For a Democratic Republic of Nepal
- http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/

Why don't you put this most important here at sajha directly?

Towards a Democratic Republic of Nepal
Democracy has been squeezed out by the two extremes: the Monarchists and the Maoists. It is for the democratic center to fight back. Street protests will not do. And the old mantra of constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy will not do either. And the single word mantra of democracy will not.

The call has to be for a Democratic Republic. The king has done what the Maoists would only have dreamt of. He has taken away all fundamental rights. And that has to be countered by an all-out call for a Republic. No more talk of a Constitutional Monarchy. King G can not be trusted. Ever since he got onto the throne, he has been playing the cat and mouse games of a feudal aristocrat with the feeble parties and politicians. He is the Nepali Musharraf. He does not have Queen Elizabeth in mind. Even if the insurgency were to be quelled and "democracy" reinstalled, he would want to play Big Brother. He intends to be a "Constructive" Monarch, not a Constitutional Monarch. A constitutional monarch is politically irrelevant, but he never intends to become politically irrelevant. He intends to be active and meddling even if democracy is reinstalled.

It is for the Nepali Speakig High Caste Male dominated institutions like the Nepali Congress and the UML to shake off their love affair with the concept of a Constitutional Monarchy that they have been parroting, come hell or high water.

Unilateral disarmament is ineffective politics. The king hits the democratic forces, those forces need to hit back. And you hit back by creating and amassing support for a Republic. And saying, after the Republican forces take over, the entire top brass of the army will be purged. If you do not create such a platform, the army has no incentive to think twice before doing the Gyanendra do. The army and King G went after the civilians. Human rights abuses have gone up. They are acting as if the Maoists were the lesser problem, first gag the common peoples and the politicians.

The Nepali people pay the king, the Nepali people pay the army. And ought to treat the two like they might treat clerks at the post office, with human respect, but with a clear understanding as to whose payroll these people are on. Both have given ample evidence they need to be fired.

What King G wants is to do the 100 days mantra to calm things down, hoping the initial reactions will go down, people will get used to it. This is an Active Monarch, playing the chess game of politics. Whoever elected King G?

It is for the democratic forces to create that political platform, and it is for them also to respond to some of the charges levelled against them. As in, yes, some of us were corrupt, but we intend to pass major anti-corruption legislation, and, by the way, look at the "royal corruption." The royal "budget" has been increased 10-fold by King G. That puts to shame all the corruption of the entire batch of Congressias. And look at the army's budget. 70% of the national budget.

This major issue has to be addressed head on and in all honesty if the democratic forces are to expect ground support.

The mantra of Democratic Republic is also to be a face saving possibility for the Maoists. Yes, the democrats are also Republicans now. Join us, or expect to get sidelined.

Not too much stock can be put in ancient communist ideology. These Maoists have been organizing the Dalits and the Janajatis. Mao never heard of Dalits and Janajatis. These legitimate social grievances have to be addressed. Maoists are not just hooligans with guns. They have a clear political agenda.

Most of the persecuted politicians conveniently have Nepali Speaking High Caste Male names. They need to do some soul searching into the social reality that marginalized the Dalits and the Janajatis. The social agenda of the Maoists has to be addressed to demilitarize them eventually.

Democracy is also a mechanism to address social inequalities, also a mechanism to address poverty, also an anti-corruption mechanism. The democratic forces will have to present that larger vision of democracy. So far they have failed to do so.

India, US, UK matter, but only so much. King G might be able to use those powers. Already he has asked for 100 days just to present a plan to deal with the Maoists. And these powers are okay with that. Democracy will not be a gift of the foreign powers. It will have to be earned by the Nepali people. And political leadership helps.

The installment of a Democratic Republic of Nepal will have to be the work of the Nepali democratic forces all over the world, and primarily in Nepal, coming together and organizing and launching an effective counter to the king's move.

