By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
On the occasion of ‘Democracy Day’ or Falgun 7, the official broadsheet The Rising Nepal (TRN) was full of such ostensible articles as:
- “Federal democracy has no alternative” which was an interview with Rekha Sharma, the Minister for Communication & Information Technology. [the minister very much likes to be in the news with some or other item about/from her on the first page of the TRN every day].
- “Transformative Shift in Democratic Movement”
- “Overcoming Structural Challenges of Democracy”
- “Hurdles to Thriving Democracy”
- “Democracy, Development and Desperation”
- “Where Does Nepali Democracy Stand?
The point is that the writers fail to highlight the antecedents of Nepali democracy. Without the historic sense, we cannot understand the travails of modern Nepali democracy – which is not only in a state of disarray, but deep dysfunction.
As George Santayana so aptly said:
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
The writers vehemently defend the so-called ‘democracy’ of the corrupt or “Loktantra”, but this has become indefensible.
The Nepalese people have seen through the structural defects of loktantra and want Prajatantra back.
How on earth can Communists and their lackeys – the Nepali Congress-wallahs – realize genuine democracy? This is a contradiction.
There has been no political participation of the people from the grassroots upward – and, therefore, no democracy as such.
The present lot of dons from the various Mafia families (political parties) have long lost the mandate of the people and should be booted out – peremptorily!
Statue of King Tribhuvan at Tripureshwor in Kathmandu.
It was through the actions of King Tribhuwan that modern democracy was introduced in Nepal and an autocratic, feudal state was transformed and could start its journey into the modern era. He can, therefore, be rightly called the “The Father of Nepali Democracy”.
He gave leadership to the armed struggle started by the Nepali Congress in exile, under the secondary leadership of the troika B.P. Koirala, Subarna Shumsher and Ganesh Man Singh.
The Revolution of 1950/51 was, therefore, a joint effort of the Shah Monarchy and the Nepali Congress.
Today, the Nepali Congress has not only forgotten this historical compact, but also its ideological foundations. It is no longer a social democratic party. It has become the handmaiden of the utterly corrupt Communists, and especially the Maoists. Together, they are sucking the state completely dry.
On ‘Democracy Day’, King Tribhuwan should have been specially honoured, but no one thought of taking a procession to Tripureswore to garland the statue of the great king – not even the pro-monarchist Rajendra Lingden of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party.
He is on the right track with his vision of restoring ‘Constitutional Monarchy’ and the ‘Hindu State’, but there seem to be some hurdles regarding streamlining ‘ways and means’.
Hindu State Sans Constitutional Monarchy?
A small section of the Nepali Congress led by Shankar Bhandari, MP, has started a campaign to discuss the restoration of the Vedic Sanatan Dharma in the upcoming Mahasamiti (high committee) meeting, the highest policy-making body of the party (The Kathmandu Post, Feb. 18).
However, this is bound to fall on deaf years. Moreover, a Hindu State without Constitutional Monarchy would be bungling and misleading – like wanting an egg without the chicken!
In the meantime, the president of a secular republic is going on a joy ride having usurped the regal/religious duties of the Shah monarch.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
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