Defense Minister’s Statement And Condemnation Of It

Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

Speaking at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu on Monday, September 26, 2011, Defense Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari has said that the 22 district of Terai could be a separate and could make a decision on separation, which law could stop them in doing so. Defense Minister has rightly said that Nepal has no laws yet to stop anybody from speaking about the separation of any part of the country. However, showing they are of poor political intelligence, the so-called leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML), and the Vaidya faction of the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-Maoist) have demanded the government of Nepal to immediately fire the defense minister rather than asking the government for formulating and passing the law that will prohibit anybody from making such statements.

Leader of NC Ram Chandra Poudel, some leaders of CPN-UML and Vice-chairman of UCPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidya ‘Kiran’ have charged Defense Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari with publicly expressing the desire for the secession from the mother country. They have stated that the defense minister responsible for defending the country from any sorts of disintegration has rather made such statement; so, they have separately demanded the prime minister for immediately firing the defense minister for his secessionist statement that the 22 district of Terai could make a decision on separating from the mother country, which law could stop them in doing so. In fact, the defense minister has opened up the eyes of the political leaders to see the problem of secession but they could not see it properly. Their lousy mind could not think of anything better than firing the defenses minister, as they could not properly conceive the problem of secession.

These NC, CPN-UML and Mohan Vaidya ‘Kiran’ guys would have been well off demanding the government of Nepal formulate a law prohibiting anybody making such statements. If these guys have made a habit of coolly thinking before making any public statement they would have rather ask the prime minister to formulate a bill on prohibiting anybody expressing any sorts of secessionist ideas, and then submitting it to the parliament for passing it. However, these politically poor intelligent guys could not think of such things rather have gone to asking the prime minister for firing the defense minister to meet their political interest in destabilizing the current coalition government of UCPN-Maoist and the United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) that has vowed to complete the peace process and the constitution writing.

The concern of the defense minister for the possibility of the people living in Terai opting for a separate nation in absence of an equal opportunity of developing their lives is the correct one. So, on the one hand we need to have a law that would stop anybody from doing so, on the other hand we need to integrate Madheshis, people belonging to different ethnic groups, socially disadvantaged groups and women into our national life giving them an equal opportunity of participating in the national affairs. Some ethnic and Madheshi Nepalis have been victims of racial discrimination, as the past rulers have denied them an equal opportunity to serve in the administration, police and army. Anyone of the twenty-first century Nepalis is not ready to see the continuity of such things in the coming days. So, if our leaders want to keep Nepal in one piece and peaceful one then they have to be liberal and give an equal opportunity to all Nepalis to develop their lives following the rule of law.

The concern of the so-called leaders of NC, CPN-UML and the Vaidya group of UCPN-Maoist has been to serve their immediate political interest. They don’t want the current coalition of the UCPN-Maoist and UDMF complete the peace process and the constitution writing. So, they are for finding any excuse to tear down the current government sabotage the main tasks of completing the peace process and constitution writing, and then return back to the rule of landlords as expounded by the NC and CPN-UML in the name of democracy, whereas the Vaidya group of UCPN-Maoist wants to continue the people’s movement for the ultimate rule of exploited class. They have been on one side to defeat the current government to suit their interest.

The NC and CPN-UML leaders have in their public statements limited to their demand for firing the defense minister but the Vaidya group of UCPN-Maoist has even launched street protests. The cadres of the Vaidya group of UCPN-Maoist have held torch processions in various parts of Nepal protesting the statement of the defense minister and demanding the government firing him for such a statement.

Defense Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari has said that the media have distorted his statement on the need for the Madheshi people integrating into the national life of Nepalis in general reporting it as the statement of secession, and he has no intention of hurting the Nepalis venting the idea of secession. He has said that he has never thought of such thing in his life in the past and would not think it in the future, too. He has asked all the leaders including the Vaidya group of the UCPN-Maoist to understand him and stop doing anything to fuel this issue anymore.

Defense Minister Bhandari said, "I had made the statement on Monday that the inclusion of Madhesi youths in Nepal Army by fulfilling certain standards and by doing so the national integrity will be strengthened as per the norms of four-point agreement signed between Joint Madhesi Democratic Front and UCPN-Maoist. I had said that the Madhesi people of 22 districts should be brought to the mainstream to create national solidarity in feelings. I am firm in this commitment. My intention will be clear if the media go through the full text of the statement. I urge the media to give attention towards this line." ‘The Rising Nepal’ of September 29, 2011 has quoted the defense minister.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, September 27, 2011, acting party chairman of CPN-UML Bam Dev Gautam has said that CPN-UML is concerned with the statement of Defense Minister Bhandari, as it goes against the national interest; no nationalist can accept and tolerate such anti-nationalist speech from a respectable person such as defense minister responsible for defending sovereignty and national integrity according to the news posted on nepalnews.com on September 27, 2011.

Speaking at a gathering of the cadres of Madheshi People’s Rights Forum–Republican in Rajbraj on September 29, 2011, Minister for Information and Communications Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta has said that the statement of Defense Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari on the 22 districts opting for secession from Nepal goes against the principles and policies of the Madheshi alliance; the minister also has criticized the political leaders for taking up this issue in the style of the panchayat regime with the intention of attempting on presenting the current government as a failed one; the minister has reiterated that the UDMF has never been for splitting the country rather has always been for a single Nepal, ‘The Rising Nepal’ of September 30, 2011 writes. Minister Gupta has charged the leaders with taking up this issue for tearing down the current coalition government to meet their own political interest, and has reiterated that the slogan of nationalism should not be for the political gains.

Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal on September 29, 2011 has said that the current government has failed in doing anything to the statement of Defense Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari on the question of the national integrity. ‘The Rising Nepal’ of September 30, 2011 quotes Khanal, "Bhandari’s remark is against the national integrity and dignity."

Spokesman for the government Narayankaji Shrestha on September 29, 2011 has said that the cabinet has decided to appeal to all the concerned people not to be confused about the statement of defense minister on the integrity of the nation as the minister has made it clear to the cabinet that he has not made any statement going against the national unity, sovereignty and the geographical integrity, ‘gorkhapatra’ of September 30, 2011 writes.

Speaking to the reporter in Biratnagar on October 2, 2011, Chairman of Madheshi People’s Rights Forum-Nepal Upendra Yadav has said that the statement of Defense Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari goes against the spirit and aspiration of Madhes and Madhesis and against national interest and sovereignty; so, he has demanded the immediate resignation of the defense minister according to the news posted on Thehimalayantimes.com on October 2, 2011.

Going through the statements of the so-called political leaders, we can judge how wise these guys are. They are not concerned with the rule of law but they want to rule by force. If they were for the rule of law they would have demanded the government formulating an Anti-secession Bill and then submitting it to the parliament for passing it so that nobody would dare to say anything about the splitting of the country.

October 8, 2011