Saturday, August 20, 2005

The Two Extremes



If you think about it, both Rebel Baburam and King Gyanendra are fairly smart people. Neither fall within my ideological domains, that's there. But when you evaluate them within the parameters both have chosen to operate in, sharpness of mind is obvious. That is particularly true of Baburam.

Baburam is intellectually gifted like few Nepali politicians are. I have always trusted him to steer clear of dogmatism, and he has not disappointed. His free flowing criticisms of Stalin should give people hope. This is no Pol Pot wannabe. Most communists tend not to be original: they put me off like right wing Christians do. But Baburam has managed to retain his originality to an extent despite his considerable mental training in Marxist thought.

King Gyanendra might be the Michael Corelone of his family, not the eldest brother, but the cleverst, the most deft with power. He sure outmaneuvred the democratic bunch. And the coup was executed with finesse.

And he keeps on keeping on. He has stood to all global powers that there are, often with brazen contempt. I don't think that is particularly wise long term, but it does make you notice.

It is hard to point a similar figure in the democratic camp as these two. That is comic, but that is also tragic.

It is a curious Nepali dilemma that these two are at loggerheads. The struggle is fierce and it goes on.

Hopefully the vital democratic center will rejuvenate itself and claim its rightful place. Understanding these two individuals might be key to such a democratic success: their ideological paradigms as well their pesonal qualities.

In The News
at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)