Phone Marathon II

I called up Ram Baran Yadav. He is from Janakpur. He has been exiled in Delhi for the past month and a half. After 2/1 15 army personnel came to his residence in Kathmandu. But he was in Janakpur at the time. Some of his contacts within the police told him as long as he did not participate in any "activities" he should be fine. Krishna Sitoula and Mahanth Thakur had already made plans to move out of the country. Yadav proceeded to Sitamadhi. He did not want to leave. But he was cut off from leaders in Kathmandu. It was decided that some people will proceed on to Delhi, others will stick around in the border towns.

Girija Babu came out. His message for the likes of Yadav has been to "not return until I tell you. Stay put." Over 2000 Nepali Congress workers got arrested. Most of them are still under arrest. Others from the UML, RPP, Sadbhavana who are on record speaking for republicanism and constituent assembly have not been released.

We are for full democracy. We want the king to be a constitutional head, nothing else. We have been for constitutional monarchy for 60 years now. But the king is not for it. The king is not for democracy.

Girija Babu wants all his workers to be released. He is still giving space to the king, Yadav said. But he has also said "or else." That is code for republicanism.

The Maoists are violent.

I see the following steps. (1) Revive parliament. (2) Form an all-party government. (3) Hold talks with the Maoists. (4) Go for a Constituent Assembly or a referendum.

The movement will be launched on April 8. Our policy is to watch and wait. The movement has been gaining strength.

Some people from all parties will go with the king, from Deuba's party, some from RPP. But over 80% of the people in all the parties are for Full Democracy. The first step is to get the emergency lifted. We want a total democracy, whether or not the king is part of it.

Girija Babu has been an isolated person. He has had only one day to catch up with all he was deprived of for two months. Give him some time. But he has already spoken.

This king was the leader of the Bhumigat Giroha during the Panchayat era, according to his own then Prime Minster Surya Bahadur Thapa. He himself has said many times he wants to be an Active, Constructive Monarch. For 12 years people like him have been destabilizing democracy in the country. Then there was the palace massacre. I am not saying this king did it, or that the official story is correct. I just don't know. But I do know what the people are saying about it. There is great distrust. This king has been doing the divide and rule thing ever since he got onto the throne. He is your typical Third World Dictator. In the name of good government, in the name of security, he proceeds to murder democracy.

I asked him what truth there was to the allegation that the Congress was very corrupt during the 1990s, and that was the reason democracy failed. Yadav said corruption is not the reason democracy failed. Nepal has an extremely difficult physical terrain. There is great poverty. Some NC people did make mistakes. But democracy was destabilized by the palace. Democracy was not allowed to take roots. Look at India: 60 years of democracy. It is a slow, steady process. But democracy is self-correcting. During 12-13 years, there was some fault to the parties, but that is not the reason the country is without democracy today. Italy had 50 governments in 50 years, but is part of G8.

Three parliamentary and two local elections were conducted. There was no bloodshed. Participation was 70-80% in the local elections. And it kept going up in the parliamentary elections. The Raja-Rana had 236 years. What did they do? We did more in 12 years in terms of the overall development of the country. Look at how much work was done in terms of infrastructure.

Our party has given the king 60 years. But the king has constantly betrayed us. In 1980 the referendum got rigged. Then we had 1990. Again look at 2005. The king has to take responsibility.

I asked him if the Nepali Congress should take some responsibility for the Maoist insurgency, that because it did not tackle poverty in the remote areas, it did not provide political outlets for the Janajatis. Yadav said he had personally contested three parliamentary elections and won two of them. And during the course of the elections he had been all over the country. Perhaps no other country in the world has such difficult terrain. Even in India, look at the North-East. There is not much development. But slowly progress is being made.

The root cause of the Maoist insurgency, Yadav said, is their ideology, their principle. They are radical. They use weapons. They are exploiting the fact that people are poor and uneducated.

Even in India, 60-70% of the states have made great progress, but then there are 30-40% that are lagging behind, like Bihar, Assam, Nagaland.

This king is a hardliner. He has never been for democracy. Birendra compromised, but this king is different. He just does not want to become a Constitutional Monarch. His tendencies are dictatorial. He is going against mass opinion, he is going against world opinion. That proves he is a dictator, and he will not last long.

