Anti-federalists And Hindu Zealots

Anti-federalists And Hindu Zealots

Siddhi B Ranjitkar

Anti-federalists and Hindu fanatics have been the rise in extremism as both are extremists. They have been doing so either due to the ignorance of the current political situation or just trying to bully the current political system. In both cases they have failed as the country is in the 21^st century, and have given birth to many leaders that could lead the country to the right path. Anti-federalists and Hindu fanatics have been the remnants of the feudal lords. Ghosts of dead lords have been haunting them. So, their minds have been restless and have been talking absurdly believing they could rule over the entire populace of different background with a unitary system at the center, as did their lords in the past.

CPN-UML leaders have been highly irrational if not insane going against the federal system, and advocating for the unitary system in the country that has so diverse people. Probably, the ghosts of the monster (huge) monarchs have been haunting the CPN-UML leaders making them think to do that has been impossible in the current political context.

Going against the federalism, CPN-UML leaders have alienated the entire population that knows the country could not move ahead peacefully without institutionalizing the federal system and turning over the power to the local people to decide their destiny on their own. Currently, voters have already realized that they have been wrong to vote the CPN-UML. They would think twice before voting CPN-UML in the next elections.

CPN-UML leaders either did not understand or ignored the fact that the history could not turn back. Nepal has moved ahead with the federalism and it would stay in Nepal no matter what the CPN-UML leaders try to do. Probably, some CPN-UML leaders have been digging their own graves while others have been putting a nail in the coffin.

Probably, standing in the way of federalism, CPN-UML leaders have been creating an environment conducive to a revolution or movement the extreme political leaders of the different Maoist parties currently not in power, and the Madheshi leaders that have been prepared to launch even an armed revolution to have their say in the politics. However, CPN-UML leaders need to understand that they could not give a life to the dead monarchy at all if they are thinking to reverse the political system creating a political instability by any means. CPN-UML leaders have already disrupted the parliamentary proceedings for a month stalling the crafting of laws.

CPN-UML leaders such as KP Oli, Jhalanath Khanal, Madhav Nepal, and Bamdev Gautam have invoked the spirits of the ghosts of the dead monarchs in them making them feel as if they are having the extreme power they could hold on to repress the entire Nepalese and act as little monarchs wearing little crowns in the Lilliputian kingdom. They have forgotten that when they first step in the parliament in 1991 they were wearing flip-flops. Now, they have been living in highly luxurious bungalows. From where they got the money to live like Maharajas if they have not looted the State treasury when they got in power.

In fact, CPN-UML leaders unknowingly or even knowingly have been the tails of anti-federalists such as Narayan Man Bijukchhe, Chitra Bahadur KC, and CP Mainali that have been behaving ridiculously like political clowns since Nepal has entered into the federal system. Holding the tails of these illogical political guys, CPN-UML leaders have been trying to cross the cosmic river called ‘Baitarni’ even before they could set off for it.

CPN-UML leaders should never mistake the people’s support for the Oli government for the CPN-UML when Nepal was in a blockade. It was the demonstration of how Nepalese could stand up against any foreign interference in the country. That is surely not the support for the tough stand on the anti-federalism the CPN-UML leaders have been taking up now. It is rather the showdown how Nepalese could rise up against anybody and any party.

CPN-UML leaders have been undermining their own party going against the federalism probably making the party split or crash and burn. However, those members of the CPN-UML standing for the federalism would surely not allow some crazy leaders to let the party fall from the cliff. The party has a sufficient number of federalists to keep the CPN-UML on the correct political path.

After the successful people’s movement in 1990, Supreme Leader Ganeshman Singh put the then monarch within four walls of the palace, and let him live like a monarch and enjoy a life of high luxury amid the poverty of the entire population. Then the monarch broke up the walls and came out as an absolute king stating his ancestors had earned the State only to lose even the monarchy forever. Currently, the poor guy has been desperately struggling to survive as the former king.

So, CPN-UML leaders would be well off staying on the current political course rather than going off the track and trying to destabilize the federal democratic setup for inviting a political confusion. They should not make a mistake of thinking that they have been the little feudal lords that could change the current political course. The monster feudal lord has gone for forever every sensible person knows it. CPN-UML leaders should not think that they have been the heirs of the remnants of the broken pieces of the dead feudal lord.

