Nepal - A Favorite Place on Earth!

Well, so I haven’t written for about nine months now. Perhaps, I was lazy. Or, perhaps, I was fed up complaining about a seemingly non-resolvable topic, that is Nepali politics.

Then as I was reviewing my blog today, as I do every once in a while, one of the news headline on the sidebar (it shows RSS feeds of news that mention Nepal) caught my eyes. It read Celebs' favourite places on earth, from Brooklyn to Nepal.

I was naturally interested and clicked on the headline to read the story. Apparently they were talking about My Favorite Place on Earth, an upcoming book by National Geographic writer Jerry Camarillo Dunn, Jr. The author tries to portray the earth through the eyes of some of the most celebrated people of our time.

Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler’s favorite place on earth is Nepal. That is great. As the founder of one of the most popular travel guide series, Tony Wheeler’s opinion about Nepal, I assume, carries a lot of weight. It’s wonderful to see how people like Wheeler regard Nepal so highly.

In any case, as I was reading about this book, a thought crossed my mind. Why do I call my blog Love Nepal and yet write about one area that is most difficult to love – Nepali politics? No particular reason there. Perhaps we Nepali are inherently attracted to talking about politics.

So, my goal from now on will be to look for non-political ideas to write in my blog, preferably positive things. That doesn’t mean I will never write about politics and political leaders, but I will do so sparingly. After all, if you love something, you don’t just bitch about it. You also point out the positives.

Why Girija Prasad Koirala should not be Nepal's first President

Consider this scenario: I am appointed the manager of a building. But, due to my ineptness, I destroy the building completely. Now, I stake my claim to be the manger of the project to build the same building again. In such a scenario, should I be allowed to lead the new building project or shunned away as an inept fool?

Girija Prasad Koirala is no different. No matter what anyone says, he was the undisputed leader of the 1990 movement, rightfully elected to lead the nation away from active monarchy into a vibrant democracy. 18 years later, we are still trying—not to strengthen—but to build democracy in Nepal.

Forget that his coterie, including his moronic daughter, lost the CA elections miserably. Forget that he too would have most likely lost had he contested the CA elections. What Girija Prasad Koirala has done to undermine Nepal and its people goes far beyond any other betrayal that any other Nepali has ever committed.

It was Girija who started the widespread distrust in government by first proclaiming that the Tanakpur understanding with India was not a treaty and later sticking to power despite the Supreme Court ruling that the "understanding" was indeed a treaty. It was Girija that called for early elections despite the Nepali Congress holding a comfortable majority in the first elected parliament in the post-1990 Nepal. It was Girija that alienated and back-stabbed NC stalwarts like Ganeshman Singh and KP Bhattarai. It was Girija that is widely believed to have had a hand in defeating Daman Nath Dhungana, Haribol Bhattarai and other NC loyalists.

Not only that, it was Girija that was at the helm during the dramatic collapse of Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, having committed treasonous acts like Dhamija deal, Lauda deal etc.

Had Girija led with integrity and insight, Nepal would be a much better place now. Time and again, Girija has worked very hard to prove that he is the worst leader Nepal has ever seen. His lust for power is well known as is his heavy-handedness and utter lack of vision and leadership qualities. More recently, he clearly said that he would drop out of politics after the conclusion of the CA elections. But, despite the miserable loss of the Nepali Congress, he is still sticking to power by hook or by crook.

So what is the point? The point is that Girija Prasad Koirala should not be Nepal's first president at any cost. If he deserved to be the first president, we would not be in the mess we are in today. No Nepali with any sense of pride and nationalistic inclination should support Girija's candidature for president.

But it's never about what the Nepali people want. The big question is what does our ever-so-friendly neighbor want? And if they have it their way, Girija will be the first president of Nepal. How nice. This is what democracy is all about!

Nepal Elections: Reason to Smile or More Reasons to Despair?

Been a while since I last wrote. Perhaps I was fed up with the situation in Nepal. The elections seemed like a dream and things just appeared to be stagnating.

Then the unthinkable happened. The elections did take place. And all indications point toward an empathic victory for the Maoists. Some people seem to be surprised by the Maoist victory, or at least by the margin. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I saw it coming (after all I predicted that elections would not happen in the near future), but the results do not surprise me at all.

