A Gllimmer of Hope....Dashed
Blogdai almost chewed on the predictions made last year. Almost.
Prachanda sporting his new "People's crown" for use in the near future
We read today that Prachanda is dissolving all his "People's" army units and administrative centers in the villages and cooperating with full force to "Make the Constituent Assembly elections a success.."
Blogdai was heartened, encouraged and ready to eat crow at this pronouncement. Could Prachanda really have thrown in the towel? Was my long-standing suspicion that Prachanda was playing tough-guy only so that Girija would take him seriously as a political force confirmed? If so, I was ready to slam Girija, yet again, for his marginalizing of any political force that was not in his inner, corrupt circle of greed. Lives were lost, I would have written, because of Girija's obstinance and its resultant Maoist violence. It could have all been solved by just acknowledging a fledgling Maoist movement years ago and inviting them to the parliamentary pig-trough.
Couple Prachanda's announcement with the actual, official recognition of the CPM-Maoist party as part of the new constitution; and the fact that Ian Martin might just have stumbled into doing something useful by documenting the names of each Maoist. (Forget arms cantonments--they are a ridiculous shell-game) and things were starting to look pretty good in the eyes of cynical ol' blogdai.
BUT.... hang on, there. As I eagerly read through the article I found that "The Fierce One" is only re-configuring the same old Maoist party line he's always spouted. When asked if his new concession means that he'll be joining the government and acting like a good boy, Prachanda replies--in what could only be described as a frighteningly comical contradiction--with:
"We want to reach the ultimate aim of communist system based on Marxism, Leninism and Maoism," he told BBC Nepali service, adding that the democratic republic system and people's democratic system will lead to that final aim. "
He hasn't budged. When will we learn that he never will. Characterizing democracy as a precursor to a Communist government is pure madness.
Prachanda is playing us all like a cheap Thamel saranghi. Now that his party's name appears in the interim "constitution," he can work to take over the government from the inside. He's still got his guns if he needs them. Locked-up means nothing if Ian gives you the key!
And oh, yes, the forward-thinking Prachanda cannot contain his joy at his future prospects. He states that "in case of his party coming to power, he would not live in any 'palace' ".
-=blogdai
posted by blogdai @ 1/18/2007 09:30:00 AM
50 comments
50 Comments:
Blogdai, don't read too much into Prachanda's comments. Those words just there to please his constituents. Firstly, I don't think Prachanda will ever come to power and even if he does he will not be able to implement a communist system like he talks about.
Understand 2 things, Blogdai:
1. Maoists support is way over-hyped.
2. Prachanda is no different than any of the greedy capitalist bastard politicans. He wants the Pajeros and other amenities with his power...
What is more of a concern in Nepal right now is the violence and the attitude of the Madeshis in the Terai region. These events have added a completely new twist to things!
Spontaneous effective movements have historically not been a Nepali strong-suit.
Blogdai opines that what we see happening in the Terai right now are the first opportunistic tests of Indian incursionism.
Strike now while there is effectively no government and no enforcement.
Blogdai smells India more and more these days.
-=blogdai
>>Blogdai opines that what we see happening in the Terai right now are the first opportunistic tests of Indian incursionism.
Absolutely, this is the making of 'new Bangladesh', except that it is going to be called The Republic of Madhesh for now - and in due time - become the newest Indian state of 'Madhesh Pradesh'.
Prachande and Babuharam rallied the gullible and dumb masses against Indian 'expansionism'. More than that, the idiotic media and Nepali intellegentsia pushed their agenda without remorse. Who knew - except few over at blogdai, that they would end up cutting deals with the Indians and start breaking Nepal apart?
Those who couldn't stand the idea of centralized Nepal are now getting more than what they bargained for. Then again, these superleft apologists never provided a clear solution to where they intended to take Nepal; people naturally assumed that they had REAL solutions - just like how dumb republicans believed that Bush actually had REAL Iraq reconstruction plans.
This had to happen. In nepal, democracy (or loktantra, ganatantra or whatever tantra) means nothing more than manparitantra. Anybody can do anything! This is what happens when uneducated and visionless "leaders" lead uneducated and aimless cadres. It is so bad that even the educated types with the letters "Dr." attached to their names seem to be hopelessly pursuing ridiculously narrow definitions of some of the broadest concepts of humankind—democracy, development, prosperity.
And what about Moriarty's accusation that the Maoists are locking up "crummy Bihar-bought" weapons and keeping their original weapons intact? Is Moriarty admitting that he is an idiot or is he finally coming to his senses?
Again, others seem to be more worried about the state of affairs in Nepal than us. Mukherjee goes around saying that the interim constitution is "acceptable to India." Moriarty goes around making similar comments. Louis Arbour seems very vocal too. And Nepali leaders are bent on dumping all their missteps into the palace and blaming all ills on the king and the Shah Dynasty. One thing to remember is never in the history of our country did we seem so vulnerable. And our current state of misfortunes started with the Maoist movement.
