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| suva chintak |
Posted
on 20-Feb-04 10:31 AM
Sajhapure political animals:
M.R. Josse brings a very different, dare I say refreshing, view on the recent royal tour to Mid-West battlefields. His take is very different than what was served on the unsuspecting public by Kathmandu's Gyanwali and Dikshit media oligarchies. (From The People's Review)
People back King, parties being distanced
BY MR JOSSE
In a remarkable turn of events, coinciding more or less with the observance of the 53rd National Democracy Day today, it is becoming increasingly evident that while the King is visibly and audibly garnering more and more popular support, the gap between agitating parties and the general populace is conspicuously widening with each passing day.
KING BEING SEEN, HEARD
Starting with the King's acclaimed February 8 public address at Nepalgunj, followed by a series of visits to, and rousing welcome by, the oft-neglected people of various settlements in the Maoist-hotbeds of Rukum, Dailekh, Jagarkot, Dang , Salyan, Pyuthan and Rolpa, what emerges, loud and clear, is that the monarch has touched a popular chord in a way that no political leader or political party has - at least in the past eight years since the gory Maoist's People's War" was launched around this very time of year in 1996.
That assertion will, surely, be a bitter pill for the politicians and parties still flogging the sterile "anti-regression" campaign against the King - now, supported, by their student body affiliates. It is, however, a firm reality as every non-partisan citizen can make out for himself/herself.
As such, these disgruntled political elements would do well to mull over the innate political significance of the fact that, as thousands of NTV listeners/viewers will surely bear out, while they continue to pour scorn on the King's courageous efforts to get the country moving again, in a peaceful and secure environment conducive for holding parliamentary and local elections, the masses are solidly rallying behind their King.
Phrased otherwise, if the parties/students' stir sets off some ripples in the waters of Kathmandu's New Road, Tundikhel-Putali Sadak pond, huge tidal waves of enthusiasm, and re-kindled popular hope, have swept through the broad sea of the mid-Western region covered in the current royal tour - and elsewhere in the Kingdom.
Clearly, the people - whom the politicians claim they still represent - have no quarrel with the King being seen and heard!
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| suva chintak |
Posted
on 20-Feb-04 10:33 AM
Two examples may be quoted to further bolster the essential point made in the lead paragraph and in this commentary's heading.
One relates to the unprecedented and spontaneous rally in support of the King by Rajbiraj women (vide the Himalayan Times, February 16) on which occasion "the jaws of spectators including the police and people visibly dropped at seeing women in the vanguard carrying banners proclaiming 'King and People Unite', Long Live King Gyanendra, Queen Komal' and 'Let's return to the mainstream of the Constitution.' "
The other are keen observations contained in excerpts of an editorial in the same daily on the same day, thus: "The visit thus reinforces the time-honoured compact between the King and his people, who identify the institution of the Monarchy in Nepal as a vehicle for their general well-being…This practice ended following Nepal's transition to multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy in 1990.
"The new leaders who came to power following the change had little interest in remote areas except during elections. People in these areas felt neglected, and it did fuel the insurgency as a reaction. Unfortunately, the political parties are nervously reading into the Royal visit an attempt to revive absolute monarchy…The parties seem reluctant to face elections unless they are asked to share power…Time is running out rather fast for the parties to win the hearts and minds of the people instead of resorting to disgraceful street vandalism."
MAOISTS' ACTIVITIES
Coincidentally, the recent past saw the completion of eight painful years of the so-called "People's War" being "observed" in a variety of ways, including random killings and explosions. Not to be ignored were Maoist supremo Prachanda's grandiose claims that the Royal Nepal Army had been defeated and that the "artificial" monarchy was hindering the achievements of the People's Movement of 1990.
More realistically, as an editorial in the Kathmandu Post (February 16) reminded, "the eight years of Maoist insurgency has been marked by atrocities, extortion, kidnappings, killings and all sorts of human rights abuses…They have been successful in destroying infrastructure such as roads, electricity and telephone towers. They have been successful in intimidating the rural poor to provide them with food and shelter…In addition, banks are robbed, and urban inhabitants are extorted."
More specifically, in recent days, the Maoists called a disruptive bandh in Bagmati and Narayani zones; targeted a passenger bus in Kavre resulting in the deaths of six innocent civilians; shot dead a NC (D) functionary and ex-MP in Nawalparasi; executed a local UML politico in Nuwakot; and cold-bloodedly gunned down Ganesh Bahadur Chiluwal, a champion of Maoists' victim rights and ex-NC activist, as he was leaving his Kathmandu office for home.
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| suva chintak |
Posted
on 20-Feb-04 10:34 AM
Chillingly, Chiluwal's assassination came in the wake of his having organised a much discussed demo on the anniversary of the Maoists' "People's War," setting alight effigies of Maoist supremo Prachanda and ideologue Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in the process. The rebels claimed responsibility for the gruesome deed. In the past, Chiluwal had been specifically received warnings ordering him to close down his office or face serious consequences.
