CA Polls: High Demands

Prem N. Kakkar

THE country has seen some more political developments in the past one week. An important one is making public the Rayamajhi Commission. In fact, there could be many reasons for the delay in making the report public. Now that the report and recommendations have been made public, the heat is now on. There are many who are not happy with it. But it must be agreed that this report has not suffered the same fate as the Mallick report that probed into the previous people's movement.

Sacrifices

It is appropriate that those who committed excesses during Jana Andolan II and misused authority and state funds ought to receive the punishment as dictated by the law of the land. If some laws need to be framed, the legislature parliament ought to move ahead with it. Only then will it be able to justify the people's sacrifices made during the April revolution last year.

It has also been suggested that action against those named in the report should be taken before the Constituent Assembly elections. This may be justified in the sense that the CA poll is the culminating point of the gains of Jana Andolan II for the present. That done, the people will be satisfied that their voices have been heard and they can participate in the polls freely and fearlessly to elect the constituent assembly which will have the task of drafting an all-inclusive democratic constitution.On the question of the constituent assembly election, various problems have been raised by various groups and parties. The Maoists want the declaration of a republican state before the polls while other groups have their own demands concerning representation and the voting system. The country is passing through a transitional phase, and it is only natural that such problems should arise. But they must be tackled in the best possible manner.

An armed struggle is not an answer to the problems facing the country. This was a fact realised very wisely by the Maoists. But there are some groups in the Terai that have taken up arms, and regular news of abductions and killings of innocent people are being reported. This is rather unfortunate because the sovereignty is vested in the people, and there are peaceful means to get their grievances addressed.Towards this end, the government talks team has sincerely taken up the task of holding talks with the various agitating groups. There have been some positive signals, but there is still more path to be covered. The agitating groups have their own set of demands, but resolving them is taking time, and so the talks have been lingering on. Just take the demand by a Terai group - that the legislature be dissolved. This is difficult to be fulfilled in the present context. The government talks team should do the necessary homework before it engages in talks with the various agitating groups. However, talks must continue till an amicable conclusion is reached. This is very urgent as the constituent assembly polls are just round the corner.

The deteriorating law and order situation in the country is also a problem. The government is aware of the unrest in the Terai and is trying to do the needful but has not made much headway. For this, the political parties, agitating groups and the people, in general, have to join hands. The commitment of the political leaders is of utmost importance. They should be careful as to how they express themselves to the people. Misleading comments and statements have to be avoided. Controversial statements go to create confusions among the people. Today's political leaders are experienced and seem to understand the pulse of the people, so they must avoid comments that stir up the people's negative sentiments. It is they that the people are seeing as saviours, and if they fail, it will be a misfortune for the country.ChallengesWith the focus on the CA polls, the parties have to get to the act of making headway in the direction. Concentrating themselves in the Kathmandu Valley will not be enough. It is time they spread out into the villages and the districts with the message of the CA polls. The risk factors are there, but they have to face the challenges. And in this rests the future of the country and the people.

Source: The Rising Nepal, August 10, 2007