Constructive engagement or disruptive plot? (Commentary)

Narayan Prasad Ghimire / Kathmandu: Nepal on Thursday marked the International Human Rights Day amidst a severe humanitarian crisis. Furthermore, the country was bound to mark the Anti-Corruption Day amid ruckus of the political leaders over the anti-graft body’s summon to them on suspicion of amassing property illegally. Similarly, the Tribhuvan University held its convocation ceremony amid surging unemployment among educated youths in the country.

Meanwhile, some leaders and even ministers were claiming of immediate easing of the supply of essential goods amid no signs of the removal of the blockade imposed on Nepal. The political parties waging protests in Madhes and big three leaders are making claims of positive talks amid zilch achievements.

These are some contrasts that are quite enough to depict the day-to-day Nepali lives and political problems facing the country.

The retinue of Delhi visit of the agitating political leaders in the southern plains, of the one campaigning nationwide for a new political force, and of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister too has not yielded any significant result, except the entry of some gas bullets and other fuel carriers from different border points, though all of them (not India) had argued that their visits was successful to untie the convoluted politics in the country.

It is quite astonishing that the agitating Madhesi parties had been to India to be clear on ‘their agenda’. The shameful trip-setting national political agenda in foreign country- had nothing but to earn more shame. More shame it earned also because Indian government was lambasted with the resonating Rajyasabha pointing Modi government’s fiasco in the handling relations with Nepal. The views, especially of Mani Sankhar Ayer of Congress (I) in India’s Rajyasabha, was so riveting that it not only finely exposed India’s highhandedness and big-brother-consciousness towards Nepal but also worked as a severe blow to the apoplectic appeasing of Madhesi leaders in Delhi. Of course, the fact and fiction on Nepal’s political impasse was well depicted in Ayer’s formidable speech.

Interestingly, the response the palm-greasing leaders from Madhes got from Delhi establishment was a rebuff to their tactic to strangulate Kathmandu Valley. It was normal also because India was earning bad repute after the news of blocking the supply of vital goods such as medicine became international. As far as the border point transaction is concerned, no shipment has been allowed from Raxaual border point, from where almost 70 percent of Nepal-India’s transactions are made.

It is now worth mentioning here to link the humanitarian crisis in the country, already devastated by the April-May earthquake which pushed nearly a million Nepalis in poverty, a total of 3 million children (below 5 years) are directed affected by the blockade, according to the UNICEF. See, how horrendous the blockade is resulting in a harrowing situation!

The blockade is gradually resulting in multifarious nefarious scenes were the Nepalis are the poor victims. As per the White Paper the government unveiled two weeks back, the economic growth rate of the country was likely to limit in two percent. It was further warned by Nepal Rastra Bank Governor that if the blockade was not lifted within few days, Nepal was inevitable to witness minus growth rate.

So worrying is the social harmony in the southern plains. The incendiary remarks made by some leaders before the Tikapur carnage is still in effect which has a big role to further spoil the creative minds of the Madhesi youths. Rather than engaging them in creativity, the leaders are making them poodles. How deplorable to read the news that children were paid to pelt stones on vehicles during the agitation!

With all such in the background, what’s the aim of the political parties that are waging struggle in the southern plains? It was my question to a journalist in his profession for 15 years from Janakpur city. He replied, “It’s nothing, but a tactic to seek political space which they lost in the second CA elections. Unemployment, un-education, discrimination, superstitions and other maladies have dogged Tarai/Madhes, but they egregiously ignore such.”

Don’t his views are cogent enough once we find the meaningful silence maintained by leader Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, one of those in the agitation, who is in the government now?

Similarly, a senior journalist and political analyst, Purushottam Dahal, argues in his writing in a national daily that the agitation in Tarai/Madhes is the exercise of the political parties which lost public trust especially after 2070BS. According to him, the real problems of Tarai/Madhes are badly shadowed by such political parties.

On the other hand, some political analysts hailing from Tarai/Madhes but enjoying benefit from the State are still excoriating the Pahade (hill origin people) domination as the major cause of Tarai lagging behind.

Conclusively, what’s the way out after the India visit of the agitating parties did not help in making their agenda clear as they claimed of earlier? And has the lunch at Lainchaur been a catalyst to come to the real ground? The most important all political parties- agitating, those in government and the opposition- must mull is to free up time for constructive engagement not for disruptive plot. If their talks go like a bargaining for footpath goods, or like one is the boss and another the servant, and like that of the division of properties between/among sons, how can a consensus be built?

And importantly, are we sitting for talks with vested interests or with the vision of developing the country? Let’s see how the days pass by. RSS