A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN NEPAL?

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is on a three day visit to Nepal, India’s neighbouring State. Though India is considered a big brother watching the developments in Nepal most often rulers of Nepal visit India while Indian rulers visiting that small Himalaya country is very rare. Nepal is not US, China, Russia, France or Britain, we are very well aware of.
Nepal though free from violence ever since the malevolent dictator King Gyanendra was ousted from power, the political situation in the country is still in a volatile otherwise in a fluid state.
The Royal rule ended after Maoists and the citizens of Nepal unitedly went on the offensive and in the ensuing violence lasting for several days the ruthless dictator was forced to vacate the throne, remember, he is now one among the ordinary citizens of Nepal. Licking the wounds he had reportedly made vain attempts to stage a come back with the support of pro-Royalist elements among the political countries and that is another truth.
A malevolent dictatorship like colonialism not to the liking of people. After keeping a low profile for a while their dissatisfaction and disillusionment grow gradually and they adopt various ways for displaying their anger, protest, agitations, non-violent and violent means to force the dictator or the colonialist out of power and succeed in their efforts to establish democracy. Our neighbouring country Myanmar is under a military dictatorship where also majority are dreaming a day for the end of military rule, thus paving the way for democracy. Aung Saan Syuuki with the support of majority of citizens are on the war-path but military’s iron-grip has not so far loosened.
If history is a pointer to truth, one day the military howsoever mighty it might be will have to flee for life one day. In a democracy, drawbacks might be many, individual freedom and freedom of speech and expression etal would help to rectify each drawback and address the various problems of the citizens. A democratic ambience provides each citizen with the right to breath fresh air of freedom and expression which frees each man and woman from a state of suffocation.
Turn to Nepal. Immediately after ousting King Gyanendra from the throne Nepal went to polls under the UN auspices and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) cornered a large chunk of seats thus clearing the path for the first Maoist rule of Nepal under Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda. The beginning was on a strong wicket but truth remained truth. The other parties Nepali Congress under the then leader Girija Prasad Koirala who was part of Nepali rule for years, Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal and other little entities were not much in good terms with Prachanda’s Maoist Party and were waiting for a moment to kick the dust of trouble in his Party’s direction. They were blessed with such opportunity when the Chief of Army Rookmangud Katwal was allowed to continue in his post even after the expiry of term under the orders of President Dr.Ram Baran Yadav. In protest against the President’s decision Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) led by Prachanda tendered his resignation from the post of Prime Minister and his decision led to a chaotic political situation.
Soon after another election was called for but nobody emerged with absolute majority turning the situation into a state of flux.
Madav Kumar Nepal took over as acting Prime Minister. He is still a namesake Prime Minister actually with no powers.
To form a govt, a stable one, efforts were on to elect a new Prime Minister, but tussle for power among each party reached a dead end. Each round of counting to elect a leader ended without a positive result, ie. none got majority then began the withdrawal of each leader from the arena of contest starting from Prachanda.
In the end Ramachandra Poudal of Nepal Congress too withdrew from the scene, now efforts are on a hectic note to find one. More than one year has elapsed this way and the coming one is the seventeenth round. Most probably a National government under the leadership of Prachanda forming an alliance with Nepal Congress, UML etc is the possibility.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao’s three day visit and her upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Foreign Minister Sujatha Koirala and Maoist leader Prachanda is something to do with it. Wait and watch.
Nepal is a nascent democracy hence for the nation to be stable democracy, no surprise is there that such travails and tribulations are common and it would take some more time.