CPN-UML leaders need to rise above the mediocrity that surrounds them. In fact, they have shown extraordinary skills in taking the office of prime minister. Four of the CPN-UML leaders have already been the former prime ministers. Now, they have been trying to reverse the trend denying other CPN-UML leaders the opportunity of being prime minister, as they have been cutting the grassroots base of the party playing the role of anti-federalists.

Now, the Hindu fanatics that have been dreaming to make Nepal a Hindu State repressing the Nepalese of different faith and even humiliating them, are also the remnants of the feudal lords. These guys think that they could bring back those dead lords that had suppressed the Nepalese of other religion in the country or banished them to another country for almost two-and-a-half centuries.

Leaders of Rastriya Prajatantra Party such as Kamal Thapa and currently his follower Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana have been thinking that they could bring back Prithvi Narayan Shah that had exiled the Christians out of Nepal 240 years ago, and one of his descendants Mahendra that imposed Hinduism on all Nepalese declaring Nepal a Hindu State in 1962, to life.

Bringing back any dead person to a life is against the law of nature. Nobody can go against the law of nature whether s/he likes it or not. So, both Thapa and Rana would be well off to follow the natural law, and embrace the entire Nepalese rather than simply holding only the Hindus, and thinking to banish the Nepalese having different faith than the Hindu as did Prithvi in the past. Probably even all Hindus would not believe in imposing Hinduism on all Nepalese, as it would not be a right thing to do.

Thapa and Rana have been narrowing down their political party to the Hindus only. If they follow this critical path then they could never get majority in the parliament. That is the political truth everybody knows. How could these political leaders having an ambition to be the chief executive of the country make such a political blunder?

Abandoning the feudal mindset of Hinduism as their party’s final political goal, and embracing the Nepalese of all faith, both Thapa and Rana might fill up the political void whenever the current major political parties step out of the right track as the CPN-UML leaders have been currently doing for creating a political vacuum in other words Thapa and Rana might do better in the future elections if they were to opt for secularism and institutionalize the federal democratic republic of Nepal otherwise they would have five or less votes as did receive RPP-Nepal in the last elections.

On December 31, 2016, leaders and cadres of the NC marked the reconciliation day as the day of BP Koirala and Ganeshman Singh returned back to Nepal from the self exile in India in 1977 offering reconciliation with the then king that had been running the no-party system called panchayat. It became surrender rather than reconciliation, as the other party did not accept it.

Some of the NC leaders have been saying that the reconciliation BP had propagated in 1977 is even valid today. How could it be valid when it was not even valid 40 years ago? Federalists and secularists would never reconcile with the anti-federalists and Hindu fanatics.

Federalism and secularism are for all Nepalese of different faith and ethnic groups living together in harmony and peace. Federalism provides every Nepalese with an opportunity of self-development, as the rights to decide the destiny of the people goes to the hands of the grassroots people. Secularism provides every Nepalese of any faith with the opportunity of practicing the religion, which s/he believes in.

For example, following the federal system of governance, people in Humla and Jumla would not need to wait for the decision makers in Kathmandu to decide for them what to do and what not to. People in Humla and Jumla could decide whether to build roads, paths, airports, power stations, schools, hospitals, and so on by themselves using the power the federal system of governance has given them. Probably, they did not have to wait up until now for connecting the district with the road networks of the country, and they would not need to live with so much of scarcity of everything if the federal system had been in place in the past.

Secularism will create the sense of belonging to the common State. Non-Hindus would not need to think that it is the Hindu State, not of mine: the mindset the Hindu State had created in the past after Mahendra declared Nepal a Hindu State in 1962. At that time, Nepalese could not speak up because Mahendra could put anybody speaking out against his decisions or actions behind bar forever or even take the life in some cases. Today, nobody can rule at the gunpoint, as did Mahendra. If anybody tries to do so every Nepalese would reverse the position of a gun.

Federalism and secularism are the two main political elements to stay here in Nepal forever no matter what mediocre politicians try to do. If any political party or politician tries to undermine these two political elements setting off political chaos, which is not in the interest of anybody, then Nepalese will rise up against such a political party or a politician at any opportune moment to do so. Neither the majority nor the minorities would win unless and until they agree to live in peace and harmony following the federalism and secularism setup.

January 1, 2017