Elections are all about energizing your bases and pulling votes away from the swing voters. Each party has a core base that is usually certain to vote for that party and no one else. For example, if I run in an election, my core base would be my immediate family (I am not into politics, remember!). And, for a party or an individual to win, the core base must come out in droves and vote for them.

Now let’s look at whose base was the most energized. The Nepali Congress appeared to take all its cues from the Maoists, compromising on many of its moderately-leaning values, including its position on monarchy. That surely would not energize its core base of moderate voters who, I suspect, are generally traditional and without much desire for radical changes.

The UML’s base is the progressive, left-leaning population that wants radical change. This base is highly energized. The problem, though, is, they are equally, if not more, energized by the Maoist rhetoric. After all, they have seen their UML comrades squander many opportunities by not being able to take and/or stick to a specific position.

Then there are the Maoists. Their core is always energized. After all, it’s supposed to be the culmination of years of struggle for a focused cause. They are not going to vote for anybody else. Instead, they garner the support of much of the left-leaning population.

Just to prove my point, look at the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). For good or bad, for right or wrong, their whole identity is tied to the king and monarchy. And they gave up their loyalty to the king. Now, why would anyone vote for them? If people want change, they have a clear choice – the Maoists, with whom the RPP can never compete. If people want status quo, they are not nearly energized enough to go out and vote.

Hence, the Maoists win by a big margin. Now we are beginning to hear about fear and intimidation tactics adopted by the Maoists. Well, even if it is true, nobody said anything on the day of the election or the next day. That allegation, in light of the astounding results, seems weak at best.

The big question now is how the Maoists will rule. Will they relinquish their promises to fit in the mainstream and renounce violence, or will they go back to their old ways of fear, intimidation and threats? Logic says that in today’s world, building a North Korea-like communist state is not only impractical, but extremely difficult. After all, if it were that easy, wouldn’t we still see King Gyanendra smiling from the grand halls of his palace?

I think there is reason to be cautiously optimistic. With such a clear mandate, if the Maoists rule with integrity, unbiased judgment and good intentions, good days might be ahead for Nepal. However, history says that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

If there is a need to despair, we can always do that if hopes start fading again. But, for now, I choose to be optimistic and am willing to see, without any preconceived notions, how the events unfold in the coming days and months.

Royal or Not, The Nepal Army Needs our Understanding

I read this thought provoking article about the Nepal Army from Nischal M.S. Basnyat on Nepalnews today. Me being me, I couldn’t help but write a response. Here’s how it goes.

Is the Nepal Army a devout royalist institution? Yes. Is it corrupt? Sure, in a society where corruption is a prevalent as diarrhea and other water-borne diseases, nobody can expect the army to be a clean institution. However, you can’t discount the hundreds of years of history of the army—as a social/humanitarian force—with just a few strokes of your pen (or your keyboard). From building roads and bridges to conducting rescue operations during natural calamities, the army has helped Nepal tremendously.

As for its inability to counter the Maoist threat, there were two things in play. First, as you point out, the army was not well-trained/experienced or well-equipped to fight a guerrilla war that the Maoists waged. Second, and more important, you can’t really blame the "Nepal" Army for the ambivalence stemming from the fact that the “other side” was also Nepali.

If anything it is the Monarchy’s fault that the army was not transformed with time. In Thailand you see the army generals kneeling (seemingly helplessly) before the king when he intervenes, on rare occasions, in Thai politics. That “down to the knee” gesture is purely out of respect, and not due to any sycophancy, fear or any other illegitimate relationship between the king and the army.

Nepal could have been the same had our monarchy been a little more smart and nimble. King Birendra (may his soul rest in peace) had a tremendous opportunity to democratize Nepal and the institutions he controlled (i.e. the monarchy, army etc.) way before 1990. Not only would he then have maintained the dignity of monarchy but he would have won tremendous respect and love of the Nepali people. Instead he chose to surround himself with a bunch of nincompoops and engage in sloppy pseudo-dictatorial regime.

The army has many smart and capable people who love Nepal. Like it or not, the Nepal Army is still one of the best-trained truly people oriented institutions in Nepal. Just because monarchy missed the boat, doesn’t mean that we take the army to the crossroads and do a public flogging. At the same time, like you told the Harvard Crimson in April, 2006, “The king is the only one who can unite the army in the time of civil war and keep the country from becoming a failed state. If the king leaves, the army will be shattered.”

