Nepal's Monarchy was Summarily Dumped Under Excessive Alien Pressure

Prakash Koirala demands no introduction as he is a well known politician of this country. His association with the Nepali Congress was simply but natural because one of the founding fathers of the present day NC was his own father late B.P Koirala.

Junior Koirala differed with his uncle, Girija Prasad Koirala, on many issues of national interests. When enough had been enough, Junior Koirala quit the mother party or say he was sidelined by his own conspiratorial uncle.

Junior Koirala still commands respect and honor in his former party.

However, when Prakash Koirala went to the fold of the Nepali Monarchy, his prestige began swinging in his own mother party. Koirala claims that Nepal’s Monarchy could still be taken as the symbol of national unity and in an implied manner wants to see the now sidelined monarchy revived through the conduct of a referendum.

The rest, let’s listen to what Junior Koirala has to say on contemporary political events: Editor.

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TGQ1: What prompted you Mr. Koirala to proceed with the “Nationality Preservation Campaign”? What are the prime objectives of this campaign? Will you please shed some light on what have you been doing of late? Your comments please!

Koirala: The country at the moment is undergoing through a very dangerous transitional period. The country and the Nepali nationality are under grave threat.  Practically all the important national decisions are being taken in collaboration with the forces that represent the international community. Because of the intensified international pressure with each passing days, the country and its nationalism aspect is becoming weaker and weaker.

While, on the one hand, we make tall claims as regards the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence, however, in practice foreign forces are being allowed in a naked manner to decide our fate. Analyzing the existing anomalies in the national politics, we have endeavored to move ahead with the campaign to preserve and protect Nepal’s nationalism which has been made weaker.

TGQ2: So this mean that you have arrived at a conclusion that foreign interferences in Nepali affairs have increased? Is this what you think? Koirala please!

Koirala: Yes! Hundred percent it has intensified. We the Nepalese are able and capable enough to sort out our internal problems, but due to the incompetence of the Nepali leaders, foreign forces poke their nose in each and every Nepali squabbling.

Nepal is in a precarious state at the moment. A sort of Statelessness exists now. The presence of the State appears to have become non-existent. There has been a mockery of the notion of the prevalence of the rule of law. Even the denizens of Kathmandu are in a scary situation. They feel insecure right here in the capital.

In order to preserve the Nepali nationalism and to minimize the role of foreign forces in Nepali matters, our own leaders should be able to reject the foreign play in Nepal.

Wasn’t the 1990 Constitution a good one? That was a good Charter for this country. Some fake and flimsy charges were made against the 1990 constitution and thus it was dumped. And this dumping of the 1990 constitution facilitated the entrance of issues and problems in this country.

Neither the new constitution has been drafted nor does it appear likely that the constitution could be drafted on time. The talk of Federalism has compounded the problems further. There has been a tendency now that each ethnic tribe has begun demanding a separate autonomous state for their tribes and ethnicity. If everyone is awarded a State then how could this country remain as a solid entity of nation-state?

Since the Nepali nationalism has become weaker and thus the urgent need of this campaign.

TGQ3: Since the country is in a difficult state, as you have just opined, so how your campaign could provide a suitable outlet from the current political hotchpotch?

Koirala: Yes! The country is in a wobbly position. It is time that all the responsible leaders converge at a common platform and make strenuous efforts aimed at releasing the country from the current ailments that have plagued the country. But the political parties have concentrated their entire efforts at the distribution of power booties amongst themselves. Those who have their representation at the Constituent Assembly body need Chair and Chair only. They have not been able to feel that the country’s nationalism has already been engulfed in serious crises.

The international power balance too has been in a disturbed state. Formerly, we used to take the United States as the lone Super Power but of late neighboring China too has emerged as a power in the immediate vicinity.

China is not only Nepal’s neighbor in the North but also is a power authority in this part of the world, South Asia-to be more precise.

That is why the Nepali leaders should proceed keeping in mind the facts of the present day world’s power balance.

Today’s problems are much related with the incompetence and the greed for power among our own leaders. This is the real problem.

Till yesterday, when the Monarchy was alive in this country, the leaders have had a habit of dumping all the problems onto the heads of the Royal institution, however, where to dump the allegations now in the absence of Monarchy?

TGQ4: So do you mean that the abolition of Nepali Monarchy, as your expressions imply, has caused all these problems to crop up? Is it that what you mean? Mr. Koirala please!

Koirala: The Royal institution had been surviving in Nepal as a symbol of national unity and Nepali nationalism. But today we have no such an institution in existence. Yes! To a greater extent the current problems are the cumulative effect of overthrowing the Royal institution without adopting to legal measures and practices.

The institution that played a very significant and important role in the unification of this country was summarily rejected without forwarding logical reasons, could be one of the prime causes that this country is mired in problems.

Political parties may have differed on whether to continue with the Monarchy or not and for this and to settle this issue we could have decided the entire issue embracing to the conduct of a Referendum. If the referendum results yielded lesser votes in favor of the monarchy, then there would have been fewer chances to grumble.

Under the pressure and instruction of foreign power, Nepali leaders abolished the monarchy which was a Himalayan blunder. For the US and the Chinese regime, Nepali monarchy had become like a hump. Neither the Indian regime had had positive attitude towards the Nepali monarchy. It was a paradox that the Nepali leaders got carried away by the instructions of the foreign powers and did away with the monarchical institution.

We are able to sort out our internal issues. However, when we sought the foreign support, the institution got sidelined which is why the country is plagued with the problems.

TGQ5: It is being alleged that the Monarchy was overthrown because the institution did not remain in favor of the population or say went against the people’s wishes. This is how the political parties have been interpreting. What say you Mr. Koirala? Koirala please.

Koirala: The Royal institution was not any body’s private or say paternal property as such. It was just a Symbol of unity among the Nepalese population.

If the people did not like the Royal authority then there should have been the conduct of a referendum.

I emphatically say or make a claim that if there is a referendum to decide the fate of the monarchy in Nepal then majority of the votes will be in favor of the revival of this institution. I can guarantee this to you. If the political parties want to get a solution to the current political stalemate then they should conduct a referendum and decide the fate of the monarchy. Yes! During the conduct of the said referendum, the international forces too could play a role as international observers.

In the absence of the monarchy, the foreign interference has increased exponentially. Even UNSG Ban Ki-moon told that Nepal now needed a National Government.

A person seated in a very high and prestigious position of the UN body has begun taking interest in Nepali politics and saying that we should have this or that government. Isn’t it interference in Nepali matters?  

Had the 12 point Agreement been a Nepali proposition or idea? Was it signed in Nepali land? It was certainly an agreement signed by our parties in a foreign soil abiding by the instructions of foreign forces.

It was after this special agreement that the Nepali political parties beamingly accepted and invited the foreign interventions. Since then, let me say, we have not been able to play a role in our own internal affairs.  What a fun?

Foreign forces remain at play while making and breaking of governments in Nepal. This is really unfortunate.

Posted on : 2009-12-02 14:49:04

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