By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
There had been high hopes over the weekend that Sri Durga Prasai and his movement would make considerable progress towards achieving regime change in the so-called Himalayan Democratic Republic.
Unfortunately, his presumptive progressive movement aimed at giving the Nepalese people a new lease of life has lost momentum and is likely to be postponed sine die.
What are the proximate reasons for the disappointing development?
- In the first place, the expectations were just too high. Given the misery of the Nepalese people, many were just carried away by Sri Prasai’s charisma and thought the time was ripe for change.
- Many were convinced by the oratorical powers of Sri Prasai that he could achieve the impossible.
Unfortunately, his undertaking remained mission impossible.
- Sri Prasai and his closest advisers failed to convince the denizens of Kathmandu District to join his street protests.
- It seems that he had expected former King Gyanendra and the mayor of KTM City, Balen Shah to support him and his movement. This was not forthcoming, and this also made the KTM-people hesitant.
- He should have secured the support of other possible political parties in advance – Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). The major opponents of the current political dispensation were thus – unfortunately for the country and the people – hopelessly divided.
- His movement had major structural weaknesses. It was oriented too much around Sri Prasai’s own leadership. The hierarchy had major flaws.
- His movement was not planned well in advance and once it started, tactical and strategic mistakes became evident.
Like a smart chess player, he should have anticipated the moves of the government which thwarted his every move.
- There was no clarity about ends and means.
The Way Forward Now
Sri Prasai’s apparent stumble is no reason to give up hope — or for the regressive Dons and their Mafia families to gloat.
Hopefully, he will lick his wounds and prepare to fight the anti-social and anti-national elements another day.
In the meantime, it is now opportune for the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) to step up their movement to restore the people’s inherent rights.
The RPP must learn from their own mistakes and that of Sri Prasai’s movement and push forward resolutely. The reestablishment of genuine democracy (not the corrupted form of ‘Loktantra’) and the reinstitution of constitutional monarchy (not the presidential henchman, underling/lackey/stooge of an utterly unscrupulous, unprincipled and untrustworthy political executive) under the banner of a Hindu State (not the fake-Sanatan Dharma and pseudo-secularism put on show by the current political establishment) must be the two sides of the same coin in the march of the Nepali people to retake ownership of their aspirations.
Former King Gyanendra was absolute right and discerning not to dance to Sri Prasai’s tune. But now his stance has become crucial.
Perhaps, HM King Gyanendra can be goaded/encouraged/inspired to take on the mantle of his illustrious forbears.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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