It just occurred to me in a flash. I was slowly waking from a nap, and it occurred to me. Girija Koirala's House revival stand that has been the one constant in his life since 2002 is nothing to do with 2002, it is to do with 1960.
When Mahendra murdered the parliament and, with it, democracy in 1960, he did not invoke any constitutional clause, he did not offer any political logic, he did not first invite BP for a dialogue or a debate. He just did it, with brute force.
Girija Koirala wants to get even. He wants the House revived by sheer magic for magical reasons. Forget what is and what is not in the constitution, forget the political reasons for and against, he is saying. Forget all that, forget them all.
There is this scene in the movie Apollo. The astronaut looks down from his space ship through its tiny window towards the earth. At the same time his wife back on earth looks out and up her window. They make this brief eye contact.
BP is looking down at Girija from the sky. Girija is looking up.
Democracy is political logic. But these two Koirala brothers turn democracy into a love equation. I don't think there is another example like them anywhere else in the Global South, the so-called Third World. They stand to inspire every other country that is still deprived of this beautiful thing called democracy. Democracy is the best gift a people can get. Koirala is a brand name, and it is an export item. Billions today are still deprived of democracy on the planet. The democracy message of BP Koirala was cutting edge half a century ago. It is cutting edge today.
Nepal gets to export Buddhism and democracy, both.
My eyes have gone wet with this insight. Girija is refusing to let go of BP. If there is a line between one brother's love for another, and a political career dedicated to democracy, that does not exist between these two Koirala brothers. To them one is the other.
Gyanendra is not Mahendra, but he sure has been trying his best to imitate Mahendra. Gyanendra and Mahendra are the same tendency. The institution of monarchy has to pay for 1960.
It was Deuba who dissolved the House in 2002, it was not Gyanendra, but who cares? A prime minister in a parliamentary democracy retains a right to dissolve the parliament, but who cares?
This is not about dry facts of a certain day, a certain act. This is not about the constitution. This is about history, this is about the ideal of democracy, this is about magic. This is not about vengeance, this is about justice.
Democracy has to be given birth to, once and for all, and Tulsi Giri has to be put on trial, and he has to be put behind bars. When you drive faster than the speed limit, you get a speeding ticket, because speeding is illegal. Murdering democracy has to be wrong and illegal many many times over. Tulsi Giri has to answer for 1960, he has to answer for BP. In a country's history, 45 years is a blink of an eye. 1960 is not that far back in time, or we would never have heard of Tulsi Giri again, but we did. It is Gyanendra's service to the country that he brought Tulsi Giri back. Now Giri does not get to leave. He ends up in jail. He has too much to answer for.
I also just learned my article on Girija Koirala is the first thing that shows up when you do a web search on his name: I am flattered.
Democracy For Nepal (DFN): Phone Talk With Girija Koirala: Meeting ...
I got to talk to Girija Koirala earlier, not long back. ... My first sentence to
Girija Koirala was “To be able to talk to you feels like having entered a ...
demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/2005/
On The Web
BPKIHS >>Homepage
About BP Koirala
Nieuwe pagina 1
BP KOIRALA (The story of Bisheshor Prasad Koirala) : PRESENTED BY ...
Nepal Home Page
National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)
1st National Oncology Conference - BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Himal Books - BP Koirala’s Atmabrittanta
Democracy For Nepal (DFN): Phone Talk With Girija Koirala: Meeting ...
NEWS
Comments on: Nepali Congress Show in Biratnagar
Headline The Telegraph - Weekly (Nepal)
NEPAL: The King makes yet another move to get the political ...
The Hindu News Update Service
'Democracy For Nepal (DFN)', related links and additional (meta ...
International Nepal Solidarity Network » Dr. Tulsi Giri: Either ...
Nepali Times | Issue 101 | Somewhere in Nepal | Where are you ...
Nepali Times | Issue 266 | Guest Column | Tulsi Giri speaks out
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal » Blog Archive » Tulsi Giri ...
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal » Blog Archive » Letter to ...
Blogdai: Tulsi Giri Out!
NEPAL: Illegal arrest and forced disappearance of four persons in ...
Nepal strikes back: India slammed : HindustanTimes.com
Nepal Home Page
Political Leaders: Nepal
King Mahendra Trust For Nature Conservation
BIOGRAPHY OF KING MAHENDRA BIR BIKRAM SHAHDEV
King Mahendra
Nepal - The Panchayat System under King Mahendra
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF KING MAHENDRA TRUST
Mahendra of Nepal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nepal - The Panchayat System under King Mahendra
Annapurna Area Project and King Mahendra Trust for Nature ...
Gyanendra of Nepal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
TIMEasia Magazine: King Gyanendra: Extended Interview
TIMEasia Magazine: "It's a Question of Survival"
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Profile: Nepal's King Gyanendra
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Profile: Nepal's King Gyanendra
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Nepal king's biggest gamble
Nepal Home Page
COVER STORY (Spotlight Weekly)
King Gyanendra’s Promises Are Waning Fast - Worldpress.org
Nepal/Bhutan Gyanendra (King of Nepal) News - Media Monitoring ...
King Gyanendra
In The News
Nepali Congress Leader Girija Prasad Koirala Released United We Blog, Nepal
NC(D) Leader Calls for Nonpayment of Taxes Himalayan Times, Nepal
Monarchy Will Step Down By Mid-February: MK Nepal
Alliance showdown in Janakpur
A few remarks on the general convention of Nepali Congress ... United We Blog, Nepal
Facing The Electorate Gorkhapatra, Nepal
UNDER MY HAT Nepali Times, Nepal
Indian Envoy Meets Nepal, Koirala Himalayan Times, Nepal
Mukherjee meets Nepal, Koirala Kathmandu Post, Nepal
Koirala Talks of Compromise with King on Reconciliation Day NewsLine Nepal, Nepal
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