Friday, August 26, 2005

Mohi Magne, Dhungro Lukaune


I am the only person I know of in the democratic camp who has proposed a strategy, a protest program that can be put to work to succeed regardless of what the king does or not, what the political leaders do or not: Project Take Over Tundikhel: Draft 1 (August 8). My democratic credentials are second to none.

Every leader in the democratic camp has now come around to the idea of a Constituent Assembly. That is to say there is a broad agreement the 1990 document is dead. But I am the only one who has actually come up with several different drafts of a proposed constitution, those that retain a constitutional monarchy, and those that don't. My democratic credentials are second to none and they are of the creative, forward-thinking kind.

I am the only vocal, consistently visible person in the democratic camp who, right after 2/1, reached out to the Maoists with a proposed common minimum program of a Democratic Republic. So I am not someone who can be pinned down as a Monarchist, not exactly. (Sought eDialogue with Dr. Baburam Bhattarai)

Those are my credentials, and in the spirit of total, transparent democracy, they are like an open book right here at this blog.


My current proposals are to do with the king's visit to New York City around September 16. I started out by suggesting that although we should make the planned protest programs a grand success, we should make every effort to possibly meet the king and hold a dialogue.

I would like to expand on that. I think it should be more than one meeting. I am not sure of all the details of how long he will be staying, but if it is for a few days, why not take him around? To a few different cities. Arrange for him to meet as many Nepalis as possible. Why not?



Of course, I don't want to do too much homework on that right now, because I have not heard of anything from the royal camp that they might be interested, or that they even know we exist! Or that they know we are in the middle of this conversation.

But if it be forthcoming, I think we should take it.

It is the strategy of the democratic leaders in Nepal to convince the king to come around to their four-point agenda. Their strategy is not to bypass the king. And we are to just aid their efforts. How can you have such a strategy and then say you don't even want to meet the king! You don't want to meet the person who is central to your strategy of bringing back democracy in the country? That's a major contradiction, don't you think?

What do we have to lose through dialogue? Nothing. And we have much to gain.



What about conducting an open dialogue? Something that gets recorded in a video format, and then gets posted online? We make our case. And we listen to what he has to say.

For now I too think our total focus ought to be on the logistics of the protest programs. Because we are sure that is to happen. The dialogue is a small idea right now and only within our camp.



The biggest reason I am for dialogue is because I am a strong proponent of dialogue with the Maoists. And those possibilities are hard. Ours are much easier. If we can't do the easy version, what rights will we have to complain the hard work is not being done by those living and working under less favorable circumstances?

And as for George W. not meeting the king, that is his prerogative. But that does not influence me one way or the other on the topic of possibly meeting with the king. I spend much more time thinking about Nepal than George W. does. I take it for granted I know much more about the dynamics in Nepal than George W. Besides, he is not exactly my role model.

So I say, let's meet with the king if possible.


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Thursday, August 25, 2005

Protests





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