We, on the other hand, are for the democratic principle. We should unite. We are ready for battle. We are for the people, we are for the country, we are not for the king. The king might have to go.

I asked him if he believes the Maobadis when they say they are for a multi-party framework. Yadav retorted, they keep changing statements. We, on the other hand, have been for a Constitutional Monarchy and Multi-Party Democracy for 60 years now. We have the people's trust. It is for them to earn the people's trust. That is not my responsibility. We believe in people power. They believe in gunpower. They should not just make statements. They should also exhibit the same in behavior. Our workers should be allowed to freely roam in their areas. They should stop killing our workers. Some of my workers from Rukum came recently. There still are Maoist extortions in Rukum.

He said the Maoists are on record they will accept the king as a titular head.

The Maoists' fight should have been with the state. But they have been fighting the people. They have been destroying infrastructure. They have been killing people, workers of other parties. Instead of fighting the state, they have damaged the parties more. The Maoists are quite responsible for where the country is today. The Maoists have aided and abetted the regression.

I will leave the party, but I will not split it, Yadav said, I am not that kind. The people give me a mandate to go and stay with the party for five years in the parliament.

I asked Dr. Yadav about the Sadbhavana. He said it is a regional party. It is not in 75 districts. Because of democracy, it became possible for the Sadbhavana to say what it said. How can I oppose their calls if they might speak for the people? I am a Madhesi myself. I support the people's sentiments. I asked him about federalism. And he said the Maoists are for it as well. The idea was under study. But democracy first, federalism second, he said. Hen first, egg second. I am personally not against federalism, he said.

I also called up Sujata Koirala. She was in good spirits. She said the people do not want the king, can not stomach the king no more. Full Democracy is the party's stand. At the present, that is where the majority opinion is. It is not about how I feel personally, it is about where the majority of the people are.

Let's revive the parliament. And then let's organize a referendum or go for a Constituent Assembly. Let the people decide. But we can not have the Constituent Assembly before the parliament. The elections will get rigged.

The king will go. The parties are capable.

The king now has about 10 days to restore the parliament. Starting from April 8, there will be widespread protests.

I asked him about Girija Babu's health, and she said he seems to be doing fine. Some people say he spoke too soft. But he said he is for Full Democracy. You have to understand many of his friends and workers are still under arrest.

The Maobadis are thugs, like the king. They have to exhibit good behavior if they want any trunk with us. They should say no to violence. They should stop killing the people and the party workers. They should come up with new programs, apologize for past misdeeds and talk in terms of rehabilitation for the families they have disrupted. Making statements for multi-party is not enough, they should show that in their behavior.

I do want to go back to Nepal as soon as I can, she said. I had already bought my ticket yesterday. But "Girija Babu" said not to come, that 5-6 of us should stay put outside. The king is still where he is. What if we go back and he gets all of us arrested? Then who will create the international pressure that has been so effective so far? The king has been internationally isolated. He is falling on his own. I heard there are big fights going on as we speak between the Maoists and the army. Major bloodshed. The army is on the run. Trucks are not moving.

What was the king thinking? He is going down. He is taking the country down with him. We don't even have to speak. The king is going down on his own.

Tripathy has moved closer to home, she said, still in India, but closer to Nawalparasi.

She says she has made major tours along the border, calling up workers, giving them instructions, boosting morale. She was getting ready to go to the western border, but then yesterday happened.

I inquired about her health. She said she has been under major tension, and was even in bed rest momentarily, but that she was doing fine now. Being on the move means you don't get to eat right.

Krishna Sitoula was in a hospital bed when I called him up; with a "throat problem, a diabetes problem." He said a republic is possible. It is not just this king, but every king since 2007 B.S. has been a hindrance. Democracy is not possible as long as the king is around. Stability is not possible. Poverty alleviation is not possible. The poorest country on earth has a king who pays himself a larger salary than the President of the United States.

It is king versus people, autocracy versus democracy.

After the palace massacre, when Birendra's entire family got uprooted, monarchy no longer exists in the hearts of the people.

