Mr. Chakra Prasad Bastola is a Nepali Congress Central Committee member. His political career attained a new high when Bastola revolved around Party President Koirala and made available for himself even the Nepal’s Ambassadorial post to India in the early 1990s.

Some even claim that Bastola was one of the master brains which hijacked a Twin Otter plane which was carrying Nepal Rastra Bank Notes from Biratnagar to Kathmandu as back in 1975-76.

The plane thus landed in India and nobody knows, as of now, where the money went thereafter.

From the inner core of his heart, Bastola appears to have become happy upon the curtailment of the Presidential hegemony that prevailed in the NC since long. He believes that the NC has got a new lease of life after the conclusion of the meet of the general Committee-one of the highest body of the party.

He does talk of politics but remains silent over the money that disappeared from the Forbesgung, Bihar, India, open grazing field.

Let’s listen from him more about the current NC and the nation’s politics: Thanks Deshanter Weekly dated November 8, 2009. Ed. 

TGQ1: What is the message that the freshly concluded Nepali Congress General Committee meet aired? Is it that the meet sent a message that it no longer trusts the top leadership? What say you Mr. Bastola?

Mr. Bastola:  The NC convention has provided some messages. The first one was to have unity among the entire congressmen and the other was just the opposite. Finally, the first for the prevalence of the unity prevailed over the second.

The one which favored unity among us won over the other.

Girija Prasad Koirala, you could look him through any angle or lens, his political height is admirable and honorable as well. He commands respect and honor in the entire country even as of today.

People at times say that the NC sans internal democracy and the NC leaders hesitate to speak in front of Girija babu.

I say to them look! You too have your Grandpa in your house. Do you speak against him? Or can you talk to him straight? 

Since these leaders are above than the leadership levels and thus the NC men prefer not to quarrel with their father like figures.

Yes! We do not have trust for our own leaders. This is a fact also. And since Girija babu has himself declared that he will renounce active politics and so we headed towards the selection/election of the future leaders for the party. The NC Convention concentrated over this fact.

TGQ2: The NC President urged not to convene the General Assembly Meet but it did happen. President told to strengthen the post of the NC Presidency but that also did not happen. To the extent that the NC President was taken to task for having encouraged nepotism and even talks prevailed that he would have to explain his position. What situation is this in your party? It is also being said that NC encourages nepotism and familial rule? Your comments please Mr. Bastola!

Mr. Bastola: Yes! Such things did happen. It was just a mere conjecture. It is not that such utterances did come as a matter of retaliation against him-Koirala- or his deeds. Yes! To some extent it was some sort of reprisal as well.

I don’t believe it to be so.  I don’t use such words. At the moment, the Maoists are in agitation. I saw Lila Mani Pokhrel together with his wife in one of the TV channels. Moreover, Dr. Bhattarai and his wife Hisila Yami both were in the cabinet. Nepotism is not that bad as long as it fulfills certain set criterions. If set procedures are crossed then such things crop up.

If you talk of the prevalence of the familial rule then the Nepalese Communists far exceed the Nepali Congress party.

We can take the example of the UML. Husband-Wife; father-son; and father-daughter could be seen in the party’s hierarchy in abundance.

TGQ3: Is it that there has been discontent over the height of the Party President? Or is it that the NC leaders want to replace Girija babu through the use of legal/democratic procedures? What is your comment Mr. Bastola?

Mr. Bastola: It is not that we don’t respect and honor Girija babu. Though we respect and honor him yet at times some political hitches do crop up in the process. If you talk of a family then you must respect your Grandpa! Those who differ with Grandpa, will at best leave the home voluntarily to avoid further frustration. What they can do other than to leave the home?

No! He has not seen or taken it against his political persona. Nobody has tried to displace him.

We will go in for now having a leadership through the adoption of established democratic procedures.

The leader should be competent who would be later adopted through democratic means.

Surprising results may come to the fore. The new leaders elected will be in their assigned posts for a definite period.

The Congress will now go in for a logical search of its future leaders.

