Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Republicanism; an alien agenda

Niraj Aryal

The Maoists call for a unilateral ceasefire may not have provoked the government to follow their move nevertheless it has created confusions in the ruling class as His Majesty’s decision not to attend the UN’s 60 th general assembly in itself speaks the grave situation engulfing the country and also discloses the fact that this time H.M himself is feeling the urgency of the situation. What will be the HM’s move in this situation apart from visiting the districts and talking to the people- was there a better political option than this? Perhaps there was not! The duffer advisors, to which H.M presumably is so-reliant on ruling the country, may explain the importance of this visit in a better way at this time. But matured political analysts claim this move as a one, which will still distance the political parties with the monarch provided the King handles the emerging politics with care and diplomatically.

On the other hand, the agitating political parties who still claim to represent the country are busy howling for a “Republican Nepal” and urging people to start visualizing the country without a King. This move is also contributing to distance the political parties with the monarch. Yielding to the visible "alien dictates" a few leaders in the political parties who are following this rhetoric might have convinced their cadres present in bureaucracy, academia, media and others who had exploited the system for their personal benefit during the past fifteen years of democratic system. Here, it is clear that it could be easy for the political parties to convince the significance of this absurd rhetoric of republicanism to their cadres but very difficult to convince the general mass, who are still waiting for consolidation among the Monarch and the Political parties. “A republican rhetoric forwarded by the political parties under alien instigation is merely for a political survival”, claimed a senior journalist.

The UML supreme leader Madhav Nepal’s recent meet with the Indian Ambassador at his residence changed his standpoint on monarchy and while talking to his party men in Tulsipur, Dang Mr. Nepal may be speaking against his mind but then yet urged the people to imagine Nepal without a King. Perhaps this is what is called, yielding to a foreign dictate. Lendhun Dorjes in the making indeed!

Although the slogan for a republic is still being described as an absurd proposition and a rhetoric for political survival which has not been able to create ripples among the mass but seems to have instilled fears certainly among the ruling class. This analysis thus could prompt the advisors to advise His Majesty to again go for a district visit instead of taking part in the UN’s general assembly. The group might have felt that if real issues were not addressed on time this petite problem could transform itself into a bigger one with the help of external forces and their cohorts present in the country sooner than later.

Thus HM’s visit this time could bear two important reasons. The first reason of course as publicized could be to meet the people who are distanced to the monarch by the Maoists' insurgency and the second one could be analyzed as a visit that is intended not to allow the political parties to gain momentum in their recent avowal against the monarchy in the country.

Whereas it is of immense importance that the inner advisory group if any to understand the fact that more than fearing against the internal factors the external manipulation in the internal politics could prove disastrous for the establishment institutions of the country hence the foreign manipulations need to be exposed at the earliest. The would-be Lendhup Dorjes must be brought to light.