| lonelyinmidwest |
Posted
on 06-May-04 01:57 PM
A lesson taught by democracy
Girija babu sat among all with a Sikhar churot between his fingers in his rickety old mansion of Biratnagar. Seated in a steel chair and one leg upon another, he was addressing some people about the forthcoming andolan against the then monarchy, which was gradually turning into a dictatorship. I had been surprised by the comment made on King Birendra who always seemed to be affable and sociable and was perhaps the only king so far who did not show any signs of being autocratic. The listeners were peasants; most of them belonged to the Tharu tribe. I was one among them. Well, I was neither a peasant nor a Tharu but did not mind joining them to form a little crowd, which very much seemed to fascinate Girija babu.
My family had known the Koiralas for eons, one of the main reason being Sushma Koirala, the very dear sister of my grandmother, who had abandoned her former husband to marry the then tall, not so dark, but handsome Girija babu. Seeing his baldhead and his usual frail self, I often wondered if he was actually handsome once upon a time.
The speech was over; the peasants were happy; Girija babu happier; and me confused.
I had asked my father the same night “Buwa, what is democracy”.
My father had beamed while answering this question. He told me that democracy grants equal rights to all the citizens and that there would be no favoritism and prejudice.
I was very thrilled by his answer. At the age of sixteen, I had already witnessed some very close friends of mine; the well-off Ranas; despising underprivileged and lower class people.
I hated them.
“This would surely come to an end”. I had then told myself.
It has been more than a decade after the eventful advent and not so eventful exodus of democracy and I am completely unaware if the Ranas mended their ways, but I certainly learnt a few things:
· King Birendra was actually a good monarch.
· My father’s statement was too generic; he did not explain to me the corollaries of democracy.
· Girija babu would live forever and so would Kishunji.
· Only Ranas do not discriminate, bahun and chettris do too.
· Good students make doctors and engineers; bad students make leaders.
· Those leaders later rule doctors and engineers.
· Majority of Nepalese people have a short-term memory.
· Leaders would never give up and Maoists would never give in.
· This would lead the population of Nepal decrease to some extent.
· I would rather choose population bombing.
· King Gyanendra is better off as a businessman.
· Nepal needs leaders like BP, Nehru, Lincoln and Gandhi to retain democracy.
· Sadly Girija babu, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai and Pashupati Samsher do not possess such political acumen.
· A nation does not necessarily prosper in democracy but does when it has good leaders.
· It is disappointing to see the leaders, scholars, erudite and elite members of Nepalese society making a hue and cry for restoration of democracy instead of amalgamating all political parties and king to resolve the undergoing crises.
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