Oped»
Sweet dreams
MAR 31 -
Even after he was dethroned in 2008, former king Gyanendra has remained a headline grabber. Every time he ventures out of the Nagarjun hills, where he has been living the life of a recluse since he abdicated the throne, the Nepali media has tried its best not to miss a single opportunity to dig up a story and spice them up. After the palace massacre in 2001, Gyanendra came to the throne. It did not take long for him to become unpopular due to his lust for power. In 2005, his effort to impose absolute rule, claiming that the mainstream parties had failed to tackle the Maoist insurgency, epitomises how unwise he was to misread the times.
Right after Girija Prasad Koirala’s death, he walked the grounds of the Ram Janaki Temple in Janakpur. Then he appeared in public for a rare interview with a private news channel and spoke on a host of topics including the monarchy, which the people of Nepal have already consigned to history. Regardless, for the media in Nepal and abroad, the interview provided a hot recipe for stories. The mistimed statements by the ex-king on Wednesday ruffled many feathers.
Not surprisingly, political leaders were quick to shoot back at what the ex-monarch had said in the interview. But the way they gave a tongue-lashing to the ex-king for his statements also squarely manifest several facets of Nepali politics. Still, Gyanendra’s statements did not deserve the level of hue and cry our political leaders made. First, he as a commoner also holds the right to speak and make statements. It could be more than coincidental that he opened his mouth at a time when the country was mourning the demise of the architect of peace, which some fear, may turn the country’s fledgling peace process into pieces.
The wrangling between political leaders and, of course, their “incompetence” to some extent, has failed to give impetus to the peace process. It is also true that they have failed so far, if not completely, to fulfil the expectations of the general public. Simply put, they have failed to accomplish what they have promised. State restructuring and federation issues and the basis for a new republic are still undecided, and the Constituent Assembly is sitting idle while time is quickly running out.
In this scenario, the hasty comments of political leaders against Gyanendra’s statements have appeared to be a naïve reaction out of fear; in essence, a cover for their weaknesses. In a democratic country where we advocate freedom of speech, everyone holds the right to speak their hearts and minds. The interview, which doesn’t seem to have been orchestrated by Gyanendra himself, should have been easily brushed aside by the leaders. Gyanendra has a proven track record of utter foolishness, and there is no need to run frantically from pillar to post whenever he wags his tongue. Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. If the leaders are wise enough, as we believe they are, they should have learned and understood.
The ex-king is now water under the bridge. Gyanendra is in no position to turn the table at this point in time, and he knows it very well. Nor is he in a position, at least as of now, to turn the tide. So, to move forward, consolidate the peace process and to accomplish the most important task — drafting the constitution — is the most appropriate thing to do for the leaders instead of wasting their time on what someone, who himself is history, now says.
In the mean time, it’s of no use to attempt to read between the lines and cook up something from statements like “the monarchy is not over yet” and “history shows that the monarchy has had its ups and downs”. If, as most have put it, Gyanendra is daydreaming, then we should let him do so. While giving his last statement before leaving Narayanhiti Palace, Gyanendra said he was abdicating the throne because “the people of Nepal wished so”. And since then, he has kept quiet and stayed out of political affairs. Even on a number of occasions when he was asked whether he would make a foray into politics, he had opted to shrug it off.
The leaders should direct their focus on the tasks at hand, not the statements and activities of a former king. By not acting swiftly, by procrastinating, by having extended slumber, and by failing to forge a consensus, they are bringing themselves to the verge of losing the people’s trust. It’s time to rise up. Pick up the pace or miss the bus.
sanjeevsatgainya@gmail.com
Posted on: 2010-04-01 07:58
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