On August 29, 2005, Nepali Congress (NC) decides to removes all the clauses about monarchy, even the constitutional monarchy which for such a long time had been NC's centrist path, from its statute. This happened right after Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninst (CPN-UML) decided to go for Democratic Republic. Though these two decisions chanced after a long debate among political leaders and intellectuals, these are two historic moves to take Nepal toward a more democratic and more equitable path, and to make it a more just society for people of all cultures and origins.
From a higher ground, all of this make sense. But details are rather ugly and murky. Road to republic is hazy and unclear even now, and if thought deeper, rather disconcerting. Vocal proponents of the republic agenda had been Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) in the past and recently most of the intellectual and student voices are snowballing for it. CPN-M traditionally wanted a one-party rule and their behavior toward general public, other political parties, and the people whoever writes against them and disagrees with them, had been intolerant and any dissenting voice would be branded. Such rule nobody wants. Despite their propoganda to sell their armed revolution as people's war, people had been trying to distance themselves from Maoists. But after Magh 19th's Royal Move, as most of the political mass leaned toward the republic agenda of theirs, they have shown more tolerance, at least in Prachand's and Baburam's speeches, toward those same dissenting voices. They have also proposed for a working relationship among all the forces fighting against the royal move. Though informal, this relationship is gaining support and momentum and is posing as a great threat to the existence of monarchy now. To neutralize such moves, national media machineries are active to discredit political parties and whoever talks of such alliance among two ideologically polarized forces as anti-national, as they used to say during 90's movement. It doesn't seem to work.
Though I don't see any natural way the political parties can ally themselves with the maoists, let's suppose there is an alliance among the political parties, including the maoists. Here, I have put the maoists in the group of political parties, though they had never faced a public election with that name, because I think, now they have enough political credibility and mass, at least compared to the other political parties, to justify that place. How will and shall the alliance work? Who should take the lead? Apart from the maoists, none of the parties want to go for the armed movement. Maoists already have a huge army and weapons and they won't neutralize themselves anytime soon. Also, nobody can guess, even when they are talking about alliances and democratic republic, whether that is actually their agenda or there are something else hidden somewhere inside in the twisted minds of Prachand, Mahara, and other Maoist leaders. I think Baburam is more sincere in this respect. Within the two extremes of autocratic regin of the royal family and one-party rule of the maoists, the political parties are now looking for their middle path that doesn't compromise anymore with the monarch and their identities remain intact.
If the political parties, this time sans the maoists, have to compromise with the maoists after Nepal has become republic, assuming she becomes in near future, that won't do any good for their future and for Nepal's future. Also, if they compromised right now with the monarch even before they fight any battle, that would also do no good for their political future. So, they have to tread a fine line at this moment in history. May be this is why Shailaja and Girija were so vehemently against going for the republic actively? But I think the time has come to go for it. It is always the autocrats, or the colonialists, that provide opportunity for their own destruction. This time it was Gyanendra. He miscalculated the moves and provided a cause for unity among all the political parties and intellectual circle. Movement is gaining momentum and has already become unstoppable. Unless some miracle happens, he and his family is bound to find their place in history and oblivion. After that, if people have to unite again against the dictatorial rule of the maoist party, then they will. But for now, lets just think up to the end of the royal family, and save ourselves from going beyond.
From a higher ground, all of this make sense. But details are rather ugly and murky. Road to republic is hazy and unclear even now, and if thought deeper, rather disconcerting. Vocal proponents of the republic agenda had been Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) in the past and recently most of the intellectual and student voices are snowballing for it. CPN-M traditionally wanted a one-party rule and their behavior toward general public, other political parties, and the people whoever writes against them and disagrees with them, had been intolerant and any dissenting voice would be branded. Such rule nobody wants. Despite their propoganda to sell their armed revolution as people's war, people had been trying to distance themselves from Maoists. But after Magh 19th's Royal Move, as most of the political mass leaned toward the republic agenda of theirs, they have shown more tolerance, at least in Prachand's and Baburam's speeches, toward those same dissenting voices. They have also proposed for a working relationship among all the forces fighting against the royal move. Though informal, this relationship is gaining support and momentum and is posing as a great threat to the existence of monarchy now. To neutralize such moves, national media machineries are active to discredit political parties and whoever talks of such alliance among two ideologically polarized forces as anti-national, as they used to say during 90's movement. It doesn't seem to work.
Though I don't see any natural way the political parties can ally themselves with the maoists, let's suppose there is an alliance among the political parties, including the maoists. Here, I have put the maoists in the group of political parties, though they had never faced a public election with that name, because I think, now they have enough political credibility and mass, at least compared to the other political parties, to justify that place. How will and shall the alliance work? Who should take the lead? Apart from the maoists, none of the parties want to go for the armed movement. Maoists already have a huge army and weapons and they won't neutralize themselves anytime soon. Also, nobody can guess, even when they are talking about alliances and democratic republic, whether that is actually their agenda or there are something else hidden somewhere inside in the twisted minds of Prachand, Mahara, and other Maoist leaders. I think Baburam is more sincere in this respect. Within the two extremes of autocratic regin of the royal family and one-party rule of the maoists, the political parties are now looking for their middle path that doesn't compromise anymore with the monarch and their identities remain intact.
If the political parties, this time sans the maoists, have to compromise with the maoists after Nepal has become republic, assuming she becomes in near future, that won't do any good for their future and for Nepal's future. Also, if they compromised right now with the monarch even before they fight any battle, that would also do no good for their political future. So, they have to tread a fine line at this moment in history. May be this is why Shailaja and Girija were so vehemently against going for the republic actively? But I think the time has come to go for it. It is always the autocrats, or the colonialists, that provide opportunity for their own destruction. This time it was Gyanendra. He miscalculated the moves and provided a cause for unity among all the political parties and intellectual circle. Movement is gaining momentum and has already become unstoppable. Unless some miracle happens, he and his family is bound to find their place in history and oblivion. After that, if people have to unite again against the dictatorial rule of the maoist party, then they will. But for now, lets just think up to the end of the royal family, and save ourselves from going beyond.
posted by dipeshb at 1:19 AM
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