The King In Janakpur

The king showed up in Janakpur. There is this photo of him at the Janaki temple. And then there is this photo of him meeting with the "locals," all these dhaka topis.

He sure has been making the rounds.

East, west, now Janakpur. He might as well have started with Janakpur!

Bharat Mohan Adhikari And The Statue Of Liberty

I showed up to show him around town.

121 + 125 Photos.

I had a list of about seven places to go to. The top tourist sites in town. Obviously we were not going to be able to make it to all. Maybe only one, maybe two. The rest was going to have to be tomorrow. I had to end the tour in the afternoon. I had to be some place else. So I asked where he wanted to go.

"Statue Of Liberty."

"What about where the twin towers fell? Ground Zero? That is nearby."

"That too, but later. First Statue Of Liberty."

"We could start with a lunch here in Jackson Heights. Desi food, the kind we like."

"I can eat any kind of food. And I don't really need to eat now."

"You can see most of the city from atop the Empire State Building. But would you rather go first to see the statue?"

"Yes."

So the statue was the one item on the agenda today.

A September 16 Rally Controversy

As long as we are united for the cause of democracy, as we are, it is okay to disagree on the fine details. That cacophony is what democracy sounds like.

This is what I sent off when I hit reply all:

I think:

--- anyone may show up, Nepali or not
--- there is an organizing committee, and it is that committee's prerogative to decide who they will invite/allow as speakers, not that i know all on that committee; i would just hope they will be people with democratic credentials, and people from diverse backgrounds, ethnic, gender and otherwise; after all, we are not really struggling for a repeat of the bahun democracy of the 1990s, at least i am not; if the organizing committee is overwhelmingly bahun, it is for them to decide how they will respond on the diversity issue
--- to be honest with you, i think i should have been selected to be a speaker, but will show up for the rally nevertheless: (1) i was politically active at the national level before i came to the us (2) i am the only nepali who ever got elected student body president at a college in america (3) the democracy cause has been my near full time involvement since Feb, especially since i have moved to nyc http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/ (read widely in delhi, ktm, and the US) (4) i am the most vocal nepali on the madhesi-janajati-gender issues (5) i might be the only nepali active in local NYC politics http://democracyforum.blogspot.com/ (6) i am the only nepali anywhere who has presented a concrete peace plan in the form of a proposed constitution (at the blog)
--- fyi: bharat mohan adhikari is in town ... he is the most senior democrat to have come this way after 2/1 ... it might make sense to give him 5 minutes
--- the seven parties are leading the movement .... it makes no sense to say you want to go into space and then refuse to get on the space shuttle, there is no democracy sans the parties, if there is it is called "panchayat democracy."

A second email a few hours later:

Friends. We are putting into practice what we are struggling for. We want our compatriots back home to have the same. Our disagreements are okay. Airing them is just fine. That is the democratic spirit.

But we also have to stay united for democracy. We have to show up in large numbers regardless of what the short list of speakers ends up looking like. My personal show-up is unconditional.

Bharat Mohan Adhikari is not speaking. Sanjaya Parajuli is not speaking. I am not speaking. At least that is the picture right now. We should do the best to make the short list the best and the most inclusive. But whatever the committee decides on, I will respect, and I will do so with utmost enthusiasm.

I feel like I am "speaking" on a daily basis through my blog anyways. Text, audio, video. I'd love to speak for five minutes, but I don't have to. At first I did not even know there were going to be speakers. I thought we were just going to march.

I don't think we are the number one reason the king did not show: the Maoist ceasefire is. But we are also one of the reasons. We have already scored a victory. Although the king might have had his sweet revenge by making sure the crowd will be smaller than it would otherwise have been. Nepalis from across America were planning to show up. Many still might. But quite a few are going to now sit it out.

Our common cause is democracy. And showing up matters. That is primary. Who speaks and who does not is secondary. So show up, and do so in larger numbers.

Bahun Democracy

These people would rather not have democracy, than have an inclusive democracy. They want you to sweat over it. They want to move on the issue of social justice one small inch at a time.

Igniting The Imagination Of The Masses

So far the parties have not succeeded a whole lot. It is because they are refusing to work on the details of a political program.

