Nepali Times
Editorial
Gajanan to Baburam


MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

Three hundred years ago, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's ancestor Gajanan Bhattarai helped King Drabya Shah of Gorkha to lay the groundwork for the nation state that came to be known as Nepal. The monarchy is now gone. The republic that replaced it is torn by competing demands for autonomy within a proposed federal structure that Bhattarai is the co-architect of.

Privately, some Maoist leaders admit that their federalism formula is unworkable and they need a face-saving exit strategy. But they can't say so in public since the whole rationale for the war and their populist platform in the 2008 elections used identity politics for recruitment and votes. Bhattarai now needs all the negotiating acumen he is supposed to have to prevent the break up of a Nepal his ancestors helped forge.

The reason this issue has come up now is because of the murky, ambiguous and reckless four-point agreement that installed Bhattarai as prime minister. The Madhesi Front extracted its pound of flesh by not just grabbing half the portfolios for tainted netas from the past, but also getting the Maoists to agree to a fully-autonomous federal state with ethnically-defined provinces.

Then there are the clauses in the agreement that provide blanket amnesty for wartime atrocities by all sides, which has set off a chorus of outrage from human rights organisations.

The only silver lining we see in all this is that neither the Madhesi parties nor the Maoists probably intend to stick to their pact. this is nothing new, signed agreements have rarely been implemented in the past. Madhesi leaders just want to show their constituency in the Tarai that they are sticking to their principles and are not obsessed about getting into Singha Darbar. The Maoists, for their part, were willing to sign anything away as long as it got them to power.

An agreement on something as momentous as autonomous ethnic federal provinces that doesn't rope in the second and third largest parties in the house can only have been driven by political expediency. The field report by Rameswor Bohara on page 12-13 shows that Madhesi anger is now directed at the leaders they elected to go to Kathmandu who never bothered to address their grievances.

And the people of the Tarai seem to doubt that a single Madhes will ever deliver them prosperity. Academics and civil society leaders in Janakpur and Rajbiraj are convinced future provinces must encompass the plains, hills and mountains to be economically viable and politically sustainable. When will the sloganeering politicians listen to these voices?

That said, of all the alternatives for prime minister available two weeks ago to form a new government, Baburam Bhattarai presented the better option. The NC squandered its chance by foolishly putting up two candidates, and the UML had really nothing left to show for itself. The public rates Bhattarai's intelligence, diligence and honesty highly. He has started well with populist, yet popular, decisions. And he would have moved even faster on the peace process if the Baidya faction hadn't tried to put a spanner in the works.

However, having made it to the top job by aligning with a party with which it has little in common, Bhattarai risks being tainted by his proximity to crooks. He will need all the support he can get from his coalition partners, the opposition and the bureaucracy. And, watch your back, Doc.

Read also:
"You can't eat slogans", RAMESWOR BOHARA in SIRAHA
Many in the Madhes feel that a united federal Madhes will actually make them poorer



1. who cares
one does not need to cooperate with madhav nepal, jhalluram but every one should cooperate with bhatterai, 

all should let bhatterai work.

what kind of politics is going on in nepal? 

did jhallu ram filed cause of his own incompetency? no. he failed cause maoist did not help him. and even bhatterai created all kinds of problem for his govt. from creating deadlock inside his party to closing industries.

and today, media and his pets are creating propaganda- let bhatterai work.

kiss my ..



nepalese are suffering cause of bhatterai's destructive mind. how could you idiots so soon forget views of bhatterai - "building nepal with ashes (turn nepal into ashes and use the same ash to build it".

we need creative mind not destructive mind.



i want to know one more thing, will bhatterai and his gang and his propagandists let the next executive head work, will they cooperate with the next executive head?

some body ask bhatterai for me?


maoist did not want NC and UML in the govt. one of the reason is they know that NC and UML would not cause trouble to govt. and peace process......... but maoist keep on circulating message that NC and UML have been obstructing govt. , they have not been cooperating in drafting constitution and concluding peace process.




lies still rules in nepal.