Indeed, this parliament is nothing but a sharing of Nepal pie between the LEADERS of 8 parties. Fools are buying into it thinking that this is going to lead them to utopia. The only place this is going to lead to is the following:
The absolute nature of premiership that Girija enjoys today is nothing compared to what Prachanda intends to do with it. In fact, Prachanda insists that such overbearing power concentration vested on the PM is necessary of the times we live in. Implicit in that thought is the ulterior motive of the head-bandit whose intent is brazenly more Stalinsque than any benevolent socialist order which might prove beneficial to the country and its people.
Prachanda - like the autocrats of earlier times, holds the trump card that will sustain him in the higher absolute order of Nepali sociopolitics. Prachanda holds the ethnic card - one that he exploited during his premiership as a head Maoist by getting the Kirats, Magars, Madheses, Dalits and all the rest to fight for HIS cause. Just like Stalin ruled with iron fist, this head-bandit intends to blackmail the people and country alike - while attempting to prove that only HE and HIS party can keep Nepal together (by splitting it, ironically), and in the event they are to be forced out of politics by Nepali people - he intends to get his way by creating ethnic conflict all around the country.
British colonials used such strategy to get and maintain themselves in power all around the globe; Maoists are using the exact same routine to get and maintain themselves in power in Nepal. In postcolonial era, we see the resurgence of colonial strategy of ‘divide-and-rule’ in Nepal once again. If Rana regimes fit the picture of our colonial past, then, Nepali Maoists are undoubtedly their modern reincarnations with much vicious and ruthless agenda.
However, JTMM is a prime example of how Prachanda’s control is slipping within groups that once fought the system with him. JTMM is a real cause of real people – but then, whose is not, although, one might argue that misplaced loyalties amongst Madheses or any other ethnic groups is going to cost them and the country too – if there is even one to speak of. For Prachanda and other senior bandits, this Interim Parliament acts as a escape pod where they don't have to pay for their murderous actions, while the liabilities once again rest on the people to forgive and forget for the actions of their leaders.
It is a vicious cycle of leaders exploiting the masses - whether they be autocrats, democrats or communists. Nepal is a poor country, but the leaders are ethically more bankrupt than the people.
-free
Don't forget the Indian game here. Prachanda walks and talks like a typical Bihari. It is India that is holding the ultimate trump card. On one hand it is playing the peace game by bringing the Maoists and political parties together. On the other hand it is fueling racial divides in Nepal. In the big picture, the only side that is benefiting from the current situation in Nepal is -- no surprises -- India! While Nepal is heading into complete chaos, it is the vultures in New Delhi that are making the calls. Now that is real people power!!!
Like Blogdai, I Bhudai also smell India more and more. This latest Madeshi situation is definetly fueled by Indian forces.
India never does learn its lesson. They tried a similar feat in Sri Lanka and got slapped across the face. I do think the Madeshi situation is largly our own creation: fo decades have have been disrespected and marginalized. But right now its India that taking advantage of this situation.
Bhudai (one of the handful of SPAM terrorist supporters on the net) is back with his analysis of the situation. He had kept his blabber shut and made his sword & gun do the talking in between - invited by SPAM guru to go to terrorism zone as he serves as reserve terrorist. (Yeah just like reserve army there are reserve terrorists too).
Anon:
I don't understand what your problem is with me.
I am not a SPAM supporter. I just don't support an autoratic rule by the Shah - that's it.
I am as every bit frustrated and suspicious of the SPAM. But you tell me what choice do we have right now? If your beloved Raja had never attempted his Feb 1st feat the Maoists would not be where they are today.
But hey let's stop with the personal attacks and write about the issues.
Mr. Pundit,
I understand your frustrations and dissatisfactions over the current political situation in Nepal. But i think you have crossed some lines by claiming that King is resposible for where maoists are today. What the hell do you mean by that?
On what moral grounds could the SPA make an agreement with the terrorist organization called the maoist (well they were terrorist then)? What greed can justify a collaboration with the terrorists? What greed can justify the SPA requesting the maoists to use all their military strength to disurpt the muncipal elections held by the royal regime? Look, the king made mistakes but the SPA committed crimes.
The April uprising was created by the SPA and the maoists who were considered terrorists by the state then. What kind of state do you think would just let aggitation of such nature take place without any obstructions? The spa requested the maoists to terrorize people (which also meant killing of innocent civilians and security personels) but the royal regime enforced a curfew and the people who came out on the street knew the risks involved (now curfews do not even mean a thing in Nepal).
You can yell all you want about King pushing the SPA closer to the maoists but the reality is that a collaboration with a terrorist organization is not a mistake but a crime for which now all Nepalis will pay.
B:
Calm down.
I am not saying that because the SPA collaborated with the Maoists it was right. But because of the Feb 1st move it gave them that option. Before Feb 1st, there was no question of the SPA getting to geather with the Maoists.
