King G And The Concept Of Democracy

The first thing to be noticed is a fundamental disconnect between words and action. The king has consistently paid lip service to the idea of democracy, but he and his underlings have fundamentally violated the very idea. Press freedom is just one example. Suspension of basic rights through ordinances another.

The second is regression. The king is for an activist, constructive monarchy, not a constitutional one. He wants what his elder brother and his father had. He wants to be at the center of it all.

The third is a childish attempt to redefine the very concept of democracy. As if the western nations don't get it either, and the politicians in Nepal definitely don't. It is as if he were playing a mindgame. Since it is 2005, you can not be for autocracy outright, so instead you mangle your nouns and verbs. It is true, democracy is slightly unique in each country, but the fundamentals of democracy and human rights are universal. Either they are there, or they are not. There is not much of a grey zone there.

The fourth is that he is not really fooling anyone. Not the foreign powers. Not the Nepali people. Only his yes men, the discredited individuals of a different era, are consuming his delusional propaganda.

All four points go on to show the king's grabbing of power is fundamentally illegitimate.

There is also an issue of competence. His "activism" has spread the insurgency from three to 70 districts. The overwhelming majority of lives lost to the insurgency has been after he became king. Those numbers have gone worse after 2/1.

As heir to the throne, it is understandable if he wished to save the monarchy. But the choice is between a full democracy and a republic for him.

Democracy has to be earned. In a way Nepal never really had democracy. And now it will have it. But that asks for a movement. And that is underway.

The king started out by trying to sell the terrorism rhetoric to the global audience. That backfired. Now he is selling the corruption rhetoric to the domestic audience. The Asian Development Bank has cleared Deuba's name, but the king thinks otherwise. And so you have a king who is competing with the Asian Development Bank!

And then there are outright lies. "..... throughout the history of over 200 years, the institution of monarchy in nepal has always been guided by the will and consent of the people ..... " "..... totalitarianism and authoritarianism are entirely inconsistent with the Monarchial traditions of the Shah Dynasty....." Oh, really?

Well then why is the king the biggest impediment to the idea of an interim government and a constituent assembly, something that will bring the civil war to an end? The people speak for the people, the king does not speak for the people.

In his February 1 speech, he is after not just the insurgency, but the entire democratic period after 1990. Meaning, he would have done the 2/1 thing also in 1995 if he were king. That is how much he understands and respects and wants democracy. I see a fundamental character flaw. If he were to seriously critique the 1990-2004 period, he would mention things like, well, all the roads that got paved, the vibrant media of the period. Measured in money terms, the royal corruption of expanding the royal budget 10-fold puts all the Congressia corruption to shame.

So no matter which way you look at it, in terms of lives lost, state money gulped down, and basic rights taken away, the dogged royal experiment has been an utter failure.

But then his recent Doha attack on "the decade and half" suggests he has no plans to usher back multi-party democracy on his own. At best he will hold elections if possible, but he does not intend to voluntarily walk away from center stage. In another country, it is called being Musharraf. That guy by now has several parliaments. And guess who shows up for peace talks on Kashmir: Musharraf!

On their part, the seven parties can speed things up by seriously reflecting upon the 1990s, offering fundamental reform in the way the parties work, and getting creative with the movement.

1. March 2004, Pokhara .... An inherent feature of the Institution of Monarchy is to be guided by popular aspirations .... History is testimony to the strong bond between the king and the people. This intimate relationship is also the cornerstone of Nepalese nationalism. This is the essence of the historical legacy of our great forefathers; this is the source of the distinctive Nepalese psyche. ..... Without wasting any more time on empty rhetoric, concrete measures must now be adopted to realise the Nepalese people's desire for good governance..... it is necessary to adopt, in the greater interest of the country and the countrymen, an attitude free of selfish interests, be they personal or collective....... Multiparty democracy can be consolidated and made meaningful only if national politics, guided by the people's aspirations and dedicated to their welfare, promotes peace, harmony and stability...... We believe that a corruption-free and pro-people form of governance, with elected representatives responsible to the nation and people, can be the basis for a bright and secure future. ...... We are hopeful that necessary cooperation will be forthcoming from all those who have faith in multiparty democracy, including political parties. .... Gorkha, famous as the place where the foundations of the Kingdom of Nepal and Nepalese nationalism were laid ..... let us pledge to develop our motherland into a prosperous state, with democratic norms and values guiding our perceptions and performance.
   