Street protests are hard to organize in a police state that Nepal has now become. And when they were organized, they were ineffective. Because they were designed to "convince" a monarch who does not speak that language. This monarch can not be convinced out, he has to be forced out. And the way to do that would be to create a broad Democratic Republican political platform and to coalesce a large, international coalition of Nepalis around it.

I have a feeling the Maoists will come into the mainstream if the democratic forces were to switch their allegiance from Constitutional Monarchy to Republicanism and were to agree to the idea of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution. What kind of democrat are you if you do not agree to the idea of a Constituent Assembly? Let the 27 million Nepalis decide what kind of constitution they want. Yes, as a Madhesi, I expect such an Assembly to turn Nepal into a federal state, which is the only solution to the second class status of Madhesis in Nepal, as the Janajatis. Noone who is against the idea of a Constituent Assembly can claim to be a democrat, no such person has a right to protest the king's autocratic move.

I don't see the king and the army defeating the Maoists militarily. I don't see the Maoists taking over the country militarily. So the onus is on the democratic forces to create the political platform that gets rid of the monarchy and brings the Maoists into the mainstream.

Hence the clear call for a Democratic Republic of Nepal.

Why don't u support your opinion by your 3rd nick name?

I wish I could have Democratic Republic of Nepal under the grandeur shadow of snow capped mountian of the Himalayas and make our national flag with the tip of the mount Everest. But I am afraid it's a long war that depends on average people of Nepal who are short sighted with thier five senses - peace in abysse, enjoyment in prison and wealth in grave yard.

At this point and time Nepal is in the grip of the DARK FORCE's politics. After the Rana oligarchy and Panchayat Mahendramalla the DARK FORCE is like the master of Dark Veda of Star War Trillogy.

This time the DARK FORCE is very strong and is well prepared. The grand plan has been drawn since 1990. Now its architecture is working with most grand dark force with following accomplishments:

ALL AVERAGE NEPALI PEOPLE IN NEPAL ARE SPELLED ON THE MAGIC OF WIZARD OF KGP (king Gyanne's Politics).

KGP HAS SEND MANY AGENT TO SPELL MAGIC IN ABROUD WHERE NEPALIS PEOPLE ARE WORKING HARD TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY IN NEPAL.

THERE ARE ONLY POLITICAL LEADERS, POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES, JOURNALISTS AND MEMBERS OF CIVIC SOCIETY WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SCAPE FROM THE SPELL OF THIS MAGIC in the prison and house arrest.

Only Maoists who can read the line between the spells of magic are confronting face to face because Maoists are also possessed with the same force though not as gravely, cruelly and inhumanly as the DARK FORCE POLITICS DOES. Maoists can come out of these engagements once they find the trustworthy and respectful environment for their objectives.

But the dawn of New Era of Dark Force in Nepal has grip from the Rana oligarchy to Mahendramalla, the Panchayate. It is very dark and old force of Nepal that DO NOT WANT TO SEE POOR NEPALI PEOPLE BEING FREE, PROGRESSIVE AND PROSPERIOUS.

This hard truth to take in to our heart then face. Average Nepali people have no courage to face this and confront it. This is the unfortunate of Nepal.

May Nepal Change to Free World that can adore humans being possessed of free of speech, civil rights and enjoy all human rights toward progressive path of prosperity.

I am for the Democratic Repulic and the New National Flag with the Mout Everst Tip along Daphe chari and Laliguras!!!!

May Grand Himalayas bless Nepal!!!

Just want to complete what my fellow poster above says above:

Why don't u support your opinion by your 3rd nick name? In other words, I am not capable of challenging your intellect or refuting your arguments, so I will attack you! How dare a Madhise write such a thought provoking article while we the Pahadi Bahuns sit on our asses supporting whoever comes to power! We got to be superior; we were born that way, damn it!

Hey Dada Giri and M.P:

I am the one who copied and posted origical artical of paramendra from this site http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/ becasue that site had problem of commenting this article. This guy is writing something that time as brought to Nepalese to pounder over for if not near future of for definite future. OK

I have posted my argument and I wand Democratic Repulic of Nepal with New flag that has Mt. Everest all over the flag and Daphe chari and lali guras.

