentic versions of the content of the new media laws is still to come public, reliable sources now desperately reveal that its original version is the one "agreed to unanimously" some six years ago in the parliament with only changes in the amount of penalty for damages which have been raised. Even these sources add compares poorly with similar clauses in media regulation of other acclaimed democracies. Also, very willingly covered is the fact that a sitting minister, Jaya Prakas Prasad Gupta, under Sher Bahadur Deuba's Premiership was demanding changes in the regulations at that time on grounds of the fact that foreign investment had defied existing regulations to enter Nepal in a round-about way.
Just as the media persons have now been called to the streets under the restoration of democracy theme, party muscle is to be used amidst their cadre in other professional organizations. In the forefront is the Nepal Bar Association, which is already contesting the constitutionality of the Royal Commission against corruption. All party presence among academics have gathered to publicly call for their sector to agitate for democracy. Of Course, it is the student cadre that will be the vanguard of the agitation and even one school has already gone on strike on the day the agitation was to begin nut, revealingly, on grounds of corruption in the school administration.
This "constitutional" front against the King's move is timed well also to coincide with a spurt of suicidal Maoists activities designed to demonstrate the inefficacy of the security moves. Predictable thus is that the pincer will be carried to a new pitch.
Lost in the process is the fact that none less than two rulings of the nation's apex court have junked the restoration of parliament theme as a political and not a constitutional demand. The very constitutionality of the constituent assembly demand was continually being challenged by the seven party coalitions provoking the insurgency of the past ten years itself. To boot, the agitation has yet to come to a public program for the reestablishment of national security and peace. What the public sees thus is that the parties are widening the schisms in Nepali society while the public demand is to close it in the larger interest of the nation.
RNA's grand revelation embarrasses Nepal's southern neighbor to the hilt
Kathmandu: The Royal Nepal Army pulled the carpet under the feet of the Indian establishment last Friday and successfully proved that the authorities manning the South Block in Delhi have had tacit linkages with the leaders of the Nepali rebels.
This is not all; the Nepal Army's "grand" revelation made last week must have come as a bolt from the blue to those "master brains" in New Delhi who have had in the past rejected Nepal's presumption that Indian authorities were in some way or the other were having close linkages with the Nepali insurgents for "unexplained" political reasons.
In doing so, understandably, the Nepali army though small in numerical strength, has taken a bold step whose ramifications could be on what is traditionally referred to as "intimate" neighbor with which Nepal's traditions, culture and so many things go beyond one's imaginations.
In doing so, the Royal Nepal Army appears to have already calculated the risks that the revelation might cause to "our" sound and profound "bilateral relations that has been continuing through ages which demanded even an open border in between the two "brotherly" nations.
In doing so, the RNA presumably have had already estimated the "diplomatic" complications involved in the revelation, but then yet it did so caring little that whatever would happen will have to be faced boldly.
The RNA not only exposed that Indian establishment have had confirm linkages with the sons of the Nepali soil, now rebels, but also made it abundantly clear that the authorities in India were "bargaining" with the top-hat of the insurgency for certain tangible gains. In effect, the authorities in India, as per the revelation that has come to light, were forcing rebel leader dahal to "lift" the penal actions that he recently took against his own comrade in arms, Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai. Understandably, the bargain was in lieu of the release of the two jailed leaders of the insurgency.
The Maoists leader Mr. Dahal, in a fresh statement has in an indirect manner admitted that the "audio tape" was authentic but the contents of the conversations were pretty old and had been made in a different context.
This must have doubly embarrassed New Delhi. This means that Dr. Bhattarai was penalized by the party and that for unexplained good and reliable reasons the South Block administration initiated clandestine moves to appease Mr. Dahal and secure the lifting up of the actions against Dr. Bhattarai.
Now question arises as to which factors prompt Indian establishment to go in favor of Dr. Bhattarai? Other related question also emerges as to what were the linkages in between the Nepali insurgency and the Indian establishment and for what purposes? The third question that automatically comes to the minds of the Nepali brains is that why for Dr. Bhattarai has become suddenly so important in the eyes of Indian institution as a nation-state that the authorities plead in favor of Bhattarai in front of Prachanda?
The final question now is that why of the two prominent leaders, India chose Dr. Bhattarai and for what gains, visible or invisible?
Should this mean straight that Dr. Bhattarai enjoys the tacit support of Indian establishment which Prachanda not?
After all, analysts question as to what is the specialty, politically speaking, in Dr. Bhattarai that India should initiate bargain with Prachanda for his safe entry into the party and in return Prachanda would get his two jailed friends freed by the establishment?
This again means that if Prachanda agreed to Indian conditions, the establishment there would manage the release of Mr. Gajurel and Kiran from their respective jails?