The SPA initially had no support when it started protesting against the King. Remember those pathetic rallies where hardly anyone used to show up? Well the SPA were desperate and so they joined hands with the Maoists... It wasn't the right thing to do. But when have the SPA ever done the right thing?
But my point was that if Feb 1st move never occured, the SPA would have no grounds to join hands with the Maoists. Also before Feb 1st the republican sentiment wasn't so prominant. It is also as if the Feb 1st move was the Maoist's lucky day!
Bhusiya gets every fact wrong. February 1st move was welcomed by Most Nepalis with cheers all over the world. ALL real Nepalis love their King. Mark my words: ALL.
No, and again, no. This is no more than a backhanded means of laying the current fiasco at the hands of the King. Were you shouting your gratitude for G. when the unholy alliance of SPAM was first formed? Of course not. But it seems you are all too ready to blame him for the current mess.
All the NC had to do was play ball with the King and everything would have been back to it's corrupt usual. All the NC and parliament had to do was hold a lousy election in a timely fashion. All anyone had to do was to accept G's multiple invitations for dialogue. Hat in hand, G. asked everyone to come to the table 3 times.
Couldn't even the most obstinate of you realize that G. simply wanted you to demonstrate some form of democratic practice? His wishes could never be made more clear than by his ill-fated attempt at holding his own elections--thwarted at every turn by Girija and Prachanda. ELECTIONS ARE EVERYTHING. It was a no-brainer. Just hold the elections and get G. off your back, but Deuba "The Incompetant" couldn't bring himself to hold his or his corrupt collegues actions up to private, unbiased scrutiny.
In the end, Girija and Girija alone was responsible for his actions. The people of Nepal were by no means suffering due to a lack of his corrupt governance. I challenge you to prove the necessity for an alliance with the Maoists or how you feel Girija's hand was somehow "forced" in the face of all other available alternatives.
Girija was powerless and marginalized. He needed guns to be relevant again and he turned to Prachanda. That's it.
It wasn't such a stretch. The two had been courting each other since Girija used his student activists to disrupt peacetalks in 2003. Prachanda was playing Arafat and looking for a way out of making an actual peace accord that naryan singh pun had skillfully negotiated. Without warning, an anti-talks protest hits the pavement and accelerates their downfall. Pun himself was disgusted by the uncanny timing and seeming collusion between the NC and the Maoists at the time.
But I suppose this was somehow the King's fault, right?
-=blogdai
"ELECTIONS ARE EVERYTHING."
Are they really? By the same token Saddam Hussein should be considered the most democratic of them all, he used to get 99% votes in every elections held in Iraq. Same for Nuri Al Maliqui's government, it should be able to pacify Iraq and bring everything to normal. How about Idi Amin? He also won an election. And Hosni Mubarak in Egypt? He has been winning election since the early eighties. We don;t even have to go too far, Panchayat used to have elections every five year cycle. And I suppose you consider Panchayat one of the most democratic systems around.
Get off your high horse about elections. Elections is a part of democracy, the fact that an election has taken place does not mean everything is honky-dory. Election without participation of (at least the majority of the political actors) is a farce. That is what your precious King G conducted, a farce and not a democratic excercise.
- Twaaks
Elections are often the only time people get a sense of government oversight and activity. They are the most important democratic exercise and are necessary for people to maintain faith in their government.
If you weren't such an uninformed fool you'd realize that without such practices, there would be no citizen interest, participation and/or adherence to government or rule of law.
And by what sliver of intellect do you profess, by your examples that either Saddam Hussein or Idi Amin held elections that are to be considered as the standard? "Well, it didn't work THERE, so elections must not be worth a damn," right?
Fool. They worked in ways that you cannot conceive. Do you think for one moment people in Iraq didn't realize that they were not getting fair representation and selection in their votes during the Saddam years? Witness only the massive turn out of the post-Saddam elections--yes, flawed--to find your answers. Remember the posters showing the blackened thumbs? People wore their ink-stained thumbs like democratic badges. No, idiot, unfair or coerced elections only serve to show people what they are missing and it makes them yearn for the real thing.
You should be encouraged by G's election attempt. 20% turn out was remarkable in the face of Maoist death-threats and NC intimidation. There's your democracy. People want a voice so desperately that they'd brave any hardship in order to cast their vote. Read my article that was published during that time before you shoot your mouth off about how uninportant elections are.
Without elections, there is no participation in government. People want a fair and representative voice in some central governmental body in order to meet their individual needs. Elections, and more importantly, faith in the electoral process gives people control of their government and a sense of fairness and equanimity towards the opinions of others. We know what all our Nepali brothers and sisters are thinking through the election process.
What is the model for political effectiveness in Nepal today? Well, since we have no representation, and no elections, street violence and Maoism seems to tell citizens that the only way to get things done is to take to the streets. Witness the Mahdesi movement in the Terai. Where is there voice in government? Where is there faith in government that was supposed to be established through elections?