Mr M.P. all Pahadi upadhaya Bahunas had great opportunity from Rana and Shaha regimes since the dawn of Nepal accept those Bahuns how are called Jaishi - fallen Upadhyas. Perhaps the Democracy is the best suite for Bahuns who are intelligent, clevers and hard working. And Brahamins are the biggest force in Nepal now. Are you for the Democratic Nepal with new national flag?

Let me add one more nickname among the supporters of democratic republic of Nepal!! Sooner or later, we will see a republic in the Himalayas.

Let's think about those who have come out to openly support the king here: is it any wonder they are either old mandales, their kids or those with sirnames like Shah or Rana. And, is it any wonder, say, if an army general's son in New York supports the king's move and sees democracy there? And, these people are trying to tell us , Gyanendra, Paras, Tulsi Giri, Kirtinidhi, ... these freaks love democracy and will reinstate it? Come on.

And finally, give me one electoral region in the whole Nepal where Tulsi Giri or Kirti Nidhi Bista runs for Member for parliament, and wins 2000 votes? One region!! You want me to believe these people will somehow allow a system where they will be that utterly rejected and obliterated?

There are few groups of people (living aboard) who stood opposite to Democratic Republic of Nepal:

1. As mentioned above, relatives of Shah, Rana...
2. As mentioned above, relatives of Army men (the most corrupted ones), most of them also falls in (1) above.
3. The 'Chamchas' of these two groups (1) and (2), who were able to amass properties from the 'NIGAHA', not from their talency and hard works.
4. The group which does not know the definition of the democracy, human rights, peace and freeedom.
5. The sons and daughters, whose fathers amassed our 'taxes' to send their kids aboard during 'Panchayet System'.
6. The group which left Nepal many years ago and does not know anything about present Nepal, does not care too.
7. The group whose families are in danger because of the legal actitions if freely judged from the great Nepalese people.
8. The selfish group which doesnot do any good for the country but just barks
9. The people who got the scholarships to study aboard by 'BHANSUN', not by their intellectual capabilities.
10. The group which was not able to fulfill personal interests due to transparency in the political and administrative system developed by the people for people.
11. The group which does not trust on People and majority.
12. The group who hate freedaom, hate presonal rights, love to be slave, love to be damn.

-----------------------and many more-------------------------

Paramendra, so what's new beyond the usual "let's replace the King because he is khattam but, hey, everything will be hunky-dory after he is gone -- just trust me on
this" hypothesis?

Isn't this pretty much what Nepe's been preaching since God was a child?

Surely, the King has lots of faults, but I am beginning to suspect that this ritual
blaming the King for everything appears more of a cop-out strategy of non-Kathmandu-based (i.e. village-grown) elites -- who may now be living and working abroad -- to
vent their frustrations over their own sheer lack of access to any political power within
Nepal than out of any desire to strengthen democratic institutions in Nepal.

Hence, the distance lends an air of doctrinal purity, an almost idealzed wish -- regardless of the messy situation in the ground in Nepal.

How else to explain this utterly delusional statement such as: "I have a feeling the Maoists will come into the mainstream if the democratic forces were to switch their allegiance from Constitutional Monarchy to Republicanism and were to agree to the idea of a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution." ?

Yeah, right.

The Maoists will NEVER come to the mainstream.
Let's stop deluding ourselves -- once and for all.

Either the state will flush them out to the point of irrelevance (a move I support, while keeping a sharp eye on the state's human rights abuses) or the Maoists will take over the country.

We are headed for only these two bloody outcomes.

*****

I am continuously amazed by how Nepalis abroad UNDERESTIMATE the Maoist threats.
Obviously, they have not been home in the last five to seven years, much less worked or travelled to parts of Maoist-affected Nepal.