The Real Royal Trap

What if the Bahuns keep refusing to take a look at my proposal for a program: Proposed Constitution ? And the masses do not show up. Months pass by. And the king holds municipal polls, and the turnout is 60%. Voters do not get hurt. Then what? I think the political class, the Girija Graduates, do not like the idea of not being able to distribute tickets for elections, do not like the idea of not being able to raise funds from rich businessmen, do not like the idea of having to make public their family property statements on an annual basis, do not like the concept of a total, transparent democracy. Only the monarchists are more obstinate than the Girija Graduates.

Brave Demonstrators

The photos keep coming in. People with blood on their faces, shirts. People getting arrested. These peaceful demonstrators are the frontline soldiers of democracy. The work that we do at this end is to extend moral support to them.

The King's Brinkmanship

This guy is a hardliner. He is playing you-first. He keeps raising the stakes.

In The News

• Maoists release all 60 Pili captives NepalNews
• Their Majesties return to Kathmandu Thousands of local people greeted Their Majesties at Rangabhumi ground. King Gyanendra keenly listened to the local people, inquired about their conditions and accepted flowers and garlands offered by them......
  
• Seven-party agitation continues, scores arrested
  
• Violence has come down by 90 percent: NHRC ..... the number of conflict-related violent incidences has come down by almost 90 percent over the last twelve days after the Maoists declared unilateral ceasefire. ...... incidences like individual murder and explosion had declined by almost 90 percent ..... urged the government to reciprocate the Maoist move by sending the soldiers back into the barracks....... at least 96 people were killed during overnight clashes at the temporary security base at Pili in remote northern district of Kalikot on August 7. 55 of those killed were security personnel.......
  
• Security situation has become somewhat better: King Kantipur He also pointed out that the protection of nationalism is the greatest work of all.
• Maoists used civilians in Pili attack: NHRC
  
• Refugee verification may start 'soon' In an agreement, Minister Pandey and Bhutanese Foreign Minister Khandu Wangchuk have agreed to resume implementation of all previous bilateral agreements and commitments vis-a-vis resolving the 15-year-old Bhutanese refugee problem
• Protests continue, over 100 detained
• US to continue arms embargo against Nepal
• NHRC urges govt to respond positively to unilateral truce
• Ban orders against civic meeting in Jhapa the local administration in Jhapa district has declared four major towns as restricted areas for civic meetings, rallies and sit-ins, with effect from Wednesday for two weeks, citing security reasons...... The Chief District Officer, Kapildev Ghimire said that stern action will be taken if the orders were not followed..... civic society members seem to be resolute on defying the ban and holding the civic mass meeting.
• Minister Dhakal among loan defaulters
• HDR 2005: Nepal progresses in human development Nepal in 136th position out of 177 countries based on its human development index (HDI) value.... In the South Asian region, Nepal falls just below Pakistan but far behind its two immediate neighbours China, ranking 85th, and India, ranking 127th. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have the highest and lowest HDI values ranking 93 and 139 on the index, respectively in South Asia....... two-thirds of Nepal's population has an income below two dollars a day, 0.74 million children are still out of school, 4.6 million Nepalese still lack access to improved water, and a whopping 14.8 million do not have any sanitation facility. .... the country's internal security expenditure had increased by two-fold in 2001/02 as compared to that in 1996/97, Pyakurel argued that security expenses were being made at the cost of social and economic services. ...... Pointing at the lack of political strategies to address the deep inequalities that have fuelled the insurgency, the report says the political response made so far has exacerbated the underlying causes of the conflict. "Citing overarching security imperatives, the royal government has instituted an absolute monarchy, undermining democratic institutions and outlawing mainstream politicians and human rights groups- prompting India and the United Kingdom to suspend aid" ........ The report highlights unity among all democratic forces as a more viable strategy to deal with what it calls "the very real security threats posed by the insurgency" and to develop a peace settlement that includes measures to reduce the deep inequalities driving the conflict.
  