TGQ4: In the newly emerged situation, what shall be the prime duties and tasks of the Nepali Congress? Can we say now that the freshly concluded General Steering Committee meet will usher in democratic process in the party? What say you Mr. Bastola?

Mr. Bastola: Yes! Definitely there are many challenges that lay head of the Nepali Congress. The party which ran toeing the old and mediaeval line of considerations should now take a quantum jump for the better.

We must initiate efforts that net-work the entire party as it is the age of the Electronic mail and the Internet. A Cyber culture must be initiated now. Looking at the advancement of the communication technologies existing in the globe at the moment, the party must run accordingly. Thus the party need to be further strengthened.

After the demise of B.P. Koirala, our party lacked visionary ideas. I must say that instead of our party, I could feel that some brilliant ideas have come up from the Maoist quarters. However, this should not mean that I am favoring the political ideologies of the Maoists. The Maoists came up with brilliant ideas to replace the old social and economic structures. The Nepali Congress must come up with such ideas also. If we could institutionalize those new ideas, the party will remain ever a lively one.

As regards your supplementary question, well! The party should not run under the whims of one single individual. The General Convention Committee too had to be convened. Now we have open space wherein one could freely speak and his voices shall be heard but not go unnoticed as in the past. This opening has opened the gates for greater possibilities and opportunities in the party. The Nepali Congress must now come out of its medieval ideas and culture. Fortunately, we have now a comfortable majority in the party who want to distance themselves from the old mindset that had plagued the party in the past.

These are good signs or say indications for the party itself.

TGQ5: How the current political dispute will come to an end? Who or which parties should come to the forefront in order to unlock the current political deadlock? What is your comment Mr. Bastola!

Mr. Bastola: For politics to run, first the parliament should be allowed to function. Isn’t’ it? It has been pretty long that the country and its politics have not run smoothly. The politicians make tall talks but do not understand even simple matters or say politics. The politicians including the Maoists should get to know that none can steer the nation on their own or say on a unilateral way. Ever body is playing politics including, government bureaucrats, policemen, army, castes and various ethnic tribes.

It is time now to think of the country first keeping on hold the politics that all these have been playing.

Let the country get out from the current political mess first.

Do you think that a boy of ten or twelve to a matured one of 60-70 should keep himself engaged in politics? I call it as “politics fatigue”. It has been too much. We must now think of the country. Politics is not the panacea for all the ailments. Issues of much greater dimensions have already cropped up of late. We talk of national politics but have already been encircled by international politics, environmental degradation, and the issues of climatic changes.

Let’s first normalize the country’s situation first. That’s all.

Comments (5)

i want to say that this organization is not so good and their hierarchial position is not good.

Commented by Bikash shah - December 11, 2009 @ 4:26 AM

Finally the participatory (common) decision passed by General Assembly. Grate those leader who able to break the Koirala autocracy.

Commented by Bishnu Gyawali - November 16, 2009 @ 9:21 PM

Nepali Congress party leaders' have lack of knowledge like political historical developement of Nepal. PN Shah was unified the great Nepal but they did not praise it means founder of Nepal is look like in deem. That is why some of major political parties should shame in globle world.

Commented by karan - November 15, 2009 @ 11:12 AM

The visioned great leader late B.P.Koirala's really logical and meaningful policy named " National Unity and Reconciliation " is a only and must to save this great nation and NC as well.So,leader like Mr.Bastola needs to work hard and honestly for the implementation of said principle of late B.P.Koirala,who was also the brain and heart of NC.So true NC leaders and activists should not be the hesitant to honestly apply the policy of BP.NC needs to reevaluate its past course of actions and needs to correct past blunder mistake they did which lead them and antion to suicidal stage. Jay Nepal !

Commented by Pant,Dibakar,in the US - November 13, 2009 @ 2:17 PM

bastola jee! tyo 32 lakh bharu kata harayo? tapainko bhag ma kati paryo ki sabai sano buwa ley chapkauno bho? bolidiyey hami dhukka hunthem ni.

Commented by devesh gautam - November 13, 2009 @ 2:53 AM

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