But how? Isn't it a legal question that have got to be cleared by the laws of the land and that courts should clear up the matter but not the government in New Delhi? Here lay the crux of the matter.
Moreover, the RNA revelation also makes it clear that India invited Maoists leaders for a dialogue. We have reasons to believe in the words of a Nepali son, Mr. Dahal, that his party leaders were invited for talks. India denies this and says that all the revelations were baseless. Prachanda can't be baseless but Indian authorities can, this is what past experience tells.
Okay! India invited for talks. But what the Indian authorities would talk with them? Are they the real authorities to initiate talks? Analysts say India is not.
At best what India can do is to mediate Nepali affairs for a compromise in between the two. However, what is not clear is that for such an effort from the Indian soil, what would be India's "own" clandestine "agenda"?
The agenda is not clear. Imagining that India would offer its good offices without any substantial gains from the Nepali, stress added, conflicting parties would simply be foolhardy.
The India that Nepali analysts understand and have experienced in the past is an India that enjoys in twisting the arms of her smaller neighbors. Which country on earth knows better what is India for Nepal?
The speed and the hurriedness with which the Indian mission in Kathmandu retaliated to RNA's roundabout announcement with the needed verbal and pictorial proofs do tell, "Guilty mind is always suspicious". Or else the mission would have waited a bit in order to study the allegations or for that matter the declarations and made a cool comment. However, this they did not and tried in vain to suggest Nepal that they have had been supporting the RNA in order to curb the threats posed by the rebels. India should not have told this fact because this is a fact. However, the manner in which the fact was made "re-known" to Nepal was simply an affair made in "sheer nervousness", analysts conclude.
At best what they did is that South Block invited the now self-exiled leaders for a tête-à-tête with Natwar Sing in an apparent bid to send signals in Nepal that those who have a say in Nepali politics were kneeling down to get Indian support for the completion of the agitation.
Now that the RNA has taken the courageous move, it would be nice and praiseworthy on behalf of India to clarify what she really wants from Nepal out of the Nepali conflict? It is time that India as a real friend, if it were that in strict sense of the term, makes it clear that she has no such any political interest to be extracted from the conflict and that the revelations should have not come in the fashion it emerged. Analysts hope that Nepal and India must not harbor any ill towards each other keeping in mind the age-old traditional ties that exist in between the two countries since time immemorial. Is India listening? Nepal's prefers a real and soft neighbor but not the one in which our friend across the border is presenting herself since, let's be frank, the days from the early 1950s.
Analysts opine that sons of Nepali soil now in the rebel camp understand the internal dynamics of India's hidden business in managing and lingering the conflict in between a nepali with the other Nepali.
Nepalese sons are being killed not the Indian ones.
The message should be clear to all.
Nitty-gritty of UML leaders' trip abroad
Kathmandu: How serious are the Nepali leaders for the success of their ongoing agitation for the restoration of what they call "full democracy" becomes clear from the fact that most of the second generation leaders of the parties in agitation are enjoying New Delhi's hospitality and those who remain in Kathmandu have been either planning a trip abroad or were already in a pleasure trip to some foreign countries.
Notably, Pradip Giri, NC-D, H. Tripathi and Rajendra Mahato, NSP-A, Mahanta Thakur-NC-GP, and a host of others are in Delhi begging foreign intervention in Nepal in order to get their demands met with from the monarch.
If this is so then UML leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, has just left for a foreign tour that will carry him to Republic of Korea and Beijing. Mr. Nepal has gone abroad hopefully leaving the agitation to the mercy of "international" friends who appear more interested in Nepali affairs than the Nepalese themselves and the comity of nations is undoubtedly led by Indian Ambassador Mukherjee.
While the interests of the international community other than India is clear to all the Nepalese for these countries possess no territorial ambitions in Nepal nor have a desire to extract water resources on an uneven basis but would wish to see democratic system institutionalized in Nepal, on the other hand, on what political conditions India has agreed to extend its valuable support to our Nepali leaders is shrouded in mystery.
To recall, India supported 1990 agitation and managed democratic system in this country but in lieu took so many things from Koirala, Deuba and Madhav Nepal and this time what our leaders have proposed to India is yet unknown.
The fact is that Nepali leaders' over dependence on India and other friendly countries for a thing that Nepalese can get or extract by convincing power centers that lie in Nepal itself.
Analysts don't understand the politics of seeking support from friendly countries for a matter that Nepalese can themselves decide.
The fact is that already Nepali leaders have had to pay back the obligations to Indian designs for sending their kids to Indian schools for higher education under the Indian government's scholarship scheme.
It would not be print-worthy if we bring out the names of the kinds of those Nepali leaders who have been enjoying scholarships under that particular scheme. The numerical strength of such students of studying in Indian universities is mind boggling indeed.