2. February 1, 2005 Even when bloodshed, violence and devastation has pushed the country on the brink of destruction, those engaged in politics in the name of the country and people continue to shut their eyes to their welfare. Tussle for power, abuse of authority on gaining power and unhealthy competition in fulfilling personal and communal interests at the expense of the nation and citizenry contributed to the further deterioration in the situation. There were attempts to flout the universally accepted rule of law in the name of politics. ..... Whereas all democratic forces should have adopted an unified approach against terrorism, leaders instead continued their tussle for power, encouraging simple political workers to vandalise public utilities in the name of politics...... Democracy and progress always complement each other. But, Nepal's bitter experiences over the past few years tend to show that democracy and progress contradict one another. Multiparty democracy was discredited by focusing solely on power politics. Parliament witnessed many aberrations in the name of retaining and ousting governments. Not a single House of Representatives was allowed to complete its tenure. Continuous confusion and disorder resulted in the obstruction of the democratic process. While the people's aspirations continued to be shattered and their trust trampled on, they became increasingly disenchanted with democracy itself. After being incapable of holding elections, there were conspiracies to form undemocratic governments, which would be responsible to no one. There was also a written consensus amongst all political parties on vacuuming the people's representatives out but they could not see eye to eye when it came to working together in filling this void...... We also met a number of times with members of the general public, senior citizens, representatives of the civil society and leaders of political parties in our effort to gauze the popular mandate and try to convince them of the country's requirements and people's aspirations. .... opportunities were given to leaders of various political parties to constitute the Council of Ministers, with executive power...... National politics was plagued by not uniting in running the government but opposing it on being ousted from it. .... The habit of passing carefree remarks on matters of national security continued. Political parties were unable to display responsible behavior in augmenting the patriotic fervour of our dutiful security personnel, who are active round the clock in ensuring security of the nation and people. Multiparty democrats could not sincerely unite, with national interest as the focal point, to forever end the cycle of devastation being lashed out against the nation and people. Likewise, political parties also could not identify national priorities in keeping with the people's aspirations...... parties who claim to represent the people do not act in their defence...... Nepal's independence, national unity and sovereignty are best safeguarded by the intimate relationship between the King and people. An Institution of Monarchy ever devoted to the country and people and a people with an innate love for their land is the glorious history of the Kingdom of Nepal, its present and also its future. In keeping with this glorious tradition, popular will as always remained the guiding light for Nepal's Monarchy. We are committed to social justice; totalitarianism and authoritarianism are entirely inconsistent with the Monarchial traditions of the Shah Dynasty....... no serious efforts were made towards initiating elections to the House of Representatives within the year 2061 B.S. .... time was wasted on paying only lip service on the urgency of holding elections...... Only a meaningful multiparty democracy can be an effective means of governance by the people. A successful multiparty democracy alone is synonymous with people's democracy. Such a system, which is people-oriented, mature, cultured and refined, has been disrupted......
   
3. Jakarta, April 2005 democracy, globalization, liberalization and a free market economy have been the standard-bearers of the 21st century ..... we must overcome them by forging a regime which is synergized by a spirit of sincere fellow-feeling for our collective interests..... the scourge of terrorism, and with it the spread of international terrorist networks, is a matter of serious concern for all of us today. nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. we call for a resolute international action plan against terrorism in every nook and corner of the globe. sustained international co-operation, including enhanced regional and global initiatives with strong support to national initiatives, is critical in dealing with terrorism. nepal, on her part, will fight it resolutely and responsibly....... the first thing to confront in writing or reading about terrorism is that it often escapes mention, yet it stands as a major obstacle to clear thinking, adequate discussion and objective analysis. one has to think about ugly events, horrifying actions that kill and maim unsuspecting people going about their daily lives. one has to focus on the terrible effects of death, injuries and destruction on those whose worlds and bodies are torn to pieces by senseless explosions. one has to reflect on the people who undertake such inhuman merciless actions, on those who design and plan atrocities actually hoping for deadliest of results. like the victims, like the survivors and like us, terrorists are also human beings. reflecting on terrorist acts is the stuff of blame and tears, raised voices and raised fists, sleepless nights and nightmares. precisely because it engages our deepest feelings and challenges our moral commitments, terrorism takes on a political potency rivaled only by war and by deep-seated ideological or religious differences....... a discarded ideology of an outdated era is sadly brainwashed in their formative minds ...... terrorism and the self-induced inability of the political parties and various governments to rise to the challenge of ever-emboldening terrorists were driving the country to the edge of a precipice. the nation, left with little choice, was compelled to take a decisive course. the decision we took on the first of february this year was in response to the call of our constitutional duty to prevent the nation from further sliding down to chaos and anarchy...... throughout the history of over 200 years, the institution of monarchy in nepal has always been guided by the will and consent of the people. our commitment to multiparty democracy, human rights and rule of law is total and unflinching.......
   
