In Conversation Nepal caught between King and Red cons

In Conversation
Nepal caught between King and Red cons
says Sujata Koirala in a conversation with R.C. Ganjoo

Sujata Koirala, member, Central Department of Organisation, Nepali Congress, is a daughter of Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister of Nepal. Koirala founded the Nepali Congress, the premier political party 60 years ago. Her father retained the post of prime ministership for 12 years. He was in India last week pleading for Indian support for restoration of democracy in Nepal.

Sujata, at the first opportunity available, fled from Nepal on February 11, 2005 due to the terror that spread when King Gyanendra clamped emergency on February 1, 2005. Taking refuge in Delhi, Sujata Koirala has been working for the restoration of democracy in Nepal. She has been approaching all political leaders and parties in India, UK, USA and UNO including human right organisations to draw attention of the world community towards Nepal.

In Delhi, the seven political parties of Nepal?Nepali Congress, UML (United Marxist Lenist), Sadhbhavna Party, Jan Morcha Nepal, Nepal Communist Party (ML), Mazdoor Kissan Party and Nepal Congress Democratic?have set up the office of the Nepali Centre from where they can carry out their activities.

Nepal, under King Gyanendra, has endangered the multiparty democracy, she says. The conflict has already claimed more than 12,000 lives and properties worth billions of dollars. Unfortunately, on the other hand, the Maoists started unleashing their terror by using the liberal democratic environment in the country. King Gyanendra was not happy with the elected government as a result of which the security situation has deteriorated rapidly, forcing the elected Prime Minister to resign.

The King suddenly staged a coup d?etat, she says. ?It is an established fact that the King'seach successive step has been contrary to the Constitution. He has not only formed the cabinet and appointed a Royal Commission for Corruption Eradication unconstitutionally, but also resorted to coercing the judiciary and terrorising the bureaucracy.

?In the past four months, since King Gyanendra took over, the human rights situation has shown a marked deterioration. Human rights activists are disallowed to travel abroad. The leaders of political parties that are the underpinnings of multiparty democracy in the 1990 Constitution, are not even allowed to visit to their home-towns. What is more, many of the political leaders are left incarcerated, whereas, paradoxically, the ruling elite and their supporters do not face such human rights problems?, she claimed.

By now the world is well versed with the situation in Nepal. On the political front, the royal takeover has invited an unending political confrontation with the constitutional forces. The King has been arresting political leaders; asking his security personnel to vandalise the houses and offices of political parties; and using the State to coerce every person or institution that dissents.

As far as India is concerned, it should stop logistic or weaponry aid to the ruling monarch because that will strengthen only the Nepali army which has turned bloodthirsty. The King is diverting the funds in the name of development to further strengthen the army. He is taking the advantage of the presence of Maoists who have been active for the last 10 years. They are becoming stronger day by day, equipped as they are with modern weaponry supplied to them by the Nepali army. If political leaders want to bring the Maoists for peaceful talks, they are labelled as terrorists. Without talking to Maoists, nothing concrete will emerge. Our political party wants to have talks with Maoists to redress their grievances. The people in Nepal are caught between the guns of the Nepali army and the Maoists. The King of Nepal is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Nepali army. Since India has an age-old relationship with Nepal, the Government of India should be clear in its policy on Nepal. Without the support of India there can be no peace in Nepal. Trade and tourism have come to a halt in Nepal. Joint ventures with India have been closed down. Reports of closure of Indian schools are pouring in.

Despite all this, I still see a ray of hope in this cluttered and cloudy political atmosphere.

What is required to save Nepal is that the constitutional forces should urgently resolve the crisis of confidence. The King needs to be extricated from all sorts of political controversies. Simultaneously, the King should cooperate with all political parties that are working for reactivation of the disrupted 1990 Constitution, which clearly stands for sovereignty of the people, constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy. As drafters of the 1990 constitution, lawyers, experts on constitutional and political scientists firmly believe that the derailed constitutional process can be brought back on the rails by reviving the House of Representatives, the same must be reinstated soon. Subsequently, there shall be an all-party government, formed out of Parliament, which will sincerely talk to rebellions in order to resolve the ongoing conflict. The government, with the help of Parliament, shall try to address possible demands of the insurgents. Then it is possible to hold fresh, free and fair elections for restoring peace in the kingdom of Nepal.

(Sujata Koirala can be contacted on E-mail: sujatakoi@hotmail.com)