Let me put this very crudely,

1) Yes, the King threatens the interests of non-Kathmandu-based elites (hence opposition to him comes most from these people who have much to lose if Girija et all cease to exist as aboveground political netas).

b) Yes, the political parties threaten the interests of Kathmandu-based traditional
elites' (hence, opposition to political parties and their netas come most from these people who chant the mantra of 'corruption' and 'bad governance' against the netas).

c) BUT, don't you see? The Maoists threaten EVERYONE's interests.

The Maoists have a history of saying one thing and doing another; they have a history of saying that they are pro-poor while hurting and harming the poor the most; they have a history of backstabbing and destroying their own friends such as Samyukta Jan Morcha; they have a history of hijacking legitimate political agenda and mutating them into justifications for sickening violence .. . what more evidence do you want against the Maoists?

It's a myth to think that the Maoists want to come to the table for talks. What will they talk about? When we have seen legitimate political parties FAILING to strike a compromise among themselves to go for goals that would have been collectively
better for them, how can we even think of Maoists to ever be ready to make compromises that 'joining the mainstream' inevitably entails?

Nothing gets done in Nepal if ALL problems are to be solved at once.

First, let's concentrate on defanging the Maoists.
With them around, you will never be able to go home.

oohi
ashu

2 questions for ashu. just want to hear your opinion, these are honest questions.

1. How does one defang the Maobaadi? What are the possible action-plans or strategies?

It seems to me that "flushing out" the Maobaadi is very difficult, if not impossible. Chop off the head of a Raktabij and every drop of blood that falls on earth gives rise to another Raktabij. Clearly, chopping off the heads of these Raktabijes is not the solution, or is it?

2. What will be difference to me, a citizen, between the current regime and the Maobaadi regime if they were to win?

Are there different answers to this depending on where I live, viz. Kathmandu, not Kathamandu?

Tired asked:

"How does one defang the Maobaadi? What are the possible action-plans or strategies?"


Defanging does NOT mean going for ONLY gun-against-gun solutions.

As Alexander the Great has shown, when it comes to winning battles in inhospitable terrains and against brutal enemies, brainpower (re: what is to be done and what is
not to be done) counts much more than mere sword-wielding antics.

I'll leave it to the King and his advisors to devise ways to get Nepal OUT of the
Maoist mess, since they have PUBLICLY taken this responsibility upon themselves.
They apper to have realized that military solution is not enough; and like the rest of ther world, I am hoping (with increasing impatience) that the King has some sort of a trump card.

Optimistimally, maybe only a scheming and devious Panchayati mind such as
that of Tulsi Giri can understand the scheming and the devious mind of Maoists
Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Babu Ram Bhattarai.

Pessimistically though, the deeper the present Council of Ministers gets into the business of 'good governance' and other unsustainably populist programs, the further it will neglect the most important task at hand: Dealing with the Maoists.

****

2. What will be difference to me, a citizen, between the current regime and the Maobaadi regime if they were to win?


The New Review of Books recently carried an article that said that in North Korea, people fight with one another to bribe to go and work in Siberian Labour Camps, which are some of the most inhumane places in the world.

The reasoning those lucky enough to be chosen to work in Siberia use is that at
least being in Siberia is better than being in North Korea.

I'd say that being with the Maoists is like being trapped in North Korea.

oohi
ashu

>I am for the Democratic Repulic and the New National Flag with the Mout Everst Tip along Daphe chari and Laliguras!!!!

Standforyourrights जी,
राजतन्त्र, सँबैधानिक राजतन्त्र, निस्कृय राजतन्त्रात्म प्रजातन्त्र, पुर्ण प्रजातन्त्र, गणतन्त्र देखि माओबादसम्मका बिबिध धारहरुको बहस पहिले पनि भएकै हो। रुचि भए तलको लिन्क पनि एक पटक हेर्न सक्नुहुन्छ। र यहाँ म तिनै कुराहरु दोहोर्याउने पक्षमा छैन।
http://www.sajha.com/sajha/html/OpenThread.cfm?forum=2&ThreadID=18493