4. Doha, June 2005 Nations like men can be healthy and happy, though comparatively poor...... freedom, democracy and human rights have been sublimated by painful experience into international concerns. Democracy is a universal aspiration. So is freedom. So are human rights. A perusal of recent documents in South-South cooperation gives the impression that these values can be qualified. In fact that is not the case. We must wisely determine and discriminate that in a political system, there are three levels at which they are handled. The first is the level of values. No establishment, governmental or non-governmental, can be legitimate which denies or contradicts these values. The second is the level of institutions. As institutions have to evolve around men and conditions, they can only be approximations. While they have to be consistent with values, their practises have to be judged in the grey areas of the realm of reality and the pools of idealism. The third level is the level of deliberate and selective use of democracy and human rights for political purposes. Sadly, this is a fault in which both the countries of the South and the developed North are not free from....... My own country is a sad witness and a microcosm of how inequality, social and economic exclusion, poor governance, rampant corruption and non-delivery by various governments in the last decade and a half have been exploited by terrorists to fulfil their own agenda - an agenda already discarded and rejected by the world at large.......
   

Nepali Maoists, Bihari Maoists

Maoism as Mao propagated is an open book ideology. The goal is a one party state of communists achieved through violence. Is that what the Nepali Maoists are? Are they incapable of change? Incapable of an ideological transformation? The recent rampage of the Bihari Maoists in Champaran that is a copycat of what the Nepali Maoists do should ring some serious alarm bells. The operation was as if choreographed by the Nepali Maoist leadership. The Indian Maoists used to be two factions. Babura Bhattarai was instrumental in bringing those two factions together. That shows the level of coordination they have had in the past. There is no reason to believe that might have abated.

Does this one attack prove the Monarchists in Nepal right? No way. The Monarchists, with their distaste for freedom, are but a mirror image of the Maoists themselves. How can they be an alternative to the Maoist ideology?

I continue to think the three forces in Nepal should come together for an interim government and a Constituent Assembly that is preceded by a Maoist disarmament and the army put back in the barracks. The military option is not off the table, but the political option has to be fully exhausted.

Instead the Monarchists treat the Maoists like allies who helped them grab power from the democrats.

In The News

• Another former Nepal PM heads for India Hindustan Times, India while Koirala was looking for means to restore democracy in Nepal, former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa begins a 10-day visit on Friday to try to mediate between King Gyanendra and Nepal's opposition parties with India's help... six-time premier .... 20-year-old grandson Siddharth .... Siddharth is scheduled to meet Rahul Gandhi and efforts are on to fix appointments with other young Indian leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia...... Thapa's son Sunil, who works with the UN, will also accompany him.
• Rebel uprising leaves 21 dead along India-Nepal border Ireland Online, Ireland the first co-ordinated attack involving both Indian and Nepalese communist militants .... some 400 suspected Maoist rebels attacked a police station and two state-run banks in Bihar state’s Madhuban village .... Madhuban is 90 miles north of Patna, the capital of Bihar..... almost 100 Nepalese Maoists, fighting in the neighbouring country to topple the constitutional monarchy, were also involved ...... The Nepalese rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal has previously said that communist rebels from Nepal and India were in close contact, but no joint attack had been reported until yesterday.
• 29 killed in battle with Maoist rebels in Bihar Khaleej Times in Bihar’s East Champaran district, adjoining Nepal ... Security forces cordoned off the area and a fierce encounter with the rebels followed ..... At least 16 rebels were also killed in the encounter ..... At least three of them belonged to Nepal’s Maoist Communist Party, while the others were from the Maoist Communist Centre which operates across five Indian states.
  