• Over 500 protestors arrested Unlike earlier protests by the alliance, the parties today took out rallies from three separate corners of the city heading to the banned Ratna Park area...... Numerous protesters were caught in police baton charges. Among them Rajendra Dhutal, Mahesh Shrestha and Tilak Prasad Neupane of NC were seriously injured near the Old Bus Park.
• Pilli captives released the soldiers were released from Lamidanda of Jajarkot district this afternoon..... The soldiers' release was brokered by a team of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)..... The ICRC team on Sunday had reached Khalanga, the district headquarters of Jajarkot, to pressure the Maoists to free the captured soldiers.
• Police beat Nepal protesters with batons Miami Herald, FL
• 300 arrested at rally for democracy in Nepal Buffalo News, United States
• Nepal anti-king protesters injured Japan Today, Japan
• Hundreds detained after Nepal rally Aljazeera.net, Qatar
• Massive protests rock Kathmandu Indian Express
  
• Power Grab in Nepal: The Great Game in the Himalayas Samudaya.org, AZ
  
• In Nepal, police beat journalists covering protests CPJ Press Freedom Online, NY
• K. Singh Bam: A Nepalese Kerensky In The Making? Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand .....
  
• NEPAL: Over 500 arrested from seven-party protests in Kathmandu Asia Pacific Media Network, CA
• Nepal detains 200 after violent anti-king protests India Daily, NJ
  
• Pakistan tops South Asia in business reforms: WB report Daily Times, Pakistan
  
• Katrina Shakes Faith in US Around the World New California Media, CA
  

Video Blogging The Movement

I just saw this video clip at the Samudaya website: NSU 10th Convention, August 15-17 . This is just so amazing. I hope some of us are also going to video record the September 16 rally here in New York City. I hope many more events in Nepal get video blogged, especially street demonstrations.

Video blogging takes the movement to a whole different level. Events are not local anymore. You choreograph the event, you record it on video, and you put it online: people who were not there in person feel very much like they participated.

The world has to experience the movement for the movement to make maximal impact.

I mean, I am not particularly proud of the violence shown in the video clip. This is supposed to be a non-violent movement. Coming out into the streets for democracy is important. But it is also important to stay non-violent. Why? Because that is what is more effective.

Digital photos help greatly. But video blogging takes it to a whole different level.

Much Polarization

The king has tried the democrats' patience too much. And he not only has no remorse, he keeps on keeping on. There was a time when the king could have gone for a Constituent Assembly with the NC and the UML campaigning for a constitutional monarchy. That time is passe.

My efforts at peace went nowhere at the New Yorker hotel. The various factions are unyielding. And the king has to take the major blame since he is the one who can take initiatives for reconciliation but is not.

The movement is going to snowball over the next few months. And if it does, as it will, the Maoists will happily extend their ceasefire, if that is what it will take.

Unilateral Ceasefire

Such a brilliant move on the part of the Maoists. They need to pat themselves on their backs until they might ache. Brilliant politically and militarily.

Endgame

So if there is this major surge for a Democratic Republic, what will the end look like?

The king seems to think if the movement really gathers storm, he can always invite the party leaders for talks and then play mindgames with them. I think he is fooling himself. He does not have that option. Too much water has flown down the Bagmati since the last time he tried that and succeeded.

The Supreme Court could always revive the House. Then the king's regime comes crashing down. That is my preferred way. First knock off the RCCC. Then revive the House.

If that not be coming, the movement shows signs of turning into a full-fledged revolution, because the king has not shown one sign of yielding. He is marching to his own solitary tune. He could shun the world - a big if - but what about the domestic audience?

1. He is reduced to being a citizen and a businessman.
   
2. He loses all his property. Then do what?
   
3. He has to leave the country. Go where?
   
4. Worst case scenario.
   

What about the king? How could he turn up the heat? Does he have the option to impose martial law? He could always do the foolish thing, but if he goes that route, he might create a certain violent end for himself. Why would he want to do that?

The police and the army are not on his personal payroll. The king himself is on the Nepali people's payroll. There will come a point in the movement when the police and the army will desert the king. And then where does he go from there?

The other day I was in Jackson Heights. And there are all these diaspora Nepalis with personal contacts inside the army, and these are many senior officers, and the clear message from the officers is, you shoud not think of us as the king's men, don't count us out. The rumor mills are churning.

Journalists making small talk with some police officers facing the demonstrations reveal of at least some conversations where the officers are hoping the general masses will show up in large numbers and so there can be a quicker resolution.

I keep thinking, why is this guy so intent on limiting his options? What is he thinking? What is he trying to gain that he is so intent on losing all he has? Maybe he does not know any other way. Like the Robert De Niro character in the movie Heat.