So let us drop this rhetoric about “bury the army and the monarchy together” and think seriously about what it means. Are these two institutions, which incidentally were the only two people respected not to long ago, like electric switches that can simply be turned off ? And if they are have we thought about what happens and who or which group is capable or competent to keep Nepal from plunging into chaos.

Nischal also mention that “the royal army played a key role in ending Nepal’s monarchy. From a young age all Princes were exposed to a militant lifestyle.” Do you really believe this? Just today a man opened fire at a mall in Nebraska killing nine bystanders. I would doubt if that would have anything to do with a “militant lifestyle.” People flip. People have multiple personalities. People have anger towards their family. People can be really, really stupid. Parents can be bad about understanding and handling their kids in a proper way. I don’t necessarily see any militant lifestyle playing a role. If anything, it’s another proof that the monarchy in Nepal was unable to transform with time.

Girija Prasad Koirala Interivew - Revisited

It's been seven years, but it still seems like yesterday. Carter's hero, the man that many hope will carry Nepal through these tough times spoke with CNN International about seven years ago. It's an interesting insight into how Girija Prasad Koirala's mind works (or doesn't). Forget the English or the grammar; focus on the ideas and the meaning. And the biggest question that emerges is what can we hope from this man?

Taken from the September, 2000 issue of Nepali Times...

During the interview, the Prime Minister fielded questions from a wide range of people from Nepal and abroad who sent in their questions either by phone or email. There was a simultaneous online live chat going on in cnn.com. Nepali Times transcribed the interview for readers who missed the show

Riz Khan: Let me start by asking you. There is so much already on the UN's plate. What can Nepal hope to get out of this summit? What do you hope to achieve for your country?
My dear friend, this summit, I feel that United Nations should have a new vision for the future and also because the scientific and technological advancement and economic liberalisation throughout the world...

RK: But, sir, I was going to ask you this is an opportunity for you to meet some of the key leaders that may be hard to get hold of sometimes. What sideline meetings can you have: What can you achieve on the side perhaps that the main meeting won't...
I will focus on poverty alleviation because there are the wide gapping between haves and have-nots. The gap between the haves and have-nots have widened very much. In future, that will create security concerns to United Nations. That gap should be narrowed down by United Nations.

Sushil Bhattarai, Vietnam (email questions: It seems you are guided by "kitchen" members of your cabinet, it seems you want to run politics as a family business. Can you clarify?
My dear friend, I'm not that kind of man who is influenced by the family members. I might hold opinion about Nepal, how to develop it. So, it is all nonsense to say that I am being surrounded by courtiers and my family members. It is wrong to see like that.

RK: What about issues of... I mean, you are accused of things like nepotism, corruption and so on. What are you doing to combat corruption in Nepal?
Well, when I took over power, three priorities I had made. Law and order situation was maintained, second to eradicate corruption and third good governance. I m working on that line. And the corruption is an invisible enemy. It's very difficult to root out corruption. But I'm still trying my beast to root out corruption. That's my first priority is to root out corruption. Then alone political stability will be maintained in Nepal.

Caller from India: Mr Prime Minister, I'd like to ask you... your government has been claiming that it is strictly against ISI and having any bases of ISI in Nepal But evidences which have been claimed by the Indian authority that ISI has a strong base in Nepal and IC 814 hijacking to Kandahar was also performed from Kathmandu. So, what do you think ISI will be having its effect on India and Nepal relations?
Well, my dear friend, India government should pinpoint where ISI is. And another thing, I cannot throw stones in the darkness. So I've told India's Prime Minister Mr Vajpayee about it. Pinpoint where ISI is then we will be able to control this. Otherwise, it is just like throwing stone in the darkness.

Priya Pande, Kathmandu (email question}: What have you done to alleviate the Maoist insurgency, as thousands have died in clashes. You created a task force. But what else?
To contain terrorist activities is multi-pronged strategy, one (unclear) through political consensus and second package program, we are introducing economic program to those areas through all party meeting and third, administrative labor. Fourthly I have been calling them for talks to come to the table for talks and for negotiations also. So. these (unclear) against terrorist activities.