• Champaran encounter ends; 10 bodies recovered Malayala Manorama an encounter, which ended late Thursday night ..... two beheaded bodies of extremists were also recovered..... Police seized two SLRs, one regular gun and 250 rounds of live cartridges from the site of the gunbattle
  
• Naxal rampage leaves 21 dead in Bihar Hindu the first coordinated attack involving both Indian and Nepalese communist militants .... a fierce, all-night gun battle ..... the authorities had launched a massive combing operation to flush out the Maoist rebels ... Indo-Nepal border along the district had been sealed and CRPF, Bihar Military Police, Special Task Force and district police contingents fanned out across East Champaran to raid suspected Maoist hideouts...... An additional company of CRPF has been rushed here from Jehanabad to assist in the combing operations..... around 1.30 pm .... looting six rifles, two carbines and a huge quantity of ammunition. ..... stormed the State Bank of India branch in the market complex owned by Singh and looted Rs three lakh .... then stormed the local branch of Central Bank and decamped with Rs eight lakh.
  
• US Ambassador warns Maoist victory in Nepal would create ... ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland "Next year will be absolutely critical for Nepal," said James F. Moriarty. "Within the next 12 to 14 months, Nepal is clearly going to be going down one of two paths. One is the path of reconciliation between the palace and the parties to come up with a functioning game plan to get the country back to democracy and also to deal with the insurgency." The other path is bleaker -- no reconciliation, increasingly large demonstrations in Kathmandu, and Maoist rebels destabilizing the situation with more violence, he said...... the best way to address the insurgency is through a negotiated settlement that brings the majority of the Maoists back into the political mainstream ...... the insurgents must believe they will not be able to win militarily...... "Should we give $2 million of security assistance this year or $500 million to refugee camps scattered throughout India in the not-too-distant future?" ..... The Maoists are expanding in the poorest, most corrupt areas of India that border Nepal. Maoist activity has grown from 30 districts to 170 districts in recent years.
• Maoists should be brought to mainstream - Nepal opposition party ... Monsters and Critics.com, UK Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that the Maoists and the political parties may stage a protest movement separately even if the immediate collaboration with the rebels is not possible...... He has also indicated that the rebels can continue with the armed struggle while the seven parties move ahead with peaceful protests against autocracy....... we can hit at the common enemy separately ...... the Maoists must give up their weapons during the election for a constituent assembly...... Nepal ruled out dialogue and agreement with the king until the parliament is revived to hold the election of a constituent assembly
• Nepal parties welcome Maoist view Monsters and Critics.com all forces have become converged against autocracy..... Bam Dev Gautam .... "Now the anti-autocracy forces have become centralized". ..... Amik Sherchan ..... "There will certainly be a unity between the Maoists and the movement. Environment for that will be created itself in the course of the movement"..... Dilendra Badu, a leader of Nepali Congress ..... said that the Maoists' view was partially positive and requested them to stop violence
  
• Massive Maoist attack in Bihar leaves the Govt stunned Newindpress a large number of Maoist guerrillas ran amok in East Champaran district which border Nepal reportedly killing up to 21 people.....the Maoists, apparently in hundreds, launched a massive onslaught on Thursday afternoon, virtually taking over the Madhuban block for hours...... attackers included several woman rebels dressed in military fatigues ..... attackers were from the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), which has close links with Maoist guerrillas in neighbouring Nepal..... the first time Indian Maoists ganged up in such numbers to stage a daring attack on government institutions, banks and the local treasury anywhere in the country since the Maoist movement broke out in 1967. Such attacks are common in Nepal...... Police officials could not explain how Maoist rebels entered the area in hundreds without setting off a major alert and had a free run..... over 300 Maoist guerrillas, including dozens of women in olive green military uniform, Thursday afternoon attacked the Madhuban bazaar, opened fire to create panic and set fire to the police station and block office, killing two policemen and a bank guard...... looted cash from a bank and attacked a petrol pump owned by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP from Sheohar, Sitaram Singh...... rebels exploded bombs, looted four rifles and ransacked the local branch of State Bank of India, Central Bank and local treasury as a part of their daredevil operation..... bombed the house of Sitaram Singh and his neighbour and looted cash and jewellery..... The Maoists did the looting for over 90 minutes without any police action..... One source close to the RJD leader said Nepalese Maoists were also involved in the attack.
  