Elections create stake-holders. You have to be willing to play the democracy game and cast your vote in order to get representation. The knowledge that every citizen in Nepal has one vote and that the opinions of a majority of voters can set governmental policy is a powerful feeling.
So while you're blythly tossing off the validity of elections, consider that you are also tossing-off the only viable vehicle for establishing a sense of National unity among Nepalis.
-=blogdai
B,
You fail to understand realpolitiks of the situation. Do you think that the King did not or did not try to collaborate with the "terrorist" Maoists? Because things didn't work out to sideline the SPA, does it mean the royalists have a higher moral ground?
It would be a crime if the SPA too had gone astray from peaceful mainstream politics and had joined the Maoists in their violent campaign. But it was the other way around. The Maoists joined the SPA and dropped their guns to support peaceful demonstrations. And now they are disarming and joining mainstream politics. The SPA deserves credit rather than your cry-baby chides for closing the decade-long conflict. Of course, the King played a role too, albeit unwittingly.
What conflict is closed? What is peaceful? Who is disarming?
My God, whoever you are you are out of left-field and completely mad.
Before you come back here and mis-apply terms like "Realpolitik," try getting a handle on "Reality."
-=blogdai
Dear Blogdai,
I "bow" down in front of your superior intellect, the fool that I am. And an uniformed fool, at that.
Now, before you advise me to read your article published at that time, I request you to go through my comment carefully. Nowhere have I said that elections are redundant. The only thing that I am trying to say that simply going through the motions of an election, does not a democracy make. You need mechanisms for that, an impartial election commission, observers, participation of different parties, participation of the people without fear.
You seem to suggest that any type of election, even farcial ones, are good because they serve the purpose of (in your own words) - "No, idiot, unfair or coerced elections only serve to show people what they are missing and it makes them yearn for the real thing." By the same logic, I suppose it takes a superior intellect to understand that if you love someone, kill them, just so that it will make you realize how much you loved them in the first place. Bravo!!
For all of your ad hominem attacks towards me, you do not respond to the Panchayat elections. And that is what your precious King G tried to do last year, and he failed miserably. You would serve your intellect well if you accept that fact.
"You should be encouraged by G's election attempt." - My god, the denial that you are in astounds me. Some people who contested the elections did not know that they were contesting, others were forced to contest. People were forced to vote(if you do not vote you might be fired from your job!). Wow! King G's vision of democracy is even darker than Dear Leader Kim's, and I suppose it is only for the superior intellectual mind, not the foolish, weak minds like ours.
- Twaaks (the pitiful fool)
It's the return of "ad hominem" man!
Welcome back. Are we to expect a lot of pro-SPAM tit-for-tat from you now? Endless and minless as usual?
yes, we do need an election commission, citizen participation and the like to have a truly democratic election; no arguments there. But exposure to the election system leads to an electorate that is informed in the mechanisms of a functioning democracy. Yes, practice, even flawed practice, makes perfect. So, "going through the motions" as you say, does give people a real sense of participation in government and, most definitely, leads to more informed choices and more democratic ideals.
When people see that their choices are brushed aside or marginalized or not on the ballot at all does it mean the system should be scrapped until we get it right? Of course not. It is the citizens themselves who turn out to vote, see the flaws, and are frustrated with the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the process. It is this frustration that leads to change.
You are right, no where do you claim that elections are "redundant." I never implied you did, so what's your point? Did you use the wrong word again? The closest thing I said was that you were "..tossing off the validity of elections." Where's the "redundant" part?
g's election was flawed, no doubt, and the citizens were caught in the middle. I find many more instances of Maoist death threats and SPA intimidation than I do with pro-royalist coercion. But you should expect some coercion in your "Panchayat" election (an oxymoron?) shouldn't you? It should shock us to no end to read that the vast majority of trouble at the polls and intimidation occurred at the hands of those proclaiming to represent "absolute democracy." So, if one is a democrat and an election, any election is presented to them, isn't it their obligation to work through that process in order to change the system democratically? Not one SPAM candidate stood up during this election. Your self-proclaimed representatives of "The People" were big no-shows for the one event that might have leant legitimacy to their claims.
And to your fools analogy: the only thing that "kills" our beloved elections is to not have them. Nothing is killed by trying. Let me fix it for you, ok? To compare any attempt at an election to killing off a loved one misses the mark entirely. Killing is a final, brutal act. it is what we have now. We miss elections because Girija has killed them. If we truly "love someone" we allow them to attempt progress and make mistakes. Perhaps we would all learn something in the process. Like a child. If they cannot tie their own shoes at the age of two, do we give up in frustration and not attempt to teach them again until they are 14? Of course not, again. We must condition ourselves to the electoral process so that we can--like a child learning to tie a shoe--become more proficient and expert at the mechanisms and practices of democracy.