John Fox (email question): You face a Maoist insurgency, troubles with Bhutan refugees, and boundary disputes with India. How are you able to tackle these issues all at once and get global action on them?
Well, as regards Bhutanese refugees, I have talked to the Bhutanese Prime Minister right now and I want to sort this matter bilaterally. But I think that without the good offices of India the problem will not be solved. During my visit to India I talked to the Prime Minister of India Mr Atal Behari Vajipayeeji about this. This time Mr Vajpayee is positive to resolve this problem.

RK: Prime Minister, let me ask you. Of course, Nepal doesn't make it to headlines all the time but news of attacks on tourists and the tourist industry may be affected... Let me ask you, how you might [unclear) confidence (unclear) of tourists in Nepal. In also bringing outside investment, especially when you have news of these Maoist rebels rising up spreading throughout the kingdom?
Well, we are very much concerned about Maoist terrorist activity. As regards the security and order for the tourists (unclear) we are proceeding towards that direction. We want that tourists should come to Nepal and see (unclear)

Ramesh (caller from India): I would like to ask the Prime Minister whether the government in Nepal would survive?
Whether the government will survive? What do you mean by that...my deaf friend?

Ramesh: It means that there is a lot of friction between the earlier prime minister and the prime minister...
My dear friend, Ramesh, you don't know anything about the functions of the party. In democratic party, this kind of things happen, but it will not, the party will not break, it will not, this government will not fall...

RK: If there was some sort of political stability, what sort of support do you have, how much stability do you feel your country has politically?
Political stability, well, as regards Maoist terrorist activities, it has destabilized the country. But we are also taking very hard decisions about that. There will be political stability. Now as regards democracy, there is consensus between ail the parties that democracy should be stable in Nepal. So, I'm getting all support from all parties to bring stability in the country. And I think in future there will be clear political stability in the country very soon.

RK (referring to web chat): The economy is in trouble, population growth is still a problem, and agriculture production is dwindling. Please comment.
Well, economic, because our economy is not that sound. But recently we are managing; to make our economy sound. And also as regards to agriculture we have focused (unclear). I feel that there is a proverb in English 'Empty mind is devil's workshop'. But in Nepal empty stomach is devil's workshop. Empty stomach does not listen to reason, so first of all the priority should go to the stomach. That's why we are giving first priority to improve our agriculture. And this year we are progressing very fast. In two or three years we will be self-sustained in agriculture.

RK: Now as you concentrate on agriculture Prime Minister, this limits the progress you could make in areas like the information technology and the IT sector...
...this time I visited Andhra Pradesh just to see the Information Technology and India has agreed to give support to Information Technology in Nepal. I don't know about technical subjects but I want that this technology should be introduced in Nepal. So India is prepared to do that. I am very glad that India has given support for the information technology.

Surendra P Pradhanang, Nepal (email question): Do you think Nepal should be allowed to trade with Bangladesh via Indian land, without any restrictions (given that Nepal is landlocked)?
The tragedy is that Nepal is a land locked country. But Nepal is also peace-loving country as well. It has fauna, high-mountains, Himalayas and there are lots of fauna and flora why tourists are attracted to come to Nepal. But because the landlocked country, that is the tragedy. With all the facilities that is the tragedy of landlocked country. But as regards Bangladesh, India has recently given us some points for entry to Bangladesh. That has also given some support to Nepal's economy.

Khawer Tabbani, Karachi (email question): Do you see Nepal playing any role in easing tensions between Pakistan and India?
Well, Nepal is a very small country, and there is a proverb in Hindi that: choti muh badi baat. If Nepal can speak and try to do something the big country may.. will not appreciate it. But as for me, because I want that Pakistan and India should come to an understanding so that the whole South Asia should remain in peace. And mostly Nepal wants, being a peace-loving country, we want that there should be understanding between India and Pakistan.

Now this time I'm talking to Mr Prime Minister of India here in the United Nations. I will talk to him as regards the SAARC summit. And what I want that the SAARC summit, the process should be started through the technical meetings and also ministerial meetings. That will pave the way for SAARC summit in Kathmandu.

