Recent Political Developments

I was a little cut-off from the news on Nepalese politics since few days due to my own busy days in college. I am trying to catch up.

The first incident that I found really interesting was the handing over of a Maoist cadre by the Maoists themselves for persecution and facing charges in court. This is uncharacteristic of Maoists, they have been making every effort to protect their cadres from being persecuted and giving perpetrators shelter in YCL camps, another name for CBD (Crime Breeding Center) and YCL meaning Young Criminals League as pointed out by Girija Prasad Koirala. You can find the details on the story here,
Maoists agree to present cadre accused for murder at court .

If Maoists really are intending to change and this is just the tip of the iceberg then that would be the best thing that would ever happen in post-monarchial Nepalese politics. The way Maoists swamped on peoples’ hopes and optimism for a new Nepal was disappointing.

Another development concerns the activities of UN bodies in Nepal. Nepalese government, which is led by the Maoists, refused to extend the term of OHCHR-Nepal (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) beyond June 10. Nepal faces a record high violation of human rights cases where ordinary Nepalese are tortured by Maoists, armed outfits operating in various parts of the country, most notably in the southern plains and not extending the term of OHCHR-Nepal only means these cases of violation will go unreported. Not that OHCHR-Nepal was doing any job of countering the human rights violators physically, but at least it was reporting them to the general public and the media. With such cases going unchecked, no one will know how many more humans in Nepal will be tortured, abducted or killed. This move on the part of Maoists is very unnerving and points at their dishonesty to give up violence. The motive behind this move of Maoists, to any mind would be clear that Maoists still regard OHCHR-Nepal as an opposition body, a group that would impede in its functioning. The absence of OHCHR body will provide Maoists more room to be autocratic and maybe this is what they wanted. Also, the confrontation between Visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and Nepalese PM Prachanda does not sound positive. UN, as a neutral body is giving remarks that it should be giving and that should be understood by Nepalese PM and Maoist supremo Prachanda. You can read the story here, Check Impunity: OHCHR Chief asks PM . Nepalese people do not want communism or socialism and Prachanda and his Maoist groups can not force this down our throats no matter how they try to hypnotize us or say it repeatedly in the media.

The mess that Nepal is in right now is not solely due to the past governments as Maoists claim repeatedly, in response to every situation that needs to be improved, ranging from shortage of electricity to ease in long-distance transportation or supply of fuels and so on. Maoists had gained popular support through Constituent Assembly elections, optimism and nationalism spirit was running high among every Nepali. There could not have any better chance to capitalize on this development. Maoists totally lost sight on this one. They let it slip. They engaged in political confrontations just like other parties did. They should have understood that other parties were trying to prove them ineffective and so they should have moved forward without turning back to try to prove to them that they are right, there was no point in engaging in a never ending argument and blame-game. Now what? What is in store for future of Nepal? Honestly I don’t know. And I would be surprised if someone would claim they know. Even Prachanda does not know what he is going to say, do or which country he is going to go next week leaving the country in a total mess. Possibly, only PashupatiNath knows it. PashupatiNath le hami sabai ko rakhshya garun…