• Seven killed as naxalites go on the rampage in Bihar Hindu, India setting fire to a police station, looting rifles, banks and the house and petrol pump of a Member of Parliament..... Police said they had shot dead at least four naxalites near Banjaria village, while they were moving into Sheohar district. The police also claimed to have arrested local CPI (Maoist) commander Ram Pravesh Baitha...... Additional forces, including those from the CRPF, have been rushed to flush out the naxalites. The State Government has sounded a red alert in the Champaran and Sheohar districts.
• Janamorcha Nepal Gen Secy Subedi released NepalNews
  
• 21 dead in joint Maoist attack in India: The Hindu NepalNews ..... An all-night gun battle ending early Friday involving Nepali and Indian Maoists ..... they tried to flee to Nepal
• New ordinance proposes King as chancellor of all the universities: Reports NepalNews the new university ordinance was being drafted with a view to making higher education more systematic and to stop politicization in the education sector...... Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma asked, “His Majesty is the chancellor of Tribhuvan University. Has it helped TU from becoming politicized?" ..... Dr. Min Bahadur Bista said the new provision is control-oriented and centralized in nature. (The thing is that) there is a need to decentralise and diversify the education sector as much as possible ..... law experts have cautioned against issuing ordinances—that last for only six months.
• Student organizations annonce stir NepalNews
• How Much Longer? Nepali Times King Gyanendra (driving black Jaguar) .... Within Nepal and outside many wished the king and parties would unite but the gap widened. The parties should have reinvented themselves to prevail but were marginalised by militarised forces...... Individually, the parties, king and rebels are incapable of resolving the crisis. But neither are they able to finish each other off. This is an indecisive deadend..... the parties ..still swear by a constitutional monarchy but are dragged by a radicalised cadre....... The king has emerged in the past five months as more of a ruler than a constitutional monarch..... His choice of ultraloyal technocrats rather than meritocrats to run the country prove he’s in it for the long haul..... The idea is to crush the Maoists, whatever the cost to the people and the economy. And in case the Maoists do look like they may win the king is convinced that the Americans, Europeans and Indians will step in to prevent it....... This may be why he doesn’t see talk of an alliance between the parties and the Maoists as a threat, and he seems in no particular hurry to find a resolution. The strategy seems to be to use the next three years to craft a polity that suits the role he sees for himself. All this is making even pro-monarchy moderates seriously worried
• From The Nepali Press Nepali Times Sharad Chandra Shah, Sachit Shamsher JBR, Bharat Keshar Simha and Dr Kesharjung Rayamajhi...... played an important role in mobilising Panchayat youth workers during the 1980 referendum and later. Shah’s trusted people from that period, Tanka Dhakal and Khadga Bahadur GC, are ministers today. Sharad Chandra Shah’s speciality is behind-the-scenes power-brokering....... ran a restaurant in Singapore. In 1997, he returned and was appointed to the Information Technology Commission...... Sachit Shamsher JBR is the brother of late Damodar Shamsher, the mysterious negotiator between the palace and the communists during the Panchayat....... served as ambassador to Burma in 1996 ..... instrumental in organising various public felicitations for King Gyanendra..... The Royal Council conference headed by Sachit Shamsher proposed that the problem could only be solved through the king’s direct involvement, which was opposed by the political parties...... those who consider Sachit Shamsher’s words to be the official line of the palace and the army....... Simha ..... has espoused monarchism and radical Hinduism...... “I will not accept a republic nor religious secularism even if it means death” ....... served as ambassador to Britain, and on return, worked his way up the WHF hierarchy....... Last year when the ‘anti-regression’ agitation by the parties were at their peak, he said in an interview: “A stick is not enough, we need a Jang Bahadur.” ...... Rayamajhi .. At a program organised last year by the king’s niece, he suggested, “It is important that the king form an advisory council under his own chairmanship.” And that is exactly what happened..... He even fought an election with his own party Janata Dal but lost. Even while he was chairman of the council he admitted he had advised in favour of the 4 October 2002 royal move........ Mohan Bikram .... Mohan Bikram has been talking from his hideout about the rifts in the Maoist leadership. The Maverick communist leader describes it as an indication of Prachanda’s “dictatorial style” and thinks many Maoist rank and file are now in danger from Prachanda loyalists. He says Baburam should have challenged Prachanda but seems to think that Baburam doesn’t have the fortitude. Mohan Bikram has been sharply critical of Baburam ever since the latter left his party to join Prachanda in the early 1990s but this time he appears to have softened. He thinks feudalistic and fascist tendencies are on the rise in the Maoist movement and he believes that Baburam’s life is in danger. He is surprised that Baburam was sent to India and suspects he may have bowed to pressure. He maintains the Maoists cannot win and reiterates his stand that the Maoists will one day unite with the monarchy. He thinks the Maoist overtures towards India are a part of an effort towards a soft landing under Indian mediation. He adds: “In this way, the Maoists are no different than the UML and NC which are always looking to Delhi for blessings. They are not revolutionaries anymore.” ..... Tulsi Giri ..... some even satirising the situation by collecting petty cash to help him pay back the loan..... A person I knew came to me and requested me to be a sleeping partner in his company. I agreed. .. until the bank sends me a formal notice, I don’t have to pay anyone anything on the basis of news published in the papers...... I sold my house and property two decades ago and left the country. I never thought that I would be involved in politics again....... this is neither a duck nor a chicken ..... the nation must be led towards the path that both the king and the nation want...... Haven’t you seen where the parties have taken the country? You wantto go that way? ... I have thick skin like a rhino, criticism doesn’t make any difference to me.
• Mindless Mistakes by Ashutosh Tiwari Nepali Times 234 Nepalis lost their lives to Maoists’ explosives (11 were killed by the army’s) in the first quarter of 2005..... the Maoists face little incentive to collect and inject diverse and independent third-party feedback into their decision-making process..... between February 1996 and April 2005, the Maoists kidnapped 34,014 Nepalis. Once in, the recruits are to dream of a future free of ‘class enemies’ but survive in the present through the use of force, extortion and violence. Their leaders keep the issues of ‘justice’ and ‘enemies’ vague so anyone can define them any way to justify any act of violence...... those who stray from the party are punished for being traitors and spies, all disagreements are crushed. The only thing that’s fit to grow is an ideologically homogeneous mindset that is hostile to information that contradicts its worldview...... such a mindset knows what it knows and doesn’t want to know any more. Ambitious recruits figure that the only way to get promoted is to start by increasing the enemies’ body count..... its business model is anchored by an insulated decision-making process that has violence on the default mode
• Death of an engineer by CK Lal Nepali Times For a nation numbed by recent slaughters in Chitwan, Kabhre and Kailali the suicide of Dinesh Chandra Pyakhurel went almost unnoticed. The self-annihilation of a water-supply engineer and top bureaucrat represented the state of society itself...... Regime instability fuels frustration among civil servants. After February First, governance has been arbitrary, amendments of laws through ordinances are commonplace. The constitution itself has been repeatedly re-interpreted to suit the interests of people in power. In the ensuing uncertainty, the moral-legal compass directing the behaviour of individuals has become non-functional. An authoritarian regime lurches towards anarchy without central control. The sight of this speeding monster is frightening to innocent bystanders but it must be even more apocalyptic for insiders...... Since the royal takeover, people unwilling to jump on the directionless train have got out of its way. Some journalists have lapsed into silence, other professionals have just given up and left. Several bureaucrats have taken voluntary retirement. Dinesh chose to take his own life...... The publicity machinery of ‘constructive monarchy’ has been running a concerted campaign to defame everyone with democratic persuasion. People with the strength of principles have taken the criticism in their stride but pragmatists have made peace with power and turncoats, as always, survive....... The RCCC is neither constitutional nor unconstitutional—it is extra-constitutional just like the regime that spawned it...... You can’t even bargain with it—a trading relationship implies equality...... It forces you to either prostrate or perish..... Throughout his life, the engineer worked on the assumption that two-and-two makes four. Dinesh found the arithmetic of life in the past two months too dissonant to bear...... appointment of the new chief justice .... A storm is quietly brewing within. When it bursts, no embankment will contain it.