-=blogdai
(that's it, I'm not going round-and-round with you. If you have a point to make, be clear and concise, otherwise don't waste my time. -=BD)
This latest round of discussion between blogdai and twaaks underscores one important point. We Nepalis are great at taking examples of multiple dimensions to fit our needs. When it comes to monarchy, we are the most modern people—seemingly nauseous at the idea of a monarchy in the 21st century! When it comes to democracy, we never fail to mention established systems like that in Britain and the United States—where people clearly understand the difference between the person and his position (the president and the presidency, for example)!
Yet, when we have to prove a point, we don't hesitate to take examples of the worst kind—the Iraqs and the Panchayats. Can we even dare to envision a scenario where the US goes without holding any elections for nine years? It's like talking about New York City when it comes to crime rates and talking about Rolpa when it comes to development.
When are we going to grow up?
Nepali blogger,
Can you imagine King George returning to the USA to dismiss an elected President and taking over direct control to improve security?
Blogdai,
Unless you are an absolutist, you will understand that that the Maoist conflict is closing and Maoists are disarming, believe it or not!
Ending the Maoist conflict does not of course mean that all conflicts are now resolved. New conflicts are bound to crop up, but closing one conflict provides hope for peaceful closure of other conflicts too.
I know things are not ideal and we are not really at a point of national reconciliation, but we have come a long way and there's room to be hopeful while also being critical.
Prism,
Can you imagine americans closing down highways just because they had an accident where some one was run over by a vehicle? Open your eyes prism? What happens in Nepal is always unimaginable. Please do not bother comparing Nepal to US, or any other countries from europe when the existance of Nepal itself is on the line. But i agree with you in the sense that we can not imagine King George returning to the USA to dismiss an elected President and taking over direct control to improve security. However, the institution of monarchy in england might do something if their political leaders start acting as self destructive as ours.
B,
For your kind information, the monarchy in England hasn't interfered in the political process in the last 300 years, not because they didn't want to, but because the Glorious Revolution put the Parliament above the monarchy there. Parliament still retains the right to name the heir to the crown and even remove monarchy altogether.
This discussion has progressed along since I posted my comment.
Perhaps with the exception of King Tribhuvan the Shahs have never been a well wisher of democracy. So Blogdai, your attempt to paint a picture of G being a savior and trying to save democracy is horse crap. G had one aim: that was take power. He has always had that goal and he was never a believer in democracy.
And you know what? If he played his cards right after the Feb 1st move I would be fine with having G in power as opposed to the mess we are in now.
And back to my eariler point. Irrespective of Girija's reason it arose because of the Feb 1st move. I am not saying what Girija did was right but he did it because like you pointed out he was being marginalized. The Maoists came in, forced people to go out on the streets and won back democracy. All of a sudden they became a darling in the eyes of the international community and the SPA had a bow doen to them as well. Again this is G's fault. Had the Feb 1st move never happned the Maoists would not have had that opportunity.
Bhudai Pundit
Prism
Please don't be a fool. If you think the disarmament is genuine then Baburam and Prachanda have done a great job misleading ppl like you.
Bhudai Pundit
But therein lies the point:
Parliament recognizes the value of a Monarchy. Does parliament, through it's sheer greed, seek to retain absolute power by rewriting the Monarchy out of the constitution? Of course not. Aside from the house of lords, aren't there fairly regular election proceedings as well? English parliament represents the voices of the average Englishman much more than the autocratic and unelected goons we have running Nepal. England sees the need for a --once again (sigh)- BALANCING VOICE in the form of the Queen to act as a check and balance.
A very neat question was raised as to what exactly would England or America do in the face of rampant, runaway political imperialism such as we have in Nepal today.
I have no doubt that the Queen and the people of England would step in and officially censure a bad Parliament. Citizens would expect this of their monarch and of each other.
The Yanks, unlike Nepal, keep an eye on every political scandal and wrong act. Any politician caught with a hand in the cookie jar, if caught, gets the due process of law. Even if found innocent, the stain left by any extended proceedings would likely spell the end of that politician's career. On a macro level, the Yanks have one George Bush who is unilaterally going against the wishes of some 70% of Americans and pushing his tone-deaf troop surge in Iraq. Well, las November, THROUGH THE ELECTION PROCESS, Americans voiced their dissatisfaction with Bush by voting out most of the Republican yes-men he had following lock-step with his agenda. Yet W. persists. So now, congress is composing a strict, "no confidence" vote against Bush's moves. Failing that, impeachment looms, I'm afraid.
The little King George analogy is amusing because King george bush, duly elected (almost) is unilaterally clamping down on the basic freedoms of Americans in order to wage his ineffective approach to Terrorism. He's going past the electorate and doing it all his own way. Very Koirala-like. All W. needs to do now is cancel elections and the process is complete. Fortunately, the People of the U.S. are beginning to put him in his place. It is slower than throwing stones and protesting in the streets, but again, Yanks have faith in their system. It still unifies Americans.
The big point is, both England and America seek to work within their established systems to effect change and keep powers in check. Nepali politicians do all they can to get around the system for personal gain and power. No one plays by the rules and as a result, no on has faith in Nepal's constitutional system.
i suppose Nepal should adopt street protests and murder as the official political system in Nepal? It's the only thing people seem to believe in.
