Friday, March 18, 2005

Response To The Panchayati Ghost Tulsi Giri


"India is aware of the presence of Maoists (Nepalese) on its territory ..... We need not talk to it about them. The Maoists have links with the LTTE, People's War and Naxalites. How can India be oblivious of this and talk about the political system here? "

"(Bhutanese King Jigme Singhe Wangchuck), "the greatest democrat," also asked for measures to stop the Maoists who have posed a threat to neighbouring countries from Indian soil."

"Indian leaders did not mind shaking hands with him and making him their chief guest on Republic Day, but they refused to go to the Saarc."

Giri also took a dig at friendly nations which called for a "representative government" in Nepal. "It's natural to react to something that you don't like, but you cannot impose your idea on anyone," he said. "It is up to the Nepalese to decide what they want… the king has repeatedly pledged his commitment to multi-party democracy… he has taken this step (the February 1 takeover) only to re-energise this system."

Giri criticised multi-party leaders for allowing themselves to be "remote-controlled" by others. "Diplomats host dinners for them, but they don't call us," he said. When asked to name the countries that were backing the politicians, Giri replied, "It's up to you to guess."

"The present government is not in favor of talking to the Maoists. Talks in the past were just a show."

"You cannot negotiate with ghosts that need to be dealt with the stick."

"I don't agree to sit across the negotiating table with the Maoists unless they lay down their arms and stop the violence."

"The Maoists were accorded a heroic welcome and the PM shook hands and sat with them at functions. But the rebels at the end suddenly backed out of the negotiating table."

“Only time will tell whether the Royal Proclamation was ill-advised or well-advised, but it was constitutionally advised.”

“So, it is also the responsibility of the political parties to help root out terrorism.”

“After their initial reactions, some foreign governments have even started commenting which shows they have begun to understand the situation.”

Talking about the rumours of the suspension of foreign assistance, Dr. Giri said if foreign aid was meant for Nepal or for the multi-party system. “If it is for the latter, it is not fair.”

“The multi-party system will not come to an end, rather it will come up in a re-energized form.”

 “Therefore, it is the demand of time to shut our eyes to the areas of disagreement and work on areas of agreement.”

“I ask them to come together for peace instead of wasting their energy by shouting in the streets.”

“Let’s do homework at our level first, form a political package and then go to the King.”

"If the political parties are averse to sit down with me, they can always talk to Bista."

“His Majesty the King had only tried to shake (the parties) up from their deep sleep.”

“I can assure you that we are fully equipped to sanitize the areas infested with this dirty thing.”

“If the terrorists succeed, the political leaders will be the first ones to receive the terrorists’ bullets on their head.”

"The political parties now could not claim to be the representatives of the people. There can only be the government comprising the representatives of the political parties."

"Call them what you will. People's War, Maoist Communist Centre, Maoists or even the Al Qaeda - terrorism is terrorism whatever names you give it."

"The leftist government of West Bengal was in no mood to hold unconditional talks with the Naxalites (an ultra left group that staged an armed uprising in the 1970s). The terrorists hide in jungles from where they attack people and grab headlines. That is not the way to resolve problems."

"The defence forces were demoralised by the previous governments. Now they are ready to sanitise areas infected by these people smelling of dirty things and eradicate them. If they don't respond to words, they will be made to respond to kicks."

"The media raised a "hue and cry" when the army killed people but made tame noises when the Maoists violated human rights."

"Girija (Prasad Koirala, Nepalese opposition leader) and Madhav Kumar Nepal (leader of the biggest Communist party) will get the first bullet from their terrorist friends."

"They have been issuing statements from India and Bangkok, dreaming of taking the king's place."

"The Indian dailies have been writing about Maoists receiving medical treatment in Uttar Pradesh and Patna (in Bihar). The Indian government is also reported to be concerned and has stepped up security along the border."

"We want them to come to terms with reality. They must feel sorry for what they did."

"The prime minister refuses to go to Dhaka saying he does not want to shake dirty hands (after the royal coup in Nepal) whereas the greatest democratic king in Asia, the king of Bhutan, is invited as a guest of honour during India's Republic Day and shakes hands with the Indian leadership."