We have always been for a Constitutional Monarchy. But looks like circumstances have to change for a change in such an opinion. We are having to rethink. The sentiment has been changing fast all over the country. After the takeover no party has been able to hold a Central Committe meeting. The phones are not working right. Phones are being tapped. There is press censorship. Thousands are still under arrest. Madhav Nepal, Amik Sherchan are still under arrest. Girija Babu's first priority is to get everyone released. After that, the second step will be to forge a unity among the parties for a Total Democracy.

I got to talk to Girija Babu, Sitoula said. He has been standing firm.

Sitoula has been seriously studying the Maoist's statements. But progress will be made during formal talks. Not during informal talks. Can't trust them until then, he said. Their political issues will have to be addressed. They need to stop their violence. They need to stop destroying and looting property. They need to stop going after political workers. They should allow our workers in their areas by creating a climate of fearlessness.

So far the communication has been through statements. We put something out. They put something out. But there has not been any direct communication. They call some key leaders sometimes, but they do not give you a callback number.

There are five of us here in Delhi. Dr. Shekhar, Dr. Ram Baran, Mahantha Thakur, me, Sujata Koirala. I should be able to leave the hospital in a week.

There has been a lot of global support. The king has been condemned by the world.

We get excited when you call, Sitoula said!

In The News

• Fear, Ennui and Doubt Underlie Calm in Nepal's Capital New York Times In the din of the old market square came the illicit rumblings of dissent.... straggled up the narrow alleys in ones and twos...... Nepal midway through the king's self-declared 100 days of emergency rule ..... vast swaths of territory turn into no man's land, a disquieting calm prevails in Katmandu .... a collective uncertainty about the future ..... What the king will do to restore law and order remains a mystery. If he has a plan, it has not been revealed .... "Uncertainty is what authoritarian regimes want, because that makes them indispensable," said C. K. Lal, a newspaper columnist. "People think this regime cannot last, but they don't know who is going to replace it....... a surge in extrajudicial killings ..... impossible to know who had been killed where ..... He pointed out his office window at a hill that marks the boundary of Katmandu Valley. "You go over a path, and a new country begins," he said. "Anything can happen to anybody." ..... younger rank and file, are increasingly talking about overthrowing the monarchy ..... "He has put his throne on the line," said Sharat Chandra Shaha, a prominent businessman and one of the king's confidants....... It has repeatedly said that it would welcome help from China, though no public offers have come....... Political protests no longer snarl traffic. The rebels have not set off bombs in the capital...... The king's chief strategy has been to raise the specter of his enemies. The Maoists are a disease, said Tulsi Giri ....... the king will not be able to crush the Maoists by military might alone. Nepal has a young and traditionally ceremonial military, and much of its energy today is spent guarding the capital, the provincial headquarters and the main roads around Katmandu..... Maoists have lately invited politicians to work in their areas, and guaranteed their safety....... The king has begun to institutionalize changes that are likely to outlast emergency rule ...... palace has created a panel to manage the work of the National Human Rights Commission ...... local elected officials have been scrapped for government appointees ..... "They might come and arrest us also just for gossiping," Kumari Lama, 18, said.
• The Wangchuk wagon to democracy Times of India ....the end of a century-old absolute monarchy ..... this little outpost of gross national happiness ...... "guided democracy" while fiercely guarding the unique culture and lifestyle of Bhutan .... In 1998, he handed over executive powers to an elected council of ministers ..... create a two-party state for the first time .... The 34-article constitution, which will be the shortest in the world, will be distributed by the monarch to over five lakh Bhutanese for a referendum later this year. A 39-member drafting committee headed by the chief justice — including the speaker of the National Assembly, two members of religious bodies and one elected member from each of the 20 districts — studied the constitutions of more than 50 countries....... He brought Internet and TV to Bhutan in 1999 and restricted the number of foreign visitors..... The highest mountain in the country cannot be climbed lest the spirits are disturbed. ..... the king himself epitomises the dignity of the simple life, living in a cluster of log cabins in the middle of a pine forest ... He has turned down requests from the National Assembly to build him a royal palace. ..... "Gross national happiness (GNH) is more important than gross national product," said the king, because "happiness takes precedence over economic prosperity in our national development process". GNH is an official policy of the kingdom, having been endorsed by parliament.....
• Koirala urges King to restore democracy New Kerala, India “The king by imposing the royal regime in the country has violated the people’s rights. This is against the law and the constitution” ..... “Whatever steps the king has taken, I can say that it is wrong what the King has done” ..... no motive justified the King’s move ..... “The king must restore the dissolved parliament and form an all-party government to hold peace talks with the Maoists that will end the current problem” ..... “The civil liberties be restored and emergency is withdrawn then only I can be able to speak about it. Let a full-fledged political atmosphere be created here first then alone I can be able to speak. I will talk to all political leaders here and also to my colleagues and then we will decide what we will do next” ..... Communist leader Nepal remains under house arrest.
• Koirala vows democracy drive Calcutta Telegraph “The Nepali Congress will continue to be independent of both the king and the Maoists” ..... “We will launch a satyagraha after holding consultations with other political parties who are also opposed to the royal takeover.” .... “The king should work wisely. We want complete democracy, which means the king should remain the constitutional head and nothing else,” he said while reiterating that his party continued to favour constitutional monarchy...... “The king has breached his agreement with pro-democracy forces at the culmination of the people’s movement of 1990.” ..... Congress leader insisted that there is no possibility of his party teaming up with Maoists to unseat the king. ..... He also called for restoration of Parliament, saying it would be the first step towards resolving the Maoist problem.
  