I am also getting tired of you one-dimensional types with your head stuck in the mud.
How many times have I told you and how many posting have I made stating that G. is NOT the answer. He rightly did what needed to be done. Power? What power does he need? If he wanted power he would have opened fire on his citizens last april when he had the chance
(god, how many times have I written this)
I get tired of calling some of you idiots, morons and the like; but jeez, I really think we have a basic capacity issue here. You just don't get it, do you? Either that or you've found some comfortable, emotion-based position that allows you to shut off your objectivity. Reason out your arguments, look at both sides, and take emotion out of your analysis.
We want good, informed commentary here so I'm just not going to allow any more half-thought commentary on this thread.
-=blogdai
good point on all fronts, bhudai.
You've seemed to masssage your previous ideas a bit, but no matter.
The funny thing is, the restoration of "democracy" that made Nepali's media darlings just shows media laziness. The "democracy" they restored was not a democracy in the first place. The protests were Kathmandu-centric and did not speak accurately for the wishes of those in the vilages. No part of jana "handoverpower" could be describe as a national movement.
-=blogdai
We resort to name calling and censorship when we run out of arguments. You've shown your true colors!! Some intellectual, eh!
Twaaks
What we all idiots seem to forget is that, the nation itself comes before any system or any individual or any community's rights because without the nation we become a noone. This is not about the king, the SPA, the maoists or the rights of one community or the other. Our nation itself is at risk. We may not have a Nepal tomorrow and it will not help us any bit by look back only to say it was all king's fault or the spa's or the maoists or India's. The need of the hour is to protect and justify the existance of this nation.
Right. The way is forward. Stop finger-pointing and get to work. Well said.
Constantly dredging-up 200 years of royal mistreatment or whatever is nothing more than a disingenious way of diverting attention from current failures.
You have your government SPAM, now quit whining and do something with it.
-=BD
Oh, let me revisit B's comment and see if I can't do a better job of commenting.
What B is referring to is national unity. The sense that all nepalis, from all backgrounds, are needed and essential in maintaining nepal's identitiy.
It is an advanced and perhaps confusing concept to a nation of tribes.
Perhaps there is also a deep-seeded anxiety that, too much nationalism would provoke the ire of big brother India, as well.
Nationalism should be a big tent; inclusive of all ideas and respectful of minority opinions. That is the essential core-concept behind any successful, independent, sovereign nation.
Blogdai has been screaming that it is elections that inspire a sense of national unity; but really, anything done on an inclusive, national level will do the trick. I argued last year to have more money committed to Nepal's national sports teams. That struck a chord with many of you. Nothing builds unity better than having an entire nation rally around a sports team.
The less-glamourous bottom line is: Give people some faith in their government and they will not only play by the rules established, but actively seek to protect those rules. When we all abide by the laws and know the rules, we have a nation.
My, but we DO have a long way to go, don't we?
-=blogdai
Unfortunetly it is not that simple. This Madeshi situation is actually getting out of hand and could possibly lead to a civil war. The situation is more grave then the Maoists. Because here the Madeshis are trying to say they want automony or a seperate homeland for themslves. Quiet frankly I don't blame them either. Madeshis have been scorned, loyalties questioned and marginalized. I sure hope the government will get on this before it becomes worse. However, as a commentator in the latest issue of the Nepali Times pointed out the Maoists have really dropped the ball on this one. Instead of showing support to the Madeshis, who want equal representation etc. (things the Maoists were apprently fighting for) they have been critisizing them. Wonder what this will mean for the Maos in the long term.
Bhudai Pundit
good observation, bhudai,
two things come to mind here--both of which we've alluded to in past blogdai postings.
first, the madhesi uprising is no more than the end result of a disparaged ethnic group paying attention to nepali politics. the Mahdesis see that protest, factionalization and radical uprising are the only effective means of getting your point heard in Nepal: thanks girija. Essentially, we are seeing the results of people coming to the realization that there IS no central governing body and philosophy. As our Dr. Marks says we are in the days of the politics of the gun. The Madhesis will not be the last group to use this means to gain relevance. Watch like-minded groups throughout Nepal become increasingly bolder and ape the Maoist model.
Second, the Maoists see the Madhesi's as a direct and philosophical challenge to their rule in the village. We've said before that the Maoists will broach no rivals. hence, their criticisms. Plus, how can Prachanda continue to claim his farcical people's mandate when there are other powerful and better organized groups preaching their agenda as equally valid?
Prachanda is an autocrat, not a populist. don't look for him to support any movement that strays from his hard-line.
-=blogdai
maybe we should hold an election now?
And today Baburam has said the doesn't favor talks. Ohhh I think the Maoists have really dug their own graves here. They will have lost all credibility from an ideological stand point by the end of this. What are they thinking?
Bhudai Pundit
Ummm, Prism, can you imagine Tony B. dissolving parliament, not holding elections for years on end, and then crying foul when Queen E decides enough is enough and takes over?