तर तपाईँले नेपालको झण्डाको कुरा उठाएर एउटा रोचक प्रसगंको सुरुवात गर्नुभयो।

०४६ सालको आन्दोलनपछि नेपालको राष्ट्रिय गीतमा परिवर्तन हुन्छ भन्ने कुरामा व्यक्तिगत रुपमा म विस्वस्त थिएँ परन्तु त्यसो हुन सकेन।
यसमा टड्कारो रुपमा कसैले पनि वास्ता गरेन सायद सबै त्यसपछि हुने संसदीय निर्वाचनमा केन्द्रित भैसक्या थे र होला।
नेपालको राष्ट्रिय गित एकपटक संझेर ल्याउनुस् त शब्दपिच्छे चित्त नबुझ्दो छ। न त प्रजातन्त्रलाई समेट्न सक्छ न त नेपाललाई नै।

यसमा परिवर्तन हुनुपर्छ नेपालको झण्डा भन्दा पनि पहिला। कि कसो ल भन्नुस् छातिमा हात राखेर। हामीले यो गीत गाएर नेपालि खेलाडीहरु बिदेशि भूमिमा मुकाबिला गर्न सुरु गर्नु अगाडि गाउने राष्ट्रिय गीत यस्तोमा चित्त बुझाएर बसेका छम्।
यसमा परिवर्तन त हुनै पर्छ। राष्ट्र, राष्ट्रियता, राषट्रिय अखण्डता, राष्ट्रिय बिभुँतीहरुको सम्मान झल्किने खालको गीत हामीलाई चाहिएको छ जुन गित हिमालदेखि तराईसम्म, मेचिदेखि कालीसम्मका सबै नेपालीहरुलाई मान्य होस्।

अब कुरा रह्यो झण्डाको।
तपाईँले त आयात र ढाँचा पनि बताइसक्नु भो आफ्नो बिचारको। तर मलाई त्यो पनि अधूरो लाग्छ। सगरमाथा, गुँरास र डाँफे भन्या त नाम्चेबजारमा एकै ठाउँमा पाइने कुरा हुन्।
हैन यसले आम नेपालको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्ला र?
अनि शहिदको रातो रगतलाई खोलैखोल बगाउने? कि सुकेर गयो, निलो शान्तिको रगं नि फेरि, फालीहाल्न नपर्ला कि?
अनि त्रिकोणाकार बनाउने कि चतुर्भाजाकार, यसबारे यहाँको के बिचार होला?
मेरो बिचार पछि भन्छु है।

Ashuji,

Your argument calls Paramendra's argument a flawed hypothesis, and you yourself seem to believe in Tulsi Giri and Kritinidhi Bista and the King. What makes you believe them. What makes you not believe them if they won't return Panchayat. We've already seen what they have done...

And as for Maoist, you seem to think that they will turn Nepal into N. Korea and scare us about their possible win.

My understanding is-- you believe the King and his croonies because they say so although they don't act so to the extreme good they may do. And you believe in the Maoist to be the extreme bad they may do.

After lots of discussion of yours and Nepe, now I am finally understanding what Nepe is talking about you.

Paremendra's argument is logical and therefore deserves my praise.

I am totally against Maoist but I could trust them a micro bit but no way to trust Gyanendea - the new Jangabahadur!

Mailadai,

You are welcome to believe whatever you want to believe.
That's fine by me.

When it comes to understanding politics, I do not have the luxury to theorise from
some safe pedestal.

That's because I take Nepali political events as they REALLY are in a fluid state -- fully knowing that next steps could go in ANY direction.

Unlike some delusionally self-confident Sajha stalwarts, I have no crystal-ball to predict what is really going to happen next for sure. I can, at best, only think in terms of rough probablities of certain things happening, and even then I am often not right.

Thankfully, I have seen that other people -- despite their self-confidence and compelling pro-this and against-that logic -- too have NO better batting average when it comes to accurately forecasting our short-term political future.