2. Arthur
"The Madhesi Front extracted its pound of flesh by not just grabbing half the portfolios for tainted netas from the past, but also getting the Maoists to agree to a fully-autonomous federal state with ethnically-defined provinces....An agreement on something as momentous as autonomous ethnic federal provinces that doesn't rope in the second and third largest parties in the house can only have been driven by political expediency. "
Everybody knows that Maoists have always supported federalism and "the second and third largest parties" only pretended to agree when they signed the interim constitution.
What is the point of pretending otherwise?
"Academics and civil society leaders in Janakpur and Rajbiraj are convinced future provinces must encompass the plains, hills and mountains to be economically viable and politically sustainable. When will the sloganeering politicians listen to these voices?"
That sounds like "The Telegraph" with its "analysts presume". We know Nepali Times believes that, and considers itself to be the epitome of "civil society" and the acadamy. But why not at least mention who else is supposed to agree?
I'm sure such people must exist, since there are many people, especially in KTM, strongly opposed to federalism. In every other federal country the various federal states have complimentary economies and depend on economic relations among them. But opponents of federalism are really desperate for arguments so I am sure there are some who would actually put their name to such an OBVIOUSLY stupid argument as pretending that federal states would be economically cut off from each other. So why not name them?



3. Gole
The portrait of the five, Marx, Engel , Lenin . Stalin and Mao are just a reminder of the rule or reign  of terror only in the 21st century; specially the last three.They are not our national leader or heros either. Why not replace them with our own national hero?Will that not be patriotic ?
UML had made a good start but back tracked afterward. Why?
All of them have outlived their utility by now.Let us live in an age which has something to do with the present.


4. Keynesianist
"Bhattarai now needs all the negotiating acumen he is supposed to have to prevent the break up of a Nepal his ancestors helped forge."

Eh..fantastic editor!! he sold his house, career and life for people and achieved against a king what Nepali Times dearly cherished and on whose history bequests its heritage. Bhattarai, that's why, never said "Long Live The King" the way Nepali Times once did because he's no man of wealth and manipulation.

"And the people of the Tarai seem to doubt that a single Madhes will ever deliver them prosperity."

It's now more true because, you know, Nepali Times doesn't like its editorial ideology at cross. Maddening and ludicrous at least!

"The reason this issue has come up now is because of the murky, ambiguous and reckless four-point agreement that installed Bhattarai as prime minister."

This is the dastard mania for yellow journalism. Bhattarai is loved by people, if not by you. How you dare to thwart the people mandate!!







5. KiranL
What is lost in all this euphoria about Comrade Baburam becoming PM is that he has just replaced excelllent professional Yubaraj Sangraula as Attorney General with party cadre Mukti Pradhan. You can just imagine what is now going to happen to all the wartime atrocities. If this is the way Baburam is going, he is going to be worse than Prachanda.


6. Soni
Why can't you also discuss the real issues instead of being cryptic

सहमति हुन बाँकी महत्त्वपूर्ण विषय

शासकीय स्वरूप कस्तो हुने ?

राज्यपुर्नसंरचना कसरी कुन आधारमा गरिने ?

निर्वाचन प्रणाली कस्तो हुने ? 

संघीय र प्रादेशिक निर्वाचन प्रणालीमा मतदान गर्न पाउनुपर्ने उमेर कति ? 

महिला, आदिवासी, जनजाति, मधेसी, पिछडा वर्गलगायतको प्रतिनिधित्व सुनिश्चित गर्न कस्तोखालको निर्वाचन प्रणाली अपनाउनुपर्ने ? 

मन्त्रिपरिषद्को गठनको प्रक्रिया कस्तो हुने ?

राजनीतिक अग्राधिकार र आत्मनिर्णय अधिकार । 

सम्पत्तिको हक, भूमिसुधार लागू गर्ने कि नगर्ने ? लागू गरे मुआब्जा दिने कि नदिने ? 

राजदूतहरूको नियुक्ति गर्दा समानुपातिक आधारमा गर्ने कि समावेशी आधारमा ?

संविधान संशोधन गर्ने प्रक्रिया कस्तो हुने ? संविधान संशोधन भइसकेपछि त्यसलाई अनुमोदन गर्ने आधार के हुने ? बहुमत प्रदेशका आधारमा कि बहुमत जनसंख्याको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्ने सदस्य वा जनसंख्याका आधारमा हुने ? 

  संविधानमा अपरिवर्तनीय धाराहरू राख्ने कि नराख्ने ? राख्नु परे कुन-कुन कुरा राख्ने ? 



7. jange
# 6. Soni

It's a case of   "Leke pehla pehla pyaar, bharke aankho mein khumaar".

It will take a while before the khumaar wears off. You know how it is!!


