Editorial»
To be or not to be
JAN 19 - To be or not to be. This Hamletian question currently haunts the political parties and their affiliate students’ organisations on the question of future of monarchy in the world’s only Hindu Kingdom.
They are in two minds, at least that is what comes to the fore on the institution of monarchy: whether to go all out against it or carry on the largely symbolic protest against the monarch which is less likely to affect him. Or else what could explain the confusion surrounding such a serious issue which surely contains the kernel of far-reaching ramifications for the country.
As far as the students are concerned, they have been very vociferous in their demand for the republic and have vandalised quite a few vehicles in the course of their protests nationwide, prompting the Royal Nepalese Army to come to a ready conclusion that the Maoists and its student affiliate, All-Nepal National Independent Students’ Union, have infiltrated the agitation.
This is a groundwork for crackdown on the students’ protests should the things get a little hotter and the by the current look of it, this is not unlikely. Do not be surprised if the army cracks its whip on the students (read more bullets and boots) if the latter do not call off their agitation. The excuse of the Maoists’ infiltration will come in handy in such a situation.
But the students, apparently, are in no mood to relent. Some student leaders have also warned their (mother) party bosses to support their demand for a republican setup. However, even they are not so united in their demand. So we see the occasional statements from them on retaining constitutional monarch.
Their dithering is understandable since they cannot fully operate independently and the party bosses are just allowing them only that much yard which they hope will help them corner the king and compel him to “return sovereignty to the people”. How the students are taking this blow hot, blow cold attitude of the parties is not known but they are not happy.
The media have prominently covered the students’ protests, and this has only bolstered them and they are becoming more and more aggressive. It will be interesting to see if the king’s meetings with the party leaders (more are likely) will result in the withdrawal of the student protests. Since the current demand of the protestors on the streets is nothing less than a republic, I am really curious to know what argument will be offered for the calling off of the agitation.
Two of the leading parties fighting against King Gyanendra’s penchant to rule by proxy, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, have come up as rudderless ship. Many a leading light in each of the parties has given public statements on monarchy and republic which are at best at cross-purposes. Even though the parties officially stand for the maintenance of constitutional monarchy (after limiting the current monarch within the bounds of the Constitution), leaders from the two parties have gone to town asking the monarch to abdicate the throne.
At least the three smaller parties in the five-party alliance have not shown any ambiguity on the issue. They have been demanding restoration of the constitutional process derailed by the king’s October 4 (2002) move and the subsequent misuse of Article 127 of the Constitution. (Although some sycophants and self-styled royalists have argued that the monarch is entitled a wide latitude under the Article in question there is no provision in the statute that allows the king to choose the prime minister at his own express will.)
NC and the CPN-UML are in a bind now. Their condition is similar to driving a car through a dark tunnel and what lies at the end is uncertain. In addition, it is a bumpy ride. These two cannot alternately unleash and rein in the students for long. This game is not going to work for a long period of time. Chances are that the students will rebel against the party line and go all out. The Maoists, watching with glee the entire situation from the sidelines (except for a few occasional murders), might step in when they think the time is right for them.
The parties’ dilemma, though understandable, is unacceptable.
For the parties the bitter truth all along has been that their lame-duck protest against the king had failed to enthuse the public. They were saved from further embarrassment and humiliation by some brilliant mind in the government which ordered the arrest of three student leaders not so long ago. If the students’ protests go out of control, the person (s) involved in ordering the arrest of the three student leaders will be unwittingly taking the credit for reviving a
dying agitation.
But this is not the worry of the parties. The king is not going to concede their demands (which too are not so clear now, one must add) just on their basis of addressing meetings throughout the country. They need the students to maintain the heat. The signs have been encouraging since the king was forced to invite the party leaders for discussion.
The worry is what if the king does not relent. Should the students be allowed to run amok? In that case, they have to be prepared for all the eventualities. The fallout could sweep them away too.
(The writer can be reached at <damakant@hotmail.com>)Posted on: 2004-01-20 04:04
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