Maoists pushing nation to dangerous polarization

PRAJWAL SHRESTHA

Amid confrontations and clashes with opposing parties and also the police, the Maoists are moving ahead with the political programmes, which are bringing the country to a dangerous situation. What the Maoists have shown is that the party has done its homework and it has well made plans on how to move ahead. This can hardly be said of the other traditional parties like the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML). They are in virtual political wilderness and it is difficult to see them making any impact, if an election is really held.

In fact the UML has just tried to follow in the Maoists footsteps by simply echoing what this extreme Left party has been saying. For example, the Maoists called for quick constituent assembly polls and the UML followed, then the Maoists called for a republican state and the UML again did the same, now the Maoists disturbed parliament proceedings and the UML is following suit. This party has done the same, regarding its stance about Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. During all this time, the Nepali Congress, which calls itself the “biggest” political party, has remained a mute witness. Sporadic statements from leaders without mass base are just not enough for the party to counter the overwhelming political advantages the Maoists are gaining.

Meanwhile, the Maoists are pushing the nation to a dangerous situation by unilaterally calling for the nation to be declared a republic. Even a staunch communist like Nepal Workers and Peasant Party chairman Narayan Man Bijukche has criticized such a demand. He explained that more time should be given to replace an institution that had been in the country for more than 200 years. Instead, Bijukche accused the bigger parties in the eight party alliance of selling themselves to India. “When top level leaders go there to consult about even small decisions, what else can you say?”, he questioned in a TV interview.

It is unclear at whose insistence the Maoists are following their present stance of unilaterally calling for a republic, but, what is sure is, they are inviting a violent confrontation to the country by doing so. Like Bijukche, the leaders of the other parties in the eight party alliance must wake up to the threat being manifested by the Maoists. If these parties want their existence to continue, specially as democratic parties, then they must not allow the Maoists to trample over the rights of millions of Nepalese. Even after days of forceful campaigning, what could the Maoists do, just raise, what they claimed to be one million plus signatures. Critics have said that there were thousands of “repeated” signatures. But what all must be aware about is the politically effective manner in which they presented the signatures to the Speaker. But still, it was only a few so called mainstream media which like in the past, gave encouraging coverage to the event. Otherwise, most general people are fed up by the constant disturbances being created by the Maoists. The Americans have done well by not removing this group from its terrorist list. After all, the party at present, though in the parliament and also the government, is doing nothing but “terrorizing the prime minister, the other parties, security personnel and the people in general.

Source: American Chronicle, May 17, 2007