• Let's Listen To Nilambar Acharya, Democracy Is Key United We Blog The reinstated democracy of 1990 was under attack from the Royal Palace, right from the beginning. Within 10 days of reinstatement of democracy the then King Birendra announced a constitution reform suggestion committee. The announcement agitated the public immediately..... When the new constitution was ready to be launched the Palace came out with a parallel constitution. It again had to withdraw its draft because of fierce protests from the public as well as from the Cabinet. Until then there was unity among the democratic political forces and that is why the Palace’s moves could not be successful..... Instead of realizing the weaknesses and the danger to democracy, each faction of the political parties tried to influence the palace and get its favor to gain an upper hand in intra-party or inter-party rivalries. The Palace was happy to manipulate such occasions and enhance its power whenever it got a chance. Finally a situation was reached when the King took over...... Journalists, lawyers and other professional organizations are already in the forefront of the movement...... Ambassadors of countries with which Nepal has diplomatic relations have come here with a commitment to respect the Constitution of Nepal. That Constitution guarantees multiparty democracy..... . The King has no right to give directions or speak against political parties. It is the rights of the people to criticize and elect political parties of their choosing. The King is expressing views against political parties inside the country as well as in international forums. This is a clear indication of autocracy..... Nilambar Acharya .. was arrested for a few weeks by King Gyanendra’s regime after 1 February
• The Rediff Special/Surendra Phuyal Rediff, India Delhi has suddenly emerged as a political and medical hub not just for Nepal's politicians, but also underground and 'Interpol Red-Cornered' Maoist leaders and emissaries, who finally appear keen on working together with the politicians...... Both leaders were welcomed and escorted by the exiled leaders of different Nepali political parties..... 'Even the Indian leaders have realised the fact that the Maoists are a political force. And this problem can only be resolved politically.' Hence, they 'urged me to take the lead' in initiating the process of reconciliation between the parties and the Maoists, and possibly the monarchy as well, he said..... Koirala also had a 'backchannel dialogue' with Maoist emissaries during his Delhi trip.... In Kathmandu, Koirala had made a clarion call to the rebels to work together with the democratic alliance 'for a new constitution, for new Nepal.'..... 'Our party has taken positively the call made by the seven-party alliance to restore peace and establish complete democracy,' Prachanda said in a statement this month.... caused substantial damage to basic physical infrastructures, and scared away tourists from visiting the country...... Information and Communication Minister Tanka Dhakal .... It would be against international norms if the political parties held talks with the Maoists on foreign soil, he added, referring to the recent meetings in Delhi between political party leaders and Maoist emissaries...... "Sooner or later, the parties have to come together and work on a new constitution, which should address the concerns of all sections of the deprived disenchanted Nepali people" ....Hari Roka, a political analyst and researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University..... Ministers in Kathmandu have been criticising Indian and Western envoys in Kathmandu for unnecessarily interfering in Nepal's international affairs...... To this, Delhi has made it clear that 'any attempt to encourage democracy in our neighborhood should not be construed as unwanted interference.'..... The Indian response is encouraging political parties to stand united for democracy and, subsequently, dialogue with the Maoist rebels ...... "Nothing is impossible," said Krishna Sitaula, Koirala's aide and chief of the Nepali Congress Organization Department, who just returned to Kathmandu from exile..... the king, whose advisors mainly include conservatives ..has been promoting the slogan: 'Monarchy for democracy in the 21st century!'...... The way Nepal will head in the days to come -- liberal republican, status-quo-ism,authoritarian/totalitarian
• It's now a Maoist jihad that makes India stunned Times of India, India
• Nepal's royal regime struggles to win international acceptance ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland ..... his government still faces its most difficult challenge - apart from the Maoist insurgency - of winning acceptance by the international community..... the elusive support from the countries that count the most for the poverty-stricken landlocked kingdom - the United States, Great Britain, West European countries and India - was still not forthcoming...... Nepalese army and police have floated tenders inviting bids to buy arms from the open market..... "I can understand the government-run newspapers doing what they do, but I can't understand the two privately run professional newspapers not adhering to journalistic ethics and working as handmaidens of the agitating political parties" ..... all ambassadors are now back in their offices in the Nepalese capital and are hard at work pushing their democracy agenda.... Gyanendra is seen by most to be firm and uncompromising. .... "I do not think King Gyanendra will make any compromises with political parties. He has a one track mind." ....
  