8. who cares
another proof that maoist was puppet and india were their puppet master.


on wikileaks,
 
US asked indians if they motivated maoist to attack us embassy staff and other interests?

the reply was, they did not.


if you study the reply, one can say that maoist were part of the indian grand design. 

why did not indian say that they had no influence over maoist?


* maoist selling nepalese citizenship to indians, 
* today maoist agreeing to sell nepali land to indians holding nepali citizenship, 
* maoist agreeing 10k indians with nepali citizenship into national army 

are the proofs that maoist are indeed indian agents.



why do these happen after maoist visiting delhi?








 


9. Satya
If the Maoists cannot hand in their weapons to the government run by them now, the question is when will they? Will they ever?
After having lost all credibility among the people,
their nautanki  of good cop (Bhattarai) bad cop (Baidhya) may just another ploy to stay in power by confusing the people.
There action does not give the other parties or the people any reason to trust them after having broken every promise they have made to date to the other parties,the people and even to their own supporters.





10. Keynesianist
#Soni
I admire your comment..a rare peek into the guts of real issues.

I again appreciate your wisdom. Your insight equals almost 10 issues gross of Nepali Times. You are the marvel to cherish.

You take the position upward as positive for a chalk thrown off hand, the sign of position, velocity and acceleration of the chalk is positive, positive and negative. Yeah, Accln is negative  !?


Hats off! 


11. who cares
great chairman bhatterai has been talking about putting all dons, criminals behind bars.

finally we gonna see killers of ram hari shrestha behind bars.  


NC, UML must utilize this new found hope (peace) to meet voters of remote villages wher they were not able to visit during the previous govts. 



Finally all the organized criminals- ycl, pla, revolutionary student wing, revolutionary labor org. will be behind bars. 

who would have guessed that one man could make such a big difference. 

god save the bhatterai, bhatterai save nepal.

or else, nepalese will be celebrating bhatterai jatra.


 


12. who cares
one question always used to come in my mind;

international court went after gadaffi, warlords in yugoslavia, nazis etc, but they have been staying away from genocide went on for 10 yr. why?


finally, i am enlightened with the answer. we know that india is an alley of the west and its india who were controlling the strings of the maoist during the genocide. so if international court investigate the murder, india too will be dragged into it. so to protect india, they are letting maoists walk freely.


13. chanakya
Gajanand might had inspired by padit chanakya and through knowledge of The vedas but Mr. BRB trained with modern Architecture and poor knowled of socilism and freedom of people. every leaned people knows the Repulic system came majorly due to assination of popular king Birendra, peopl revolution is like premature birth of baby which in ICU . BRB and his associats playing role of a nurse no Doctor is in his team currently very expensive for the Nation. Peace is perfectly concerned with mind and life style of people but we oseved big bargening.

14. rishav
Baburam's ancestor's will probably not be too proud of how there descendent has become PM. However, he does hold the best chance of concluding the peace process compared to any other leader. Whether he will be able to conclude it is another question altogether considering the current political climate.

Baburam is going to be the fall guy in the Maoist party, making all the compromises they had made with  the 7 party's in their New delhi days, which the other maoist leaders couldn't dare to admit publically,  ineffect surrendering their PLA so the political leaders can get cosy political jobs in Kathmandu. It will also include a face saving procedure of a token reintegration of their PLA into the securty forces but without any real significance command cabilities in decsion or policy making.

Ineffect Baburam will be the Maoist leader who will show not just the public but their own cadres of what they have actually compromised/surrendered in the 8 party pact, inorder to allow them to come out of the wilderness.


15. Tashi lama
As of his ancestor, Baburam has that good potential, but he got on the wrong boat from the beginning to sail through the murky waters of Nepalese politics. He is at present sailing in the Maoist boat with a crooked Captain called Prachanda! As to depend on these two, his political hurdles becomes more harder with more hassles to deal with in the inner circles of untrustworthy comrades! full of suspicions and back stabbings! Like that of Mao's era in China!

Baburam showed his ability of good leadership when he earned the highest revenue during his tenure as finance minister of Nepal, these are his abilities to do something better. He still have those good potential if he could unlock himself from the shackles of outdated Maoist ideas and bring his own new concept of revolutions and politics for 21st century Nepal!