• Koirala vows to carry forward stir Times of India Koirala vowed to mobilise all political forces to launch a widespread agitation .....
  
• REGION: Former PM calls on king to restore democracy Daily Times
• Man who probed Koirala is CCRC spokesman Himalayan Times, Nepal
  
• Nepalese politician says Royal Nepalese Army committing violence ... New Kerala, India "On one side there is army and on the other there are Maoists. Right now the Maoists are not indulging in violence, but the army is conducting all violence there because the king does not want to solve the Maoist problems so that he can keep getting arms supply and become more powerful" ...... "The Maoists should come forward and join the mainstream. They should join democracy, they should stop violence and we will support them. We have to fight together against the atrocities of the king" "Pakistan should not be supplying arms. A dictator governs our country, people are locked in jails and in this atmosphere supplying arms would only strengthen the king. Now America has said that they will talk to Pakistan on this issue" ..... Analysts say Kathmandu was unlikely to further upset India
• Nepal computerizes ID process Xinhua ... all set to computerize the process of issuing citizenship certificates (IDcards) in seven more districts by July 15 .... will ensure prompt services and encourage people from acquiring citizenship .... the number of people who have already taken the certificates stands at over 12.51 million with the total population put at over 23 million in the country
• Crown Prince inaugurates Radio Nepal function Gorkhapatra inaugurated the 55th anniversary function of Radio Nepal .... letters of appreciation to the three leading advertising agencies for the current fiscal year. .... inspected with keen interest the studio building of Radio Nepal. .... Minister for Information and Communications Dhakal said as the media have a big role in controlling terrorism and restoring peace and security in the country the media persons should respect the popular sentiment and consolidate their voices against terrorism. ...... Stating that the people have experienced huge relief in just two months following the historical, courageous and popular step taken by His Majesty the King, Minister Dhakal said the confidence and trust of the general Nepali is on the rise, happiness has prevailed, spate of murder and violence is on the decline and thousands of terrorists are surrendering with remorse over the sin and crimes committed in the past while the terrorist group weakens due to internal conflict among themselves. ..... present government is moving ahead with the target of making the country beautiful, peaceful and prosperous....... separate transmission of the local news transmitted from the capital has begun from the five development regions starting today
• Mixed response for Nepal strike; Maoists vandalise buses New Kerala, India .... traffic was thin on highways ...... security forces providing escorts, including air patrol, to vehicles ..... Maoist rebels vandalised three public buses on the Prithvi highway, the busiest road in Nepal ..... Life remained normal in Kathmandu valley despite the Maoist strike as private cars, taxis, public buses and trucks plied without any obstruction. ..... With stepped up security arrangements a number of vehicles entered the Thankot check post defying the Maoist strike, police said.