Convenient, isn't it, to cast away into oblivion everything prior to G's takeover?
What also needs to be taken into consideration is that, the method used by the madhesi forum is not the right way to go. Although, the maoists do not have a moral ground to criticize the madhesi forum for its method. It was the maoists themselves who have taught everyone in Nepal that "power comes from a barrel of a gun". What do you think would happen if people from places like, mustang, mugu, humla, rolp or doti resorted to the same methods for being marginalized? after all, they have been even more marginalized in terms of development of infrastructures. There are place in the hilly area of Nepal where there is not elctricity, no roads or even telephones. Haven't they been descriminated against? So, should they start such havoc too?
I think this a ploy of SPAM and India to divide this country. The reaction from Prachanda and other SPA leaders regarding this unrest is amazing. They are calling it a royal conspiracy. How can the royal institution benifit from encouraging madhesis forum, community or parties with a republic Nepal as their policy?
The SPAM inaction also is very suspicious? They are asking the Madhesis to protest peacefully. But are the madhesis any more violent than the SPAM were in the april uprising? As soon as the SPAM are in power they want everyone to stop protesting and even if they do, do it peacefully when they themselves, during the april uprising, were a mere collaboration of thugs and terrorists. So is there going to be a commission to investigate the excesses of this government against the revolution of the Madhesis?
India is killing multiple birds with one stone here. Here are the lists of birds;
1. King: by everyone calling it a conspiracy of the king to destabilize this government and jeopardize the ca election:
2. The Nepali government: This has exposed the Nepali government to be inefficient, incompetent and completely out of the loop. This has proven the government to be absolutely incapable of running the country.
3. Nepal stability: this has further driven nepal into a chasm of instability. The prospect of a prosperous Nepal seem distant than ever.
4. BJP: India has also hinted at the possibility of BJP's involvement in the Terai mishaps. It was ok for the Congress I to be involved with the maoists who were considered terrorists by themselves. Even if there is a bjp involvement in the uprising, is it not the indian government's responsibility to stop actions as such that could hamper the peace process in the neighbouring country? If not, why does the Indian government accuse Nepal of not being able to control the ISI activities in Nepal?
India has completely destroyed all the political forces of this country in one go. They have destroyed the king, the spam (as they have proven to be a complete failure) and anyother prospects by designing the interim constitution in such a way that, now Nepal is a sole property of the spammers. Pretty soon, nepalis will not have a list of political forces to choose from to run this country. We do not want india to intervene, but who do we want to run this country. The incident in Lahan has also exposed Prachanda and the maoist leaders to be liars and not trustworthy. They first claimed that they were not involved in the incident. Then prachanda said that they were. Now prachanda (in the interview in Kantipur television) claimed that the investigation would acertain whether they were involved or not. How are they going to investigate it? who is going to investigate it? If there were other maoists present there, why should it take more than a couple of days to investigate it? The whole bunch of spammers are loosers are working ever so hard against the interest of this nation.
Oh grow up! It is not exclusively about the Indian government conspiring to lay their convoluted design on Nepal. Foreign governments always look to get ahead by creating instability where they can. History is full such drama, nothing new is happening in Nepal either.
In case of Nepal viz-a-viz India, our southern neighbor was put on check by Mahendra and such policy continued during Birendra's reign too. Monarchy in Nepal had always been wary of two gigantic powers, thus they tried to balance Nepal's internal and foreign policy accordingly. On one hand, moving with the times, King Birendra set-up a democratic framework and agreed to be a constitutional monarch by letting people elect their officials who made the country's policies; on the other hand he kept India in check by aligning himself with the Chinese.
In absence of balanced foreign policy, in the aftermath of SPAM’s secret deals with the leftist Indian government, India has been able to play its game owing to our own failures - our own incapable leaders who basically whored Nepal into the laps of filthy Indian policies.
The caption by Will Durant couldn’t have come at a better time:
"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."
-free
yep, the greatest civilization at peril--nepali civilization...choke on your pride and die...
geez! vanity galore from the moderator himself to the commentors, apparently lack of consensus on every/any issue by anyone/everyone seems to take a day light out of these oxymorons ( lack of oxygen in your brain...)
and you wonder why can't the idoits (which is rest of the country minus the people who parade behind :BD) on the other side see your simple points....how mature...talk of 'fundamental disconnect.'
cheers on setting the bars for civil discourse...
oh yes...save your breath before you read my pseudo name and passing moronic comments....
I think the Maoists and SPA absolutely love the more recent raw exposure of the average nepali's neophyte understanding of politics and insurgency.
I'm hearing it here on this thread. I'm not picking on anyone because all sides of this discussion have been presented with true concern and thoughtfulness; yet when we read comments like (and I've been seeing these comments over the past two years now): "..(Maoists) will have lost all credibility..," and "The incident in Lahan has also exposed Prachanda and the maoist leaders to be liars and not trustworthy," blogdai begins to wonder out loud: Have the Maoists EVER established credibility? And why do we think the incident at Lahan has finally, definitively, exposed the maoists as untrustworthy? What, in god's name, have they done in the past that has led any of us to believe they were either credible or trustworthy? Hope is a wonderful thing, yes, but c'mon!
