Editorial
The unresolved tussle with the ruling NCP is pitching its tone in the spate of exchange of letters between two discordant leaders was only naturally to spill over to party cadre who continue to express disappointment at the discord but also have had to jockey about wary of adding to the fissures. Gradually, the fissures are widening and the diminishing voice of the neutrals is contributing to heightened expectations of breakage which both leaders deny they are avoiding. The lay workers in the party bemoan a sense of insecurity, many having undergone the pains of splinters and their effects on party morale and functioning. The threats they feel in climes of discord within a ruling party that finally gained a decisive parliamentary majority is exasperating in the least. The cadres face a more threatening challenge on the streets which have over the month been riled by heightened activities on the streets by sectors opposition the constitution which a tamed media have been unable to cover up for sake of professional credibility. A sudden spurt of motorcycle rallies opposing the system has been followed by mass rallies. The largest of these was demonstrated Monday organized by a movement led by former minister Kesar Bista. Saturday is to see another large rally led by a movement chaired by advocate activist Balkrishna Neupane. Both activists are unique in the sense that they have given a long indeterminate direction to sporadic and festering monarchist movements since the change in 2006 of a direction demands for the restoration of the constitution of 1990. It is thus that eyes must turn to the size and scope of these activities now. There are indications too that the government camps are not totally immune from a reaction.
There are some traits to these activities that cannot be denied. Firstly, a spurt of motorcycle activity begun by an until that obscure ‘Bir Gorkhali’ in Kathmandu received much coverage in the social media contributing to an even better program in Butwal where it is known that partisan youth were denied their identification for sake of all-round participation. By the time these programs reached Biratnagar, other monarchists were attracted to poach for the leadership although it was known that participation was non-partisan from all over the east. This seems to have encouraged a Pokhara reaction where the Shiva Sena took lead. By this time, an overtly non-participation had already taken place in Dhangadi and the non-partisan strategy worked in other cities of the Tarai where Nepalganj stands out as one actually led by a mayor elected from the RPP. The ripples among the youth impacted on yet another rally in Kathmandu after which Kesar’s agitation Monday in being followed by Balkrishna. This suggests that the pro-monarchists must for some time still limit their activities to individual camps but take to the streets nevertheless in order to retain their individual political identity. What is positive is that there seems an emerging consensus that the target should be the restoration of the 1990 constitution. Perhaps this coherence will add fuel to the fire the movement needs.
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