RK: How much of an impact, Prime Minister, is the issue of refugees having in Nepal. You have a large number of Bhutanese refugees that you have to attend to...
One hundred million Bhutanese refugees... one hundred thousand Bhutanese refugees. And they are very restive. I've talked to the Bhutanese Prime Minister this time also. Once they join hands with the terrorists, it will be a great headache to India, and Nepal and Bhutan as well. So, this problem should be settled by all the three parties together.

RK: Sir, just to end, there is the upcoming event. Your opposition and the Maoist insurgents are looking to host a nationwide strike. What do you expect to happen at the end of September, I think the 21st, when they're calling for basically a nationwide stoppage?
You know this kind of a hartal and strike goes on in Nepal. When the opposition becomes unreasonable, then this type of a strike and other things goes on. But, this doesn't matter to me. And the government will go ahead with its programme, economic and other programs.

Linophobia Rules in Nepal !

I have a simple theory on the chaos Nepal is facing today. Linophobia! That's right, it is the inherent hatred, or even phobia, of the Nepali people to wait in line. This phenomena is compounded by a brazen display of "jasko shakti, usko bhakti."

You see it everyday – in bus stops, supermarket cash counters, shops, temples, offices. People, by default, are prone to break out and go to the head of the line without a trace of remorse for the chaos their actions caused. Instead of waiting calmly, there are always people who bolt to the head of the line without a second of thought. However, a shaktishali (physically, verbally or via arms) person is hardly ever bypassed and if it does happen, a mayhem ensues.

Politics is no different. Linophobia can explain a majority of political chaos in Nepal in the past or present. Take the Maoists decision to drop out of government as an example. The general understanding was that the CA elections would resolve some outstanding issues. That meant "waiting in line" to reach a conclusion. But it was Linophobia, that led the Maoists to decide to launch protests through the streets. Forget the fact that they were playing a dual role of the government and the opposition even when they were in government.

In the past, you've seen Linophobia play big roles in parliamentarians' decisions, political leaders' actions and many party decisions. King Gyanendra's downfall was a direct result of Linophobia. Instead of systematically strengthening institutions, he had to go to the head of the line and bypass everyone. The result was greater chaos.

Who Wants Election in Nepal?

As everyone seems to be busy talking about what is good for Nepal and what is not. No one leaves any stone unturned when it comes to blaming someone for this and somebody else for that. And, in the midst of all this, the one thing that most significantly defines democracy—elections—is sidelined. So the obvious question becomes who wants election in Nepal?

The King?
No way! Given the notion that the first sitting of the CA will be empowered to decide on the fate of monarchy, there's absolutely no way the king would want to see elections being held now. He must be drooling at the way the politicians are busy blaming each other and proving once again that they have no ability to make any decisions, let alone write a new chapter in Nepal's history. Public memory is short and it wont be long before we start hearing "yo bhanda ta raja nai ramro."

The Maoists?
After talking for decades about how they are all for people power the Maoists literally got their rear ends thrashed by the Madhesis. "Support" stemming from fear and intimidation is never sustainable. The people are not stupid and will voice their disdain in the form of electoral choices the minute they get a chance. So it is virtually unimaginable that the Maoists want elections anytime soon, at least not until they have a stronger control over the state machinery.

The Mainstream Political Parties?
Their claim to fame have been hollow talks and they have never had to prove their worth. But no matter how confident they sound in the outside, they feel extremely vulnerable. What if the people finally see our flaws? What if the Maoists capture booths? What if the royalists somehow get a chunk of the pie? In such a chaotic scenario, isn't it better to simply stay put, talk – talk and talk, and avoid elections?

Foreign Powers?
Let's be honest. Foreign powers are not really interested in what happens in Nepal. They are more interested in how the situation in Nepal affects them. And let's face it. That is usually the real face of international relations any way. The powerful dictates to the weak and big guys marvel at the chaos facing the small guys. Any form of stability can only diminish the opportunity to meddle into Nepal's internal affairs like a bunch of hyenas digging into a dead deer. Why would they want the deer to suddenly come to life and escape?

The Nepali People?
It's been more than 10 years since the last elections. Lots of changes have taken place since then, mostly for the worse. How do we voice how we feel? Aren't elections the best way of getting the message across? So yes, the people are yearning to go out and vote. It's about time that they get the opportunity.

But, then again, who has ever given a damn about what the Nepali people want?