As that of Gajanan, historically, Nepal and India produced many great Brahmin intellectuals, who helped shaped up the present civilization, those are not like these average narrow minded Bahuns in the Nepal's politics. During Buddha' time, they are great Ananda, Shariputra and Maha Mogallana and many others, after Buddha, those great scholars are: Nagarjuna, Asanga, Basubandhu, Arya deva, Chandrakirti, Dhirthanang, Dharmakirti, Basubandhu, Shantidev, Kamalashila, Buddhapalith and many more graduated from the world famous Nalanda university of present Bihar. With their analytical thoughts views, and studies,  they all surpassed on finding the true phenomenal reality of our life and mind. Anyhow, my bottom point here is that, by making comparison of today's Brahmins with those great ones of past is not that bad idea, as they have the potential, which at present is vested on blind faith, selfishness and then narrow mindedness! They just need to unlock that good potential and become wiser for the well being of oneself and all! Buddha said: One doesn't become Brahmin by birth, it has to be achieved by good deeds!  Sarva-mangalam!

   

Baburam is well educated but not smart enough to reject the outdated Mao's idea


16. nishachar
Let's not fool ourselves. Baburam Bhattarai doesn't care about the nation state known built by our ancestors or the country that could have been Nepal.

He is the principle architect of the caste-based federalism and has even considerably changed the design for this in the last few years. He no longer uses the name "state" (राज्य) for units of governance, instead he now calls them "republic" (गणराज्य). He aims to make Nepal a USSR styled confederation. The difference is that in the USSR, different countries that were being ruled by the Russian emperor were brought together in a confederation and upon the collapse of the USSR, these countries went on to became independent nations again. Baburam proposes the same design for Nepal and his argument is that there are different nations/nationalities inside Nepal which ought to be unified under a single confederation. All the Baburam supporters- eat that if you can digest.

Baburam is also the person who has propagated a wave of shame and hatred for the history of this country and a large section of it's people. His connection with the unification of Nepal notwithstanding, one can only sympathize with the nativity of the Editor in expecting that he will behave in a certain way just because he has some relation with Gajanan. BRB is the one who, with the propaganda machinations he has created (including, many times, you, the Editor), has succeeded in labeling "regressive" and worth punishment, the praise of the country Nepal was and could have been, and its founding fathers including the Great Prithivi Narayan Shah.

For example, read this story for a very stingy attack on the hopes you have tried to lay down in this editorial (let's not forget, the writer is a stooge of BRB): www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/09/13/oped/the-conservative-assault/226276.html

Dear Editor, you will have to eat your words too, prepare for the day.


17. Rabi

# 16 interesting observation about the hype surrounding BRB.  

It is interesting to note that the same person writing the Kantipur article also interviewed BRB as an employee of the Indian newspaper Hindu. http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article2419048.ece

You may be right that despite all the hopes of the media, based on his past behavior BRB may prove to be a disappointment. He may prove to be the biggest opportunist and may try to do whatever is necessary to remain in power,even if entails breaking up the country along ethnic lines.

 Some not so bright people in the Indian government must be patting themselves on the back for being able to forge this coalition government that they believe is totally under their control.

Their habit of interfering directly in Nepali politics in the hope of using proxies  like many of the Madhesi politicians and others  to control the country  is a very short-sighted policy.

With their previous actions in the last few years,they have lost credibility with most of the Maoist cadres and even with the general Madhesi population with the exception of  the discredited political leaders and some in the media. Most of the people in the hills and Kathmandu have already been alienated because of open involvement of Indian policy-makers  in bringing down or propping up different governments in Nepal.

Now the Nepali Congress and UML have lost trust in them.

The majority of Nepali people do not trust this Indian government,despite the fact most Nepalis wish India and its people well.

The fact that this Indian government has  been able to alienate the vast majority of the Nepalis does not bode well for Indian policy in Nepal in the long-term,and may eventually lead to much greater problems for it along the northern regions . The attempt by this Indian government to control Nepal using proxies is certainly going to fail, it is only a matter of time.

Nepal is an older country and unlike India has always been independent, and  Nepalis with a few exceptions, always will prize their independence.



18. jange
#17 Rabi

 He may prove to be the biggest opportunist ...

He just might. He is already the next biggest opportunist.


19. Austrain Economist
#jange
I'm absolutely empathetic to you if you've suffered the insurgency through some financial, familial or psychological loss.

But I don't know what exactly is your motive behind this much spite to Baburam! Your identity is not any man rational man but is anti-maoist hawk.. so think before you give so much value to your life of the Maoists, may that be negatively.

So you and Ravi seem to be crew inside Nepali Times, kind of hideous opportunists.