"They (referring to the US and India) are “policing” in the name of democracy."

He was of the view that the United States, India and other nations are trying to influence the internal affairs by demanding the restoration of multi-party democracy. He also lambasted the diplomats in the capital for holding dinner parties with leaders of various political parties. “I am never invited to these dinner parties.”

How can the international community say that it would continue support only if there is multi-party democracy, questioned Giri, saying that the donors care more about multi-party democracy than the country itself. “Otherwise, why can’t they provide assistance to Nepal which has a multi-party democracy?” He accused the parties of being “remote-controlled” by countries “policing” in the name of democracy. He used the term “remote control” several times during his first-ever press conference to indicate the “influence” of other countries on parties.

"Emergency rule at a time when anarchy is at its peak is not a matter of great wonder."

Giri said Gyanendra's actions had not been understood by the international community, which has sharply condemned the power grab.

"The US and EU countries reacted quickly to the king's action without correctly understanding the fundamental reality of Nepal's major problems."

"The Maoist terrorism and the maintenance of peace and security are the major problems facing the country."

"If the donor countries don't understand our real problems ... there is little we can do."

"We need foreign aid for our development," he said. "(But) if they insist on stopping their aid on the grounds of democracy we cannot touch their feet and beg for alms ... and economic cooperation.

"It will be unfortunate for us if they think a poor and underdeveloped country like Nepal should go unaided. (Aid is necessary) for the progress and prosperity of its people, its fight against terrorism and it attemps to alleviate poverty," Giri said.

The king was "totally committed to the functioning of democracy", he added.

"This is only a temporary measure because the biggest issue in the country now is the maintenance of law and order. The King enforced emergency in the country for some time to control terrorism.

"If the people's fundamental rights are suspended for some time it cannot be called an undemocratic step," Giri said.

"All fundamental rights are intact as laid down in the country's constitution," he said.

Referring to an ongoing transport blockade in the world's only Hindu kingdom which has been imposed by the rebels since the weekend and which has reduced transport to a trickle, Giri said: "We cannot stop them everywhere altogether and for that matter, no country in the world has succeeded in totally stopping such activities.

"Our security is trying to strike them down and stop their activities soon," Giri said.

"The national economy and tourism have gravely suffered because of the Maoist menace."

Dr Tulsi Giri said the Ministry of Land Reform and Management has a very important role in cooling down the present state of conflict and directed all employees of the Ministry to work with full commitment in the land reform and management sector.

"Unfortunately, friends have not understood the King's motive and created fear psychosis for the Nepalese people by talking in terms of suspension of aid after the February one royal takeover."

"A military solution to the problem is achievable, and we can do it by ourselves."

About the political leaders who were under house arrest, Giri said they would be released soon but added that whether or not they would face corruption charges in the future would be an altogether different matter.

Giri said the political leaders were continued to be detained for fears that with their release they would start civil movement to divert the government's attention away from battling the Maoist insurgency.

 "I don't agree to sit across the negotiating table with the Maoists unless they lay down their arms and stop the violence."

"The Maoists were accorded a heroic welcome and the prime minister shook hands and sat together with them at public functions but the rebels at the end suddenly backed out of the negotiating table."

"In over the past one decade, none of the multi-party governments was able to stop the Maoists killing innocent villagers and expelling them from their native villages."

"The army and the police were humiliated by the governments that failed to stop the rebels from committing heinous crimes."

"If polite talks cannot resolve the Maoist problem, the solution to it should be sought by crushing them militarily."

He said the state of emergency would not last more than three months provided the political parties which support democracy and the constitutional monarchy cooperated with the king to normalize the chaotic situation.

Giri also ruled out the possibility of Gyanendra inviting party leaders for a dialogue on political prospects unless they jointly come forward with a concrete proposal to solve the country's problems.

"The king's declaration of emergency is directed against the terrorists but not against democracy."

To: Tulsi Giri.

I don't know if I should start out by greeting a fellow Janakpuriya, but I believe I will follow my hunch and skip that for now. I am taking my cue from Ganeshmanji. He came to Janakpur in 1990 after the successful movement to address a mass meeting. Girija was on the dais. Ganeshmanji was sitting on a chair, Laloo-style, as he addressed the large crowd. And for most of the speech, he raved and ranted against your character, or lack thereof. That is the first I ever heard of you.

