| GoberGanesh |
Posted
on 08-Apr-04 09:40 PM
Shaming the shame
D B Gurung
- The recent police atrocity in the capital
is a luminous beacon of repression—of
an autocratic regime. Shooting (rubber bullets), lathi-charging, and gassing the human rights activists, writers, intellectuals, academics, and the leaders of national stature, is not going to fade away this ongoing non-violent battle royal against regression and autarchy, rather this brutal police action will further challenge the legitimacy and the intentions of the monarch. Shame.
Okay, leaders like an unholy Bamdev Gautam, at times, may get beaten up for their past sins, is not a surprising turnaround, but what was the sin of Manjushree Thapa, an unarmed helpless woman, a writer who believes in democracy and peace, and who has contributed so much in disseminating our native literature to the outside world? As a writer, doesn’t she have rights to participate in a peaceful demonstration against an authoritarian regime? This is a downright savagery of this neo-panchayat government. The escalation of such violent suppressions over the democratic forces and civil society by an illegitimate government, may push the institution of monarchy closer to the Aarya Ghat quicker than one imagines. And this is happening.
Eqbal Ahmed affirms: “A regime unwilling to satisfy popular aspirations begins to lose legitimacy. Coercion increasingly becomes its primary instrument of assuring obedience; “law and order” becomes the favorite phrase of its governing groups. The revolutionary forces deliberately activate this process.” Contextually, Ahmed rings true in Nepal’s prevailing political syndrome. The King’s adamant stance in rebuffing the popular aspirations of the people has further damaged the already-tainted legitimacy and accountability of the monarch.
No matter what their images might be, but these very political leaders still represent the masses, and are unquestionably the saviors of democracy. Let’s not forget, democracy is a self-cleansing process: this august system gradually weeds out the bad guys. Meanwhile, what about Nepal’s image in the international scenario in human rights violation after the defunct of the elected democratic government? According to the Guardian, Nepal along with few others have proudly hit the list of the most dangerous and repressive rogue regimes of the world. Does the present government concern about it?
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| GoberGanesh |
Posted
on 08-Apr-04 09:41 PM
People love to drop blames on the political leaders for dragging the nation toward this crucial stage within the last twelve democratic years spanning from 1990 through 2002: the nosiest of them, of course, are the royalists, but what miracle of significant change or progress we saw in any sector ever since the seizure of all executive powers by King Gyanendra on October 4, 2002? Nothing. True: twelve years of democratic governance melted away into fiasco: but the question is what have we achieved worth the name under the military rule of both the dynasties of the Shah and the Rana for over two centuries? The answer: Poverty, illiteracy, economic disparity, social chasms, and ultimately the Maoist insurgency, which has its roots buried deep into well beyond the Rana rule.
Now and then, we see King Gyanendra being felicitated in different districts by huge improvised masses, mostly hired or dragged in, at a time when killings, sabotage, and extortion have made the nation miserable. Isn’t this absurd to watch on the TV an obviously elated monarch giving away autographs to the country commoners while the urban elite, politicians, professionals, writers, and intellectuals are writing the new chapter of history with their own sanguine fluid in the streets of Kathmandu! This royal action quizzically reminds one of Emperor Nero, who enjoyed playing the flute while his empire Rome was set ablaze.
Prince Philip of Britain said less in riddle than in earnest, “To survive, Monarchy must change,” whereas his son Prince Charles opined, “After all, if people don’t want it, they won’t have it”, and continued that this simple truth makes monarchy “a kind of elective institution”, as quoted by Anthony Holden. In Nepal, we never heard such esteemed royal proclamations! What we hear once a while with a recurrent monotony is “multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy”—and ironically, both are non-existent now. Moreover, the popular phrase “constitutional monarchy” suddenly began slipping off in recent times during the royal addresses. This clearly justifies the intentions of the monarch that he is coolly heading up to exercise an absolute authority. We are sorry that the “constructive” monarch has intentionally stepped on peoples’ rights and democracy, and he will be sorry for this.
At a time, when the destruction of whatever little infrastructures we have, has been common, rapid deterioration of our nation’s economic health, and when the Nepali commoners could barely afford a meal a day—our palace’s passion for such exorbitantly expensive latest cars could not be ignored, or at least, postponed for the time being. An amazing contrast is, the Emperor family of Japan still rides 30-year old cars, and when Nissan Motor Co. offered a new set of cars for the palace, the Emperor politely declined the offer citing “they (cars) are still absolutely fine”. Again shame.
Funneling in billions in modernizing our army, who are we going to wage war with? India? May be China? Believe it or not—to kill the Nepalis themselves. A large chunk of our national budged goes for the royal luxury and security, and another large amount of subsidiary national fund sporadically dissolves in lavish royal felicitations. The requisition for creative and critical questioning has never been efficient on this.
Now, the agitation against regression is peaking up, is certainly a bad news for the monarchists. But how would it conclude? Again on plain reconciliation between the monarch and political parties, like we already have had thrice in the past in 1950, 1980, and again in 1990, and again trap the people? The Nepali people cannot be fooled and be ruled till hell freezes over. This movement should be “decisive”, and end up starting with the reinstatement of a all-party government, including the Maoists. The students’ call for democratic republicanism is the demand of our time, which will ultimately turn the servile subjects into free citizens. We are in crisis and it should be transformed structurally not only superficially.
We are not Buddhas; we have aspirations. It’s always good to have a high aspiration in life, however, the creation of an impossible proportion of it may likely invite a Frankenstein horror.
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