| Jhilke Kyailan |
Posted
on 13-Jun-03 12:22 AM
With the Maoists continually theatening to leave the negotiating table and retake up their arms on one side and the Royalist forces continually issuing statements through the army to signal that they too have control of an armed group (and thus must be listened to), it must be quite frustrating for the political parties in the middle and esp.. the Congress party to be reminded of their lack of armed strength. This got me thinking....why don't they take up arms? The Maoists have been able to capture their political space solely through the barrel of a gun and the traditional feudal forces have been able keep their space also through their control of an armed group, the army. The political parties have by far the largest legimate support pool in the country (no matter what those in KTM,who feel their grip of power in the country declining, believe and want us to believe), and yet, they have to take a back seat in the dealings that are taking place between the two extreme forces. If the mandate that has be given to them by the people, through a legimate and democratic electoral process can be highjacked through arms, should they too not take up arms to protect the sovergnity of the people? If they were to radicalize their supporters (who are by far the majority in Nepal), provide them with arms and train them for combat as the other two have done I am sure that the other two forces wouldn't be very dismissive of the political forces as they have been so far. It is a pity that they would have to do so.....in the sense that they would have to resort to force to reaffirm the right that the people had conferred to them through elections.....But as they say in Nepali....
"Baat le mandaina vanne LAAT le manaunu parcha"
The people had spoken....through the elections.....they had given the right to the political parties to run government (not the king and not the maoists) and if they are not allowed to do so then "LAAT" must be applied.....
Is this a solution? Should they take a more radical line in dealing with the extreme forces? and, what would happen to the country if they did?????
|