If democracy is a deficient system, that it is incapable of producing the best leaders, that one has to do what the king did on 2/1 to give the country the very best it deserves, I am to believe you personally are more qualified than any of the names associated with the country's political parties. But I distinctly remember some of the things Ganeshmanji had to say about you. And if I am to go by his words, as I am inclined to, I do not get the impression you are particularly qualified to lead the country in any capacity.

Mahendra's greatest crime was that he deprived the country of someone like BP Koirala and foisted a lowlife like you on the country. Who is to say where Nepal would be today in terms of economic development if 1960 had not happened? But do not mistake 2005 for 1960. Your days are numbered. The days of this junta are numbered. We the democrats expect to be confronting the Chinese authorities in less than 10 years. Who are you?

You and all the elements of the junta all the way to the very top remind me of Trent Lott, the disgraced Senator from Mississippi. The guy made a racist comment, and lost his job as Senate Majority Leader, but he never came around to seeing he had made a racist comment. He just never "got it." You do not "get" democracy. It might not be in your DNA to get it. And the Nepali democrats are not trying to change your heart and mind. That would be a waste. We are just trying to push you out and return you back to your irrelevance. The king might have resurrected ghosts like you and Bishta, but the people will send you back to your political coffins.

Say, do you think this king never got over the fact that he got dethroned at the age of four? Because ever since he got back onto the throne, he has been inducting all the Prime Ministers he misssed in between. Like Chand and Thapa, and now Bishta and you. To me it looks like he were trying to reclaim those 50 years in between. But that is just a thought.

You say, it is for the Nepali people to decide what they want (not the foreign powers). That is exactly what the foreign powers are saying. That is what we democrats are saying. But the difference is we "get" it, you don't. An unelected junta does not speak for the people, and is not the guardian of the country's sovereignty.

The junta says it started out by inviting the Maoists for talks. What is there to talk about? They want an all-party government and elections to a Constituent Assembly. So do the democrats. The new democrat-Maoist alliance is for a multi-party democratic republican framework. But you Monarchists are anathema to the idea that monarchy could come as a gift from the people to this royal family, instead you would like to keep the veneer that "democracy" is going to be a gift from the monarch to the people.

You will go down in history as the guy who finally helped bring the monarchy down. How do you feel about that?

So if India, Europe and the US do not support the junta, it is because they do not "understand!" Keep deluding yourself.

You say the emergency might last three months, but then it might last longer, proving the 1990 constitution does not exist anymore, has not for some time now, that Girija and the like might be released, but there is no telling they might not face corruption charges, which I am reading as code for saying they might be shifted from their house arrests to "proper" jails. You and the coterie are trying to do a replay of 1960, not because that is what the country needs, but because you lowlives do not know how to do anything else. Because you have only 10 fingers, you can not count up to the number 11. That happens to be your limitation.

The army was not demoralized by the democrats. The democrats never had the army, thanks to the pseudo democracy earned in 1990. But that mistake is not to be repeated.

Your newfound power must be intoxicating, because in one breath you manage to challenge major world powers like India and the US. Very few officials in the world give themselves that honor. I guess you are special, after all.

So you want Moriarty to invite you over for dinner? Why? The dinners at Narayanhiti do not cut it for you, or what?

You can not even stop a Maoist nationwide blockade, but you are going to go village after village and "crush" them militarily. I guess it is not your sons who are the foot soldiers in the Nepali army. This shows your total disregard for the hapless Nepali people who are getting "crushed." But then what can one expect from someone who does not "get" democracy! You do not get it that what the country needs is a political solution.

You are against talking to the Maoists. You are against talking to the democrats. I am not surprised. You come across as someone who spends most of his waking hours talking to himself.

My message to you is rather short. Restore all fundamental rights of the Nepali people, because those rights do not belong to you, they are the Nepali people's birth rights. Or face consequences. That light you see at the end of your tunnel is the train of democracy speeding towards you.
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