People, stop giving Prachanda a free pass. He has never, repeat, NEVER done anything credible, shown a willingness to compromise, stopped his murderous extortion in the villages, or backed down one iota from his communist hard line. How many times have we seen comments on this blog along the lines of: "Well, the Maoists better shape up or we'll be really upset..."
Here's the part that's going to hurt some of you, and I'm sorry: Many of us who have either studied or lived through similar political events as those currently being played-out in Nepal saw this comming. We tried to warn everyone back in 2002. And, no, it's no great pat-on-the-back, and no peacock's hubris that led us to say "I told you so," just the echoes of history and a dose of Political Science 101; that's all it took.
The point is, Nepal, for the most part, is too trusting; having never lived through these kinds of adventures before. No political ideas are currently gaining traction and the only seeming rallying points are centuries-old grudges and anti-royal sentiment. this is not the way to hold anyone or anything accountable.
So here it goes, the part that hurts: Nepal needs to actively seek the counsel of foreign experts on such matters. No, you Xenophobes, this does not mean Nepal gives up its identity. A secure, strong nation demonstrates its confidence by actively seeking the advice and counsel of, often disparate, voices. A wise government uses such counsel to inform its decisions.
Basically, Nepal, get help, take outside advice, or be a part of India.
-=blogdai
"No political ideas are currently gaining traction and the only seeming rallying points are centuries-old grudges and anti-royal sentiment."
Aren't those "centuries old grudges" enough political ideas for you? And your job as a political commentator is to come up with solutions instead of this constant whining about how Prachanda managed to sideline your "royal" bum.
Pappu
I still see one community in Nepal keeping silent and doing their Nation and Economy building job whole-heartedly. That community is Marwaris. The Marwaris are staunch believers in Monarchy and cultural tradition and development and of course have this astute knowledge of anything and everything. In modern day Nepal (and even in India) no other community has worked harder and contributed even 10% of what they have. When the demands by the non-contributing communities can be heard, let's see some Marwaris coming up too now.
Good fight, it will be.
Agreed. Perhaps a new breed of leader will emerge from this group.
But it will take something more than "silently" working for this to happen. Politics is a loud and dirty game in any country. Marwaris or whomever must be willing to put themselves in the spotlight in order to lead.
Drive by idiot: political ideas do not emerge by rallying around the hatred of the past. Such hatred is good for assembling mobs, nothing more. Learn from the past and move forward. Also, this is not some youth cricket match where the only thing that matters is "Prachanda wins and G. loses," and therefore the losing side must naturally be whiners. We are ALL losing right now; this is not the time for your infantile tribalism.
-=blogdai
Am I wrong in thinking that we have (1) one-person-one-vote system, (2) number of seats for the parliament is based on the size of the population in an area, for example Dolpa has one seat and Morang has four.
People are free to field/elect their candidates and fill the parliament with ones who look after their causes. What are people complaining about, not having proportional representation?
Under the new "constitution," only party members can introduce laws, pass ammendments and nominate or appoint new members to parliament. They hold well over 60% of all seats in the government and will maintain a permanent majority.
Your average citizen in say, Morang, can only vote in the proposed Constituent Assembly election. Now, if by some fluke, we actually HOLD such an election, the new constitution does not stipulate the exact powers the assembly will have. It is not known whether or not the CA can act as a check and balance, having equal decision-making weight with parliament, or will simply be a ceremonial body. Again, the new constitution only diagrams the powers of the party-controlled parliament.
So, what we have, in effect, is Girija paying lip service to a Maoist demand and probably planning to fully ignore the constituent assembly should one materialize.
some representation.
-=blogdai
Plus, let's consider how "free" each vote will be.
What do you think will happen in Maoist controlled districts when people freely elect a non-maoist candidate? Do you think the Maoists will abide by the choice? Even if they do, do you think they will make life easier or harder on villagers knowing they now have a majority of voters who are in opposition to their views. Remember, maoists hate opposing views of any kind. Do you think such retalliation weighs on the minds of voters. And remember, Maoists guns are still around, locked up or not. They'll get them back eventually.
So, it's not so much that each nepali gets one vote; they do, it's what is accomplished by the vote. A do-nothing CA with no powers is nothing more than an exercise in hollow voting. As we've mentioned before, people will get to like their voting freedom and eventually demand some real accountability and service from their government.
It could be where the next revolution begins.
-=BD
Hi Guys,
If you hate the Maoists and wanted to fight them off, cry them off and wanted to get organised against them, please join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeHateMaoists
Some of you wanted to fight off the terrorists but were too lazy or busy, but now is your chance. If you still don't take it up, don't complaint when all is lost at your end and in Nepal.
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