By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
The 17th Republic Day on Jestha 15, 2081 of the Federal, Democratic, Secular, Himalayan Republic was a very drab and uninspiring affair.
There was nothing joyous to celebrate.
There was of course the obligatory military function at Tundikhel, where the Nepal Army put on a de rigueur show on behalf of a defunct government – which has failed in every sphere – social, economic, psychological and political.
Then, to celebrate the auspicious occasion, there was a spate of articles and commentaries in the government organ, The Rising Nepal (TRN).
These op-eds all distinguished themselves by praising “Federal Republican Democracy” to high heaven theoretically.
However, these commentaries inevitably found fault with the practical functioning of republican ideals in the Nepali context.
Because, Federalism never really took off in the Nepali Himalayan environment.
It would be a travesty to characterize our political system as democratic. The dons of the main political parties have not allowed good governance to take root.
It is laughable to describe the antics of the dons, PM, ministers and even the president of the republic as secular.
The very actions of the political class are anything but republican. The great Greek political thinker Plato considered a wise philosopher-king to be the ideal ruler.
Unfortunately, our present crop of dons are unfit in every possible way, whereas former King Gyanendra could very well slip into the role.
Namrata Sharma, a senior journalist and women’s rights advocate thus writes that simply having a system is not enough.
“Political parties and their leaders exploit loopholes to serve personal agendas, often sidelining gender balance in coalition formation” (The Rising Nepal, May 29).
[Thus to paraphrase the great Marx and Engels: ‘Arise Women & Downtrodden of Nepal: You have nothing to lose but your chains!]
Dr. Narad Bharadwaj, former ambassador and former chairman of the Gorkhapatra Corporation, wrote in the jubilee edition of The Rising Nepal: “The persistence of corruption, the lack of accountability, and the farcical dramas of forming and dismantling coalitions, all aimed at capturing power, have perpetuated instability, disenchanting the people with democracy” (May 28).
Naraayan Upadhyay, a former managing editor of the same daily writes: “Political instability and power struggles continue to plague Nepal even after it was declared a republic” (TRN) .
Thus, we are observing day in and day out that the proponents of the republican order are losing the running battle because the dons of the main political parties do not practice what they preach.
The Way Forward
Since the republican system was imposed on the Nepalese people, we can just as easily get good riddance to bad rubbish:
- The truly patriotic Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) will make the people aware for the need for urgent change.
- The RPP will then organize street protests and demonstrations to dismantle the organs of state power currently held to ransom by the dons and political class – in supreme irony, the ‘little rajas’ will be toppled from their individual thrones!
- The security agencies will be urged to remain neutral in the historical confrontation between the retrograde, self-serving forces and those of vibrant revival and rejuvenation.
- And going in the footsteps of the Great Prithvi Narayan Shah, King Gyanendra will seek the initial mark of legitimacy from the Royal Kumari of Hanuman Dhoka!
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
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