बाबुरामको दिल्ली तीर्थाटनका सन्देश

मैले केहि समय देखि यो ब्लगमा लेख्न पाइरहेको थिइन तर अब रेगुलर लेख्ने बिचार गरेको छु। मेरा लेखहरु यो ब्लगमा र अन्य अनलाइन साइटहरुमा पढ्न सक्नुहुनेछ। अन्यत्र छापिएका मेरा लेखहरुलाई म यो ब्लगमा लिंक सहित पोस्ट गर्नेछु।

हालै नेपाली अनलाइन साईट पहिलोपोस्ट.कम मा मेरो एक लेख छापिएको थियो। त्यो लेख तपाइँ यो लिंक बाट पहिलोपोस्ट्मै पढ्न सक्नुहुनेछ। यो लेख नेपालीमा छ।

नेपालीमा पढ्न नचाहनेहरूका लागि यो लेख अंग्रेजीमा यहा प्रस्तुत गरेको छु। पहिलोपोस्ट्मा छापिएको लेख को हु-बहु ट्रान्स्लेसन ता होइन तर यो लेख करिब करिब पहिलोपोस्टमा छापिएको लेखको अंग्रेजी भर्सन भन्न सकिन्छ।

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An Outsider’s view

Issue of nationalism or pilgrimage – Maoist leader’s India visit

By looking at Baburam Bhattarai’s (herein after Baburam) face book and twitter posts, it is not difficult to fathom his state of mind. He is tired of listening to commentators. He is tired of gossips in media circle about his India’s travel. Quite clearly, he does not like if anyone preaches and pontificates on nationalism. And, to me, it is very surprising but quite understandable. You only have to step on his shoes for a moment to read his mind.

His recent comments have stirred the social media. In face book post, he clubs those people who are raising the issue of nationalism as the ones who jump to embassy’s parties for free ka daru (free alcohol). He is absolutely bang on target in dodging real issues. It is a classic tool adopted and used by politicians of all beliefs. They only have to point to another issue so that they can reduce the gravity of the questions and get a satisfaction of throwing a doosara (One of the variations of spin ball in cricket). By using such paintara (tricks), Baburam seems to be in a good mood to evade the question rather than trying to engage in a debate of what constitutes nationalism or patriotism for us.

Despite being close neighbours and having multiple social and cultural similarities, Nepal –India relation generates heated arguments when it comes to issue of “allowing our neighbour to play a role” in our domestic affairs. There used to be a time when CPN-UML was the torchbearer of this debate. In 2052 BS, when the Maoists decided to start their “People’s Revolution”, it was said that they had no options as the then Deuba Government even refused to glance their 40 points demand sheet where many issues were relating to India’s policy towards Nepal. After the start of the “People’s War”, Maoists’ enemy No. 1 was always the “expansionist” India. That was that time and we (or rather Maoist Party) have moved much ahead!

After Maoists joined the peaceful democracy, people slowly came to know that the inside story was something different. Though in propaganda, India was their enemy but in practice, Maoist already had a “gentleman’s agreement” with agencies of Indian government and in return, safe accommodation was ensured for the guests. After Maoists came to join the mainstream democracy, so many skeletons have started falling from cupboard that they are not in a position to form a consistent and guiding view on how Nepal should shape its foreign policy vis-à-vis India. By looking at the unfolding events, Maoist’s lack of clarity on foreign policy and nationalism is going to linger for quite some time unless they start doing early self-introspection.

This ambiguous display on nationalism is the product of Maoist’s pitiable situation back home. Firstly, the more “free and fair election” than that of 2008 pushed Maoists at the periphery of national politics. The choice that people made in a democracy cut short the luxury of the party which had just started enjoying the “fruits of people’s democracy”. Secondly, the current Constituent Assembly is hell-bent to promulgate a Constitution under consensus, if possible and if that be impossible, “under a due process” set in place by the consensus of all parties. Since Maoists are only the toddlers in democracy, they have not yet fully understood how democracy actually works. The party, whose democratic commitment is still questionable, does not stop to dream that they have the “birth right” to rule Nepal, to run government, to declare enemy, or alter the enemy and if public pressure mounts at any point of time, then, finally to promulgate a Constitution based on their whims and fancies. They naturally believe this is all kosher.

What Maoists have managed to understand, however, is that the very first requirement of democracy i.e. people’s votes are not on their side. In such a situation, they do not have any other alternatives than to seek a “divine intervention”. This desire of being intervened by a “prabhu” (word used by Pushpa Kamal once to refer “India”) has brought Baburam on a pilgrimage to India. Ordinarily, this should not be the issue of great fuss as in the past too, right from start of revolution; Maoists were getting blessed in India’s capital.

It will be interesting to see if the new God installed in Lutyens’ Delhi after May, 2014 has promised any intervention in due course. As the largest democracy in the world, I expect that Prabhu must have delivered little sermons on how humble one needs to be in a democracy. If that were to be the outcome of this trip, then, I would rate Baburam’s pilgrimage to India a very successful one.

Let’s wait and watch for few days how dialogues between the parties move ahead. That would give us a clear indication of what “Kosheli” (gifts) Baburam has brought from Lutyens’ Delhi.

By Rajib Dahal. (You can contact me at twitter: @rajibdahal, or via email to rajib.dahal at gmail.com)

पहिलोपोस्टमा नेपालीमा छापिएको लेखको पिडिएफ कपि चाही यहा छ बाबुरामको दिल्ली तीर्थाटनका सन्देश __ Pahilopost