• Case filed against Nepal's child soldier recruitment policy:- Webindia123, India A rights organisation in Nepal has taken the government to court over two regulations that allow the recruitment of minors for its police and army. ...Nepal defended itself by saying it had stopped recruiting minors about five years ago and said the recruits were used as tea boys and cooks.... But Unicef officers say a child soldier is not necessarily one who carries arms. Anyone below 18 and found in barracks if he is not a member of a service man's family is a child soldier..... Once recruited when they are too young to understand what they are getting into the children are not allowed to quit..... The boys in the army are paid between Nepalese Rs.150-170 when according to the Labour Act formulated by the government itself, the minimum wage for a teen between 14-16 is Nepalese Rs.1,384 besides an additional allowance of Nepalese Rs.645......
• Koirala To Maoists: Support Parties' Agenda Kantipur Treasurer of NC Mahanta Thakur, member Krishna Sitoula, GP Koirala's daughter Sujata and nephew Dr Sekhar Koirala returned home on the same flight with Koirala. They had gone to India immediately after the February 1 royal takeover. According to party sources, leaders of other parties like Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) leader Hridayesh Tripathi, and NC (D) leader Pradip Giri are also returning to Nepal. NSP leader Rajendra Mahato's stay in Delhi may be extended due to his son's medical problem.
• Nepal Maoists join Bihar raid Calcutta Telegraph, India ... in an orchestrated attack managed through walkie-talkies ... The extremists poured into the hamlet, around 60 km from Motihari , from all sides around 1.30 pm and for the next one-and-a-half hours, had a free run of the place..... Singh, who is a terror in the region, had received threats from the Maoists earlier.... escaped with Rs 12 lakh in cash from the branches of State Bank of India and Central Bank of India, the cash-box of the post office and the treasury at the block office..... taken away an undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery from these houses...... The police claimed the Maoists used various modes of transport, including buses, jeeps and motorcycles. Many also reached Madhuban on foot...... This was a rare Maoist attack conducted in broad daylight. Nor did they ever choose so many targets simultaneously.
• 'Red army' from Nepal repelled Times of India Among the extremists were dozens of women. ...."One woman, presumably Nepalese, signalled an all-out, simultaneous strike. She blew a whistle and lobbed a bomb at the police station, signalling the beginning of the assault." ...... mayhem lasted all of 90 minutes ..... A detachment of the attackers later poured into the police armoury and emptied it of guns and ammunition..... As the Maoists fell back, a police party intercepted them near Banjharia. The fleeing band fired back at the police party, but managed to dodge them and flee towards Parsauni in East Champaran. .... There, the police party caught up with the attackers and engaged them again. This encounter lasted till 8 pm. .... The Maoists then split into three groups — one of which escaped towards Patahi in East Champaran district, another towards Champapur in Sheohar and the third in Bargania, Sitamarhi. ..... They decapitated the bodies themselves and took away the heads.
• India, Nepal Maoist launch joint terror The Statesman a clear indication of CPI (Maoist) attempts to create a Nepal-like situation in Bihar. .... attack triggered panic in the entire north Bihar bordering Nepal.... bodies of seven extremists, including that of Moiuddin Mian who founded the movement in North Bihar, have been recovered...... the CPI (Maoists)’s earlier proclamation to create Nepal-like situation in the whole of the country...... Soon after the merger of the MCC and the People’s War early this year the new group was later named the CPI (Maoist).
• Nepali Maoists Deny Involvement INSN in the attack in Madhuban area of Bihar, India. In an interview to www. krishnasenonline.org, a pro-Maoist website, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, spokesperson of NCP (Maoist) clarified: ‘We have no involvement in the Bihar clash and that is not our Party policy’. This statement is quoted by the Maoist’s party website, www.cpm.org. Mahara also termed ‘[the false statement as] a conspiracy against Maoist by national and international reactionary force’, according to Krishnasen online.
• Awarding India UNSC Seat? Think Twice Telegraph At best India's growing dreams to keep her neighbors in an all time alarm could be described as India's "inferiority complex" the medicine of which only Pakistan possesses.