Apart from the sheer horror of Chiluwal's murder in cold-blood, in broad daylight, in central Kathmandu, what this commentator found to be most noteworthy was the less-than-forthright condemnation that it received from the political parties. They, it seemed, were not prepared to go much beyond a ritualistic, pro forma criticism of his murderers.
It was no less edifying to note that while Amnesty International made a formal representation to Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa to order an enquiry into the killing of Maoists in Bhiman on February 4, it was mum about Chiluwal's execution by Maoists.
Also intriguingly silent was the United Nations whose special envoy Samuel Tamrat, only the other day was hitting the headlines making the public case for the Government and the Maoists to sign a human rights accord.
And, while a number of human rights groups, did issue some tepid statements of rebuke, it was revealing that Kathmandu-based EU envoys who had made the pitch for government forces to adhere to human rights norms not too long ago chose to maintain a pregnant silence on the Maoists' planned move to do away with his very right to life.
In that respect, it must be said that the prompt statement put out by the American Embassy was not only appropriately forthright but also in refreshing contrast to the loud silence which US's allies chose to maintain. Clearly, the Americans, in this case, have demonstrated that their support for human rights is more than merely academic or just to an effort to play to the gallery.
READ WRITING ON THE WALL
As already mentioned, the agitating political parties are rapidly losing what little public faith still lingers on. Yet, despite the fact that they are rapidly distancing themselves from the popular will and mood, their chief honchos continue with their head-in-the-sand stance.
A couple of examples should suffice to bear out that contention. First, of course, is their ludicrous claim that the King's public utterances of late have "proved" that he is bent on reviving the party-less panchayat order of yesteryear.
Even a political novice or a child can, in refutation of that untenable allegation, point out that, time after time, the King has consistently stressed the relevance of multi-party democracy, for a constitutional monarchy and for speedy elections to choose a new parliament and a return to a more normal constitutional condition.
Secondly, at a time when the entire nation is heaving a collective sign of relief that the Royal Nepalese Army (which engaged in a successful operation against the rebels in their stronghold of Kalikot in what was widely presumed to be an effort to disrupt the royal tour) has gotten the Maoists on the run, these politicians continue to deride them.
(Of course, they do not mention that without RNA security details, neither Girija Prasad Koirala nor Madhav Kumar Nepal, they could not venture from their usual beats.)
While it will surprise none that they still rule out any possibility of talks with the King, the more relevant point now is how they will woo the electorate when the day for that dawns. If they continue with their anti-people stance, they will surely have to pay a heavy political price. In that case, the winners will clearly be the new parties that are not identified with misrule, willful neglect of the people or rampant corruption!
Finally, it is amazing that when the Nepali masses have clearly demonstrated that they are not with the Maoists, that they want peace and development and a return to normalcy as speedily as possible, UML's Nepal should ask the Maoists to join the pointless five party "anti-regression" stir.
Surely, this is as close to committing political hara-kiri as anything I know.
The sooner he and his partners realise that the public mood is pro-King and is rapidly swinging away from them, the better it will be for them, and their parties, in the long run. But, then, perhaps they are so blinded by their egos and frustration that they simply cannot read the writing on the wall!
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| GoberGanesh |
Posted
on 20-Feb-04 08:10 PM
Suva Chintak,
Once again you have proved your stance in sajha as the Last CHAMCHA standing. What would MR JOSSE, a former Editor of The Rising Nepal by KHWAMIT KO NIGAH, write?
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| GoberGanesh |
Posted
on 20-Feb-04 08:32 PM
And this is how PR PRADHAN, the co-editor with Manna Ranjan Josse, of the Panchayat Review concludes his article The people's King with his people.
"now the King should effectively grasp the reins of the country's government"
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| Kalekrishna |
Posted
on 21-Feb-04 01:41 AM
One point this dude could not understand was the fear of major political parties to face the election. Why don,t they just face it and clear the loggerhead polarization. What is their major fear, fear of seucrity, fear of manipulation by those in power in their favor.
I think the best remedy now would be to have an elected government, and to achieve it, let us their protest energy be diverted towards that goal rather than their visionless illusions. Is there a need of a new govt a must before elections can be held, and what are the consequences if (hopefully it is true) constituional faith affirmed monarch is pussed too hard.
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| Kalekrishna |
Posted
on 21-Feb-04 01:48 AM
That's why I said dude:
apology for the errors, security, monarch,
"let us their protest energy" was intended as let the political parties and their protest energies..
Thanks
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| The_Gentleman |
Posted
on 21-Feb-04 03:11 AM
fellas,
may be we're all stuck ups and reject totallitarian! we want diverstiy and see who makes a forehand limp before we can decide for ourselves who to choose! personally, itdon't matter to me ! i was a fortunate one of those to make my own decision and not fall for the class of '70( the gorkhas, not the gurkhas, if u guys know what i mean)!
if we can be of some help to our beloved country, lets' do smthing, cuz i know it's not going to take us anywhere!
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| suva chintak |
Posted
on 22-Feb-04 08:47 AM
Dear Gobar Ganesh jyu, sastanga dandabat!!
