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The road from here
Senior NC leader, Bal Bahadur Rai, had this commentary in Himal
Khabarpatrika 30 June-16 July. It was dictated from his hospital bed ten
days before he died on Sunday.
All the leaders of all the parties acknowledge that there is no
alternative to consensus politics. Yet, they can’t get themselves to rise
above personal and party interest. They are prisoners of their own
leadership ambitions.
The biggest party in the CA, the Maoists, instead of cooperating is
playing dishonest games. It has repeatedly failed to honour its past
commitments, muddied the political waters to allow all kinds of extremist
and reactionary groups to sprout. It was always necessary to get the
Maoists on board for the management of their fighters, return of property
and the dissolution of the YCL, and it still is. But past agreements have
been just for show. There is little chance the Maoists can get into
government without fulfilling these commitments.
The Maoists can’t hide that all levels of their party hierarchy are
either abetting or doing nothing to stop their warlike involvement in
kidnapping for ransom, murders, extortion, beatings, threats. At one time,
we also waged an armed struggle for democracy, but we never made the
people suffer. We fought the enemy, whereas the Maoists fought against the
people. In the name of revolution, they killed and terrorised the people.
This isn’t politics, it’s banditry. Mao Zedong himself said don’t even
take a needle from the people, but the party which is waging havoc in
Mao’s name in Nepal has forgotten all that.
The Maoist idea of 14 provinces is not viable and will lead to the
fragmentation of the Nepali nation. There should never be more than six
provinces and under no circumstances should they be demarcated along
ethnic lines. The Maoists only used the ethnic card to help recruitment
during the war. Just look at Gopal Kirati, the Maoists refused to give him
an important portfolio when they were in power. They said he can’t handle
it, so they fabricated a new Ministry of Culture to make Gopal a token
minister. But even an old man like me served 19 times as caretaker prime
minister under successive Nepali Congress governments.
The Maoist promise to give marginalised ethnic groups, Madhesis, women
and Dalits rights is just an eyewash. And even if they wanted to give them
rights, the Maoists would bungle it: just look at the way they have
handled the ethnic state councils.
To be sure, Nepal’s historically marginalised groups need to be
liberated, they have to be given equal rights and opportunities. Nepal is
hugely diverse and the groups needs to be represented proportionately. But
in doing that we shouldn’t disturb the traditional harmony of our
diversity, and not threaten the country’s unity.
The path we have to take now should allows any Nepal, be they Rais,
Liumbus, Tamangs, magars, Gurungs, Yadavs or Biswakarmas, the chance to be
prime minister. Pushpa Kamal Dhaal promises to give the Limbus a Limbuwan,
the Rais a Khambuwan, the Magars a Magarat, the Tharus a Tharuhat, the
Gurungs a Tamuwan, but will he ever propose to give the prime ministership
to Srijabegu Limbu, Gopal Kirati, Arasi Chaudhary, Rambahadur Thapa Magar,
or Deb Gurung?
Senior NC leader Bal Bahadur Rai passed away on Sunday.
This commentary from senior NC leader Bal Bahadur Rai was published in Himal Khabarpatrika 30 June-16 July. It was dictated from his hospital bed ten days before he died on Sunday.
All the leaders of all the parties acknowledge that there is no alternative to consensus politics. Yet they can’t get themselves to rise above personal and party interests. They are prisoners of their own leadership ambitions.
The biggest party in the CA, the Maoists, instead of cooperating, is playing dishonest games. It has repeatedly failed to honour its past commitments, and muddied the political waters to allow all kinds of extremist and reactionary groups to take root. It was always necessary to get the Maoists on board for the management of their fighters, return of property and the dissolution of the YCL, and it still is. But past agreements have been just for show. There is little chance the Maoists can get into government without fulfilling these commitments.
The Maoists can’t hide the fact that all levels of their party hierarchy are either abetting or doing nothing to stop their warlike involvement in kidnapping for ransom, murders, extortion, beatings, and threats. At one time, we also waged an armed struggle for democracy, but we never made the people suffer. We fought the enemy, whereas the Maoists fought against the people. In the name of revolution, they killed and terrorised the people. This isn’t politics, it’s banditry. Mao Zedong himself said don’t even take a needle from the people, but the party that is waging havoc in Mao’s name in Nepal has forgotten all that.