Now coming back to Mr. Nepal's far-off trip, one question automatically arises as to how a Nepali leader who was under house arrest for well over three months is suddenly allowed to make a foreign trip by the state authorities? And that too with no conditions imposed?
Analyst are not against Mr. Nepal going abroad. Not only him but others also should be allowed to travel free without any restrictions. However, what is puzzling to note is that when others are not allowed to visit even inside Nepal, how come Madhav Nepal is permitted to make a trip out of the country?
Does this mean that Mr. Nepal's going abroad is not a threat to the state? Or is it that Madhav Nepal is a tested and reliable friend of the State authorities despite of his making fiery speeches against the King and the establishment?
Or is it that the communist leader has already bargained some thing very exclusive, which took care of his "inner desires" in lieu of considering seriously over the establishment's "inner requirements"?
Who knows what is being cooked in Sigh Durbar and Madhav's private kitchen in Koteshwar?
Keep on guessing.
Advocate Tripathi to challenge RCCCs legality
Kathmandu: Coinciding with the ongoing debate over the legal status of the Royal Commission against Corruption, the RCCC, a new writ petition is being drafted by a senior Advocate at the Supreme Court, Mr. Dinesh Tripathi, challenging the constitutionality of the said Commission currently headed by Sri Man Bhakta Bahadur Koirala.
Supreme Court sources say that Mr. Tripathi have had already moved a similar petition at the nation's apex court questioning the very establishment of the Commission some days ago. However, the court Registrar did not entertain the writ petition and summarily refused to register the case.
The writ petitioner, Mr. Tripathi says that the Registrar is a mere administrative authority who can in no way block the way of the honorable court in discussing cases whose verdicts were of national significance.
According to senior advocate Tripathi, he is all set to move the court with yet another petition on the same in a day or two and the court is expected to listen to his plea that is attached with people's interests.
Tripathi opines that if the RCCC had been formed under the article127 of the constitution then it demanded that the Commission be approved by a sitting parliament.
The fact is that, Tripathi adds, since the parliament stands dissolved so the Commission can't function without its approval.
In such a case, either the parliament has got to be restored or the RCCC declared null and void.
Tripathi is of the firm opinion that the constitution of the RCCC itself in the first place tantamount to the gross violation of the spirit of the 1990 Statute.
ENBREF:
China sending special envoy
Kathmandu : Quoting a senior diplomatic source a Nepali news-site claimed that China is sending a special representative this Thursday. However, it is still unclear the reasons for the visit.
But it is expected that the delegation could be coming to “deal with weapons” or lobby for changes in UN Security Council structure. It is said that the Chinese authority in Nepal notified the Foreign Ministry of the impending visit one week ago. Thanks China that at least it is sending "fear signals" to South Block in New Delhi .
Indian and British envoys summoned
Kathmandu: Reacting to the recent remarks expressed by the Indian Government and the European Union on the issue of the seven party alliance against the restoration of democracy, the Nepalese Government expressed strong objections after summoning British Ambassador Keith George Bloomfield and Indian Ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee to Shital Niwas .
They were accused for openly supporting the common agenda of seven political parties.
The letter says: “ Friendly countries should abide by international norms by understanding the sensitivities of Nepal and shouldn’t interfere in Nepal ’s internal affairs for which Nepal wants to alert India and EU.”
How the two countries in the "axis" will react will have to be watched.
Prakash Koirala expelled from NC
Kathmandu : The son of late NC president B.P.Koirala, Prakash Koirala, also a central committee member of NC was expelled from the party’s general membership for one year, the party sources claimed.
Junior Koirala in a newspaper interview two days ago had ridiculed the party’s and the seven-party opposition alliances' call for the reinstatement of the dissolved parliament by saying that it would even deteriorate the country's situation further.
Democracy for nation, nation not for democracy: Pak Prez
Kathmandu : Responding to questions asked by journalists on the Nepali political situation, Pakistan President Pervej Musharraf last week said Nepal ’s political situation is an internal affair and added if a national problem cannot be resolved by one means other measures can be adopted in case of failure. He added, “It is very essential to resolve the unfortunate situation created because of Maoists”.
Musharraf said democracy is for the nation and the nation is not for democracy and this applies to Nepal .
Golcha exposed again
Kathmandu : The effort of the Golcha Organization to slash the paid-up share value of the Eastern Sugar Mill Ltd has been foiled, a vernacular daily reported. Company Registrar’s Office Friday issued an order not to hold the 5th and 6th annual general meeting.
The Kathmandu district court, in a verdict, said devaluing equity was illegal. A special proposal was being presented to reduce the value of 2.63 million shares from Rs 100 to Rs 18 per share. Nepal Bank Ltd had negotiated with the Mill to re-schedule Rs 700 million loans.
The chief of the Golcha Organization, Mr. Hulaschand Golcha is also a consulate general of Poland to the Kingdom of Nepal .
|