Kina testo chhudra bacchan? Naam anusar kaam pani testai hunu parcha bhanne ta katai pani chhina ni hau! Yestai thutuno ho bhane Gobar le matrai pugdaina hola, Gu Ganeshi rakhnu parcha ki? Since you seem to believe that everyone who holds a different view than you has to be "the last chamcha standing", whose do you happen to be? Prachanda Mararaj, Giriraj Prabhu, or Madhab Swami be thy lord? Or may be you happen to be one of those polytheistic Hindoo who worships them all! The rewards will be all the more greater.
The only reason I posted M.R. Josse's article was because it provided a very different take on the King's royal tour than what we read on the other main stream media. While all the others were saying that the tour was unsuccessful, controversial, and that nobody turned up to greet the King and such other negative commentary; Josse was arguing that thousands of people showed up at these receptions and that the tour restablished the bond between the King and the common villagers once again. I thought that was interesting point of view on a very important political development in the country.
Rather than dealing with the facts and assertions of Josse's paper, you took the intellectually easy path of questioning Josse's personal credibility: his views are trash anyway because he was once the editor of The Rising Nepal. Just because he worked for the government one time does not mean that he will never have anything interesting or credible to say is simply not tenable. Let me give you an example: Girija was once involved in hijacking a plane. That does not mean we have to discount everything he says about terrorism today.
If we want to have an open, honest, and enriching discussion we have to engage with the persons claims, conclusions and facts and not with their race, gender, caste, or looks! To do so is like what they say in my village : harne goru ko cherne bani! You can't handle the logic, facts, or even the basic civility so you revert to slandering the person. It is an talibanic, anti-democratic instinct that goes after the individual rather than the idea that is being brought to the table.
So my humble reqeuest to Ganesh jyu would be to show us where he disagrees with Josse's arguments with some logic and facts rather than slander.
SC, in peace
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| GoberGanesh |
Posted
on 23-Feb-04 10:00 AM
SC,
Ganesh Yatra ko suruwat ho, Ganesh sambriddhi ko prastawana ho. Ganesh agragaman ko pratyaya ho. Char Ganesh birajit kathmandu ko adhogati herda lagchha, Euta samaya nirapekchhya Ganesh dristi bilop chha. we are missing one Ganesh. Pratigaman ko Ganesh - The Guhu Ganesh. So I would like to invoke all mightly lords to incept you as a New Ganesh at the door of your over loard's palace Narayanhiti as a Guhu Ganesh.
He Bishnu Birajit Baikuntha ka dwarpal - Lead us to more darkness, lead us to more regression. Om Santi, Santi, Santi.
Prabhu Bandana pacchi kura suru garau Uhi Manna Ranjan Josse ko. :)
Let me make it clear, I am an aethiest with no affiliation to any political parties. And I do not believe what Girija and Madhav Nepal say is the final words on democracy. They are just a Nimitta Nayak for this time slot of history. Janata ko prabhu satta - that is the only mantra I am after.
As you mentioned, Josse argued - thousands of people showed up at these receptions . Even you believe that he argued. It was his argument, just argument. He could or could not be telling the truth. Where is the veracity to his argument comes from? Bidwan haru bhanchhan - Guhu ko nahar ma Guhu nai bahancha, You don't have to open the lid of the sewage every day to check if there is Amrit flowing today. So I give benefit of the doubt to the main stream media. Should I call it intellectually easy path or human wisdom, it will be a mere distinction of words..
>>As already mentioned, the agitating political parties are rapidly losing what little public faith still lingers on.
How naive. The mantra perfected by Old Panchayati regime is being revived by JOSEE. Have we not heard kehi Mutthibar arastrabadi tatwa haru in 2046?
>>One relates to the unprecedented and spontaneous rally in support of the King by Rajbiraj women
100 female and 10 male, organised by ex-panche. This is what you think represent Nepal? Why he never inks on the thousands every day beaten by the police in the streets of kathmandu?
Either you or Josse, comes up with same rotten rhetoric - miss-management in last 12 year, but consistently forget the miss-management by the kings for last 234 years. If it too much of a history, lets just look at the 25 years of Panchayat. It is not the recent wound manifested in the current imbroglio, it is the systematic infection to the society by the monarchs. Viable alternative that’s what Nepali People has always been looking for after each government failed to deliver. I do not say last twelve years were the golden years of Nepal, but not as bad as the years of Panchayat.
There is comparative developemental stats available. Moral support to Maoist or the monarch was just their search for a viable alternative. You can fool some of the people all the time, you can fool some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
Janata ko Susasan. Had it not inculcated time after time by dictators around? Hitler to Mungabe, to name few. Sooner no later, we will be seeing G. Shah added in the list. Which he had enunciated clearly in the Nepalgunj speech. Democracy excluding main political parties, and he has the final word to say. What kind of multiparty democracy are we talking about with out the inclusion of main political parties?
I do not think his article warrants any intellectual discussion. All the convictions he buttresses so emphatically is nothing but his Chamchagiri, which calls for nothing but condemnation.
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| nsshrestha |
Posted
on 23-Feb-04 03:52 PM
Gober Ganesh vs. Guhu Ganesh, an interesting war unfolding.
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