Remember, some time ago, intellectuals and journalists were all over Mohammed Mohsin for daring to suggest that Nepal might become an autocratic state soon. At the time, it was fashionably knee-jerk thing to gang up on Mohsin ad infinitum and ad nauseum for
making that remark.

A few months later, look, where Nepal is now.

Could any one of those intellectuals and journalists even have dreamt the state we
are in today in Nepal?

No.

Why?

Because they were so busy DENYING even the possibility through their so-called 'compelling logic against autocracy' argument, that it's quite ironic to find
ourselves now without the basic bundle of freedoms that those pundits then
simply took for granted.

Moral?
One-sided compelling logic alone rarely gets one far in PRACTICAL politics (though it
may get you an A in a political science paper). In practical politics, such one-sided logic
only preaches to the converted and hardens their belief -- a strategy that was used to solid results by George W. Bush to win in last November's elections.

That is why, I accept the REALITY that Tulsi Giri is at the helm now.
Accepting the reality here does NOT mean I support Tulsi Giri.

Still, the larger point is: Whether I support Tulsi Giri or whether Paramendra hates Tulsi Giri DOES NOT REALLY matter. Nepali politics is moving ahead REGARDLESS of what you and I think and regardless of whatever the IDEAL situation might have been.

The fact is: Tulsi Giri is at the helm.

Now you can dig up his past and give me 100 reasons why he is a khattam character, and you may be 100 per cent right. But that does NOT change the fact he is actually
at the helm of the government.

When you can't change the sobering fact, the only question that becomes relevant is: What's he gonna do next to defang the Maoists?

*****

Talking about democratic republicanism at this stage is basically a RELUCTANCE and even intellectual cowardice to face the harsh reality in Nepal.

The Nepalis could have thrown out the King in 1990 or in 1995 or we could do that in 2010 or 2015 or 2025 or 2050 or whenever. This issue is -- at the moment --RELATIVELY time-unspecific and even open-ended

But throwing out the Maoists is urgent, compelling and time-specific.
There is hardly any time to lose.

It's BECAUSE of the Maoists that the country is in a standstill mode.

And meantime, thinking that Maoists would make good bedfellows with the political parties to throw out the King is like thinking that having a pet cobra would not bite
the owner someday. The Maoists would use the political parties for their own ends and then DISCARD them.

oohi
ashu

Ashuji,
You wrote "The fact is: Tulsi Giri is at the helm." I say you are 100000% wrong. Gyanendra is at the helm.

You wrote "It's BECAUSE of the Maoists that the country is in a standstill mode." I say you are only 50% right. The other 50% is because of Gyanendra - who is loves to fish in troubled water. He has no interest in negotiated solution. Bhai fute ganwar lute.

Mohammad Mohisin's remarks was a signal from the Palace of the days to come. Political parties and others rejection of his remarks were signal to the palace of their disagreement. You seem to think otherwise.

Now back to the maoist.

1st they thought the police could finish off the Maoist
2nd they thought by creating Armed Police Force, the Maoist will be finished.
3rd, they thought the Army is going to wipe them off.
4th, they thought Surya Bdr. Thapa could finish them
Now you think Tulsi Giri, who's not even lived in Nepal for last how many years, with the King can finish Maoist. This is finest prediction I have ever heard.

In my opinion, the Maoist can be fought by the people only. And how can that happen, the best choice is Constituent Assembly.

Satya,

I saw it with my own eyes: When people like Girija Prasad and Gagan Thapa could not even organise a solid Andolan to a successful finish in Ratna Park last year, I very
much doubt their ability to organise anything against the King. They did not even
have the decency to thank the supporters who had come from all over the country.

[And when Girija FIRED Gagan Thapa from the post of Youth Congress's Maha Mantri
in defiance of his party's constitution and installed his own kangaroo student leaders,
my last ounce of faith in Girija as a democrat went out of the window forever.]

Still, unless we -- in the short run -- all gell against the greatest threat and concentrate our resources to defuse that threat, blaming the King or the political parties will get us nowhere.

oohi
ashu