The Maoist idea of 14 provinces is not viable and will lead to the fragmentation of the Nepali nation. There should never be more than six provinces and under no circumstance should they be demarcated along ethnic lines. The Maoists only used the ethnic card to help recruitment during the war. Just look at Gopal Kirati. The Maoists refused to give him an important portfolio when they were in power. They said he couldn’t handle it, so they fabricated a new Ministry of Culture to make Gopal a token minister. But even an old man like me served 19 times as caretaker prime minister under successive Nepali Congress governments.
The Maoist promise to give marginalised ethnic groups, Madhesis, women and Dalits rights is just eyewash. And even if they wanted to give them rights, the Maoists would bungle it: just look at the way they have handled the ethnic state councils.
To be sure, Nepal’s historically marginalised groups need to be liberated, they have to be given equal rights and opportunities. Nepal is hugely diverse and the groups need to be represented proportionately. But in doing that we shouldn’t disturb the traditional harmony of our diversity, and not threaten the country’s unity.
The path we have to take now should allow any Nepali, be they Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Magars, Gurungs, Yadavs or Biswokarmas, the chance to be prime minister. Pushpa Kamal Dahal promises to give the Limbus a Limbuwan, the Rais a Khambuwan, the Magars a Magarat, the Tharus a Tharuhat, the Gurungs a Tamuwan, but will he ever propose to give the prime ministership to Srijabegu Limbu, Gopal Kirati, Arasi Chaudhary, Rambahadur Thapa Magar, or Deb Gurung?
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Bal Ba.
Words of wisdom from Bal Ba is very timely. His life is his message.He lived many years in exile in India. He had a price tag on his head during Panchayat days.He was religious. He could recite the Geeta b y heart.He was against distinction of caste, untouchability and was for improving the lot of hungry masses.
He was a true nationalist. He wanted all different communities live harmoniously and in goodwill. He was a real democrat.
It will be a great tribute and service to this departed leader if we can spread his last advice to the nation in all the regional languages of the country through various media.
I once met Bal Bahadur Rai in Charikot at a seminar on democracy organized by an INGO. I was very impressed with his common sense, down to earth approach to politics and development. He had no ego, he was humble, he had a vision for the country, he was an honest and simple man. Everything his peers in the Congress are not. He was never elevated because he was not a Bahun, yet he harboured no ill will, but spoke vocally for equal opportunities and justice. He was a true social democrat, the ideology that the Congress has foresaken. This last piece from his hospital bed in Himal Khabarpatrika should be read by all politicians. It reflects his courage to speak the truth, and also his caution about being careful about stoking ethnic conflict. Farewell, Mr Rai, and our deep remorse for not having taken you more seriously when you were alive. Your nation will miss you.
When i was studying in Thapathali Engineering Campus, I got chance to see Mr. Rai with my own eyes in the street so often. When the news of Pajero scandal was reaching its extreme peak I saw him walking and sweating, sometimes he passed through in bicycle. When everybody was seeing how the leaders of constitutional monarchy were managing lavish life-cozy homes, their sukila-mukila children and power-mongering attitudes-, I saw him and his family very simple and humble. When it was the begining of that era where having hundreds of party activist around all the time by political barons was seen as something prestigious, he was rarely seen involved in that sort of fashion. Moreover, whenever I and others from the campus used to offer our namaste, he accepted and used to continue his way. I am 100% sure he was not that type of leader who believes on the rules of bhidtantra.
Today is surely a sad day for all democrats who share and heartly accept his way of taking life. even in poor countries like ours with so called revolutionaries in the middle of social life, it is almost impossible to find a leader of his height. Now, after his natural death, as always there will rain the praises, which of course he deserves without any minimal doubt but what i doubt is about the sincerity of these so called leaders who far from following his path, are dedicating the false words. Leaders! Bal Bahadur Rai was, not at all, a pharsee opus Deist like all you people are seemed today. For democrats like us, we would be greatfull if this generation highlights what a moral integrity of a leader means with effectiveness. This is a unique way we can pay an authentic tribute to a great leader and a person like Bal Bahadur Rai. My heartly condolence and may God gives enough energy to the deceived family to overcome the tragic moment!
I was simply moved and overwhelmed by his a true loyalty towards the Nepalese nation, and his generosity of its people when I run through my eyes to the lines below: (Translated from Nepali edition of Kantipur Daily- July 5, 2010)
Rai was Minister of Labour and physical planning during the premiership of Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2051, at the time he suffered one of his kidney failure. Despite the advices from the other cabinet ministers to go to abroad for further treatment, he denied saying “I will not do so on the expense of tax payer money,” and he had instead got treatment in Nepal.