This is my surmise with  margin error of 90%. But folks, if you could, talk like a sensible man with rationality and logic. 

Ask yourselves and you'll get it all. ...Maoists were bad people, now some of them are bad, too. Nay, most of them are trying to clean themselves. Much than that, PM Baburam, with the help of India, our ally, will sort out this mess out and beyond for everyone's good (that's what his intention is). And his portfolio would just be bigger in role than Girija, but lesser than BP....

Never jargonize your malice into the bad cup.

So jange, if you know about, talk about BP, for he is the real man with substance to talk about.
.....

Or if again you refuse and be what your foolhardiness is all about, getting Maoists on head, you'll either rot away serving dhani mani, sukila mukila, byapari, pahelo mediamen {yellow journalists} (but they also are human beings with hearts, bad hearts really!), most of them trying to smother the public in the smokescreen of justice, parliamentary democracy and peace. Add to that.. rule of law, or other many terms which I'm still in the knowing. Or you'll be blurring the genuine debate about the future of our country.

I'm not sorry I don't intend however my malice to anyone because every human being is at last a human being whatever his history, status and meaning. I just mean that if you could suggest me which I may find under careful consideration a worthy pursuit to change myself, I definitely will. I'm just trying to be a protean mold.

But you haven't changed yourself for three years least (...that's time since I've been referring Nepali Times).

Good that I'm wrong for you, if, you can suggest me reasonably, and I'll not be mulish next time, as like now, essentially as a portraiture of virtues.


20. asimplefolk
I don't know if talkers and writers have any use in this world...especially this Keynesianist and Jange.

21. jange
# 19

But I don't know what exactly is your motive behind this much spite to Baburam!

I have nothing against the guy, certainly not spite. I really, really, really  would like to believe he is a really nice guy and has nothing but good intentions but then facts keeps getting in the way.

- The guy believes it is OK to use violence (murder, loot and extortion, dismemberment and what not) to achieve his political objectives. It would be OK if he just believed that and didn't put it into practice. But he went around practicing his beliefs and killed thousands of people.
- The guy is totally unrepentant about the fact that he and his party went about their murder, loot and extortion, dismemberment. He even thinks it was a heroic act.
- The guy and his party have repeatedly said that all this peace process palaver is nothing but a tactical step in their ultimate goal to capture state power. And, as and when the opportunity comes they will do so.

So now, tell me, on what basis should I ignore the facts and believe that he has nothing but good intentions for us all.

Try and answer this question. How is Baburam different from that Norwegian guy who killed all those kids? Apart from the scale of the killing.



Maybe you would like to say on what basis you think he has nothing but good intentions. Maybe I missed out on something.




22. Charles Benjamin Hook
I think the best thing for Nepal is that BRB became its elected P M.  Its disgusting to read the comments of Jange and Keynesianist for they are narrow minded and ignorant individuals. May be they are paid servants of other political parties in Nepal. Its a shame that Nepali times will publish such childish comments from Jange and Keynesianist. You can do better that these 2 Mr Dixit  or are you also on the same payroll.  Just look at China today before any one of you open your mouths ...  I think you are all jealous and cowards to speak against BRB.  Give the man a chance ...  ok     

23. jange
22. Charles Benjamin Hook

Interesting that you have chosen to call my comments childish, ignorant and narrow minded rather than try and refute or deny the facts I have presented.

Read them again. See if you can give a reasoned response.


24. oblix
Yup lets keep on arguing everyone. Politicians in the Parlament, Civilians in the streets, in the internet... Lets just keep this cycle on and on... Who cares about Nepal. We are more worried about who came first, the chicken or the egg or who created the problem first the maoist or someone else. No body wants someone else to succeed coz if someone else succeeds then it means that they failed. Sati le sarapeko desh is sooooooo true. If all the parties are destroyed and there is only one party then there will be in fighting inside that single party. If there is only one faction inside the party then they will become more. Everyone for himself and no one cares about the country or anyone else. I hope the next earthquake kill all the people so that there will be peace and tranquility to go along with the beautiful landscape.

25. K. K. Sharma

Review the 40 point demand given by BRB to PM Deuba in 1996. It was for those 40 point demand that about 17 thousand Nepali lives were lost, thousands were displaced, many lost their properties, Nepali economy was retarded..... and now.. BRB has forgotten those 40 demands. 

Wish NT would refress our memories by printing the 40 point demand made by BRB, so that his current actions can be assessed on the basis, correctly.


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