Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci had defined “interregnum”or the state of transition as the situation where “the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum (situation) a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.”
Apply this concept to our situation, we do find monsters appearing in transition situation but the problem with us is that the old is not dead or we allow them to die but the new rapidly ages into an old. We have seen this transformation with the Maoists, it is time to find with RSP.
Moot questions
Is our problem rests with the individual or with the system; with the bebastya (politcal order) or with our awastha (the context); with the leaders or with the followers; with the neta or with their niti; and, within us or outside (foreign hand)? Recently, I read a fascinating line from African proverb: If the leaders cannot solve problems then problems will solve leaders. Earlier, I read elsewhere saying “Every crisis situation gives birth to leaders but, in our case, it is the leaders who give birth to crisis situations”.
Strangulating triangular fight
In a fight between three-parties or a triangular fight; with out the coalition between the two, the third cannot be defeated. We are into a Mexican standoff situation. During early 1950s, family dominated rana-cracy were defeated only after Nepali Congress and the Shahs collaborated together. In 1990s, NC and the Communists collaborated to tie-up authoritarian king to the rules of the constitutional monarchy. For long, the dispute got stalled between the multi-partywallahs, the monarchy and the Maoists. Finally, by 2006/7 the multi-partywallahs and the Maoists collaborated to defeat the monarchy and establish the republic.
It is not just the triangular observations at the broadest level; even within each political party or political groups, one could find leaders clearly divided into three factions, something akin to right, left and center, or terminal orientations towards, past, present and future. Could this be due to Hindu embodiment of trinity - bhrama (creator), vishnu (protector) and maheswor (destroyer)? Even our geography is divided into three- Himal, Pahad, Terai or three communities, bahun-chhetris, adivasi-janajatis and Terai-Madhes people, carrying each nearly one-third voting strengths.
If you believe in “foreign hand” conspiracy theory, you end up with India, China and US explanations with a pinch of salt, now and then, of Russia, EU and Britain.
As in the past, the on-going political imbroglio rests with a triangular fight, basically, between three political parties - Nepali Congress, UML and the RSP. I leave matters in the hands of the readers to figure out for themselves who is playing the role of bhrama, vishnu and mahesowr here?
Looking for a compromised solutions
I suppose, what is wrong with Nepali politics is not in a triangular fight but looking for a compromised solution that gives a facade of win-win solution. In 1950s, the tripartite fight ended after New Delhi agreement, with parties agreeing to work under the prime minister headed by ranas. In 1990s, the Interim Government, though headed by Nepali Congress, included royal appointees beside communists. After Jana Andolan II politics, the Maoists were accorded a similar status of UML, this is, in fact, Girija’s design to neutralize UML. Instead of looking for a decisive solution, we are good, at least, at inventing a compromised, face saving solutions, giving an false impression of win-win solution.
Ages back, I read an interview of Late B.P. Koirala given to a foreign journalist where the journalist stated Koirala to be a lucky person. “After seven years of imprisonment, you are lucky to be freed alive. Had it been our case (may be, African), you would have been decimated long before.” I suppose, the journalist did not have a grasp of our ability to invent compromised, face saving solution. It is in no way rooted into Buddhist “live and let live” philosophy. It is rooted in our innate desire to have bhaag banda, allo-pallo system of eating. A lawyer once hinted me, “we eat daal bhat with our hands and while eating all, but separated, five fingers have to collaborate, otherwise not possible to have your meal”.
I am waiting for a day Comrade Prachanda having a chiya guff with former King Gyanendra, all streaming live on TV. There is nothing to be surprised in Nepal. Didn’t we hear about the Maoists looking for a dialogue with the monarchy during the height of their peoples’ war? If we have not invented compromised solutions, Gyanendra would not dared to speak “postponing elections till national consensus” at an eleventh hour. This scribe is also of view that the elections are not going to be solutions to our problems. Because you cannot expect a different result doing same thing again and again. Moreover, it is sheer stupidity to expect a right outcome from a wrong process. The Interim Government headed by Mrs Sushila Karki is not a legitimate body to hold elections. Period.
The electoral train that we are into is already moving with a full speed now, trying to stop it will be inviting a big, unthinkable, inevitable fatal accident, more dangerous than 8-9 September incidents. We need elections, not to solve our problems, but to teach a lesson or two, to these up-coming political brats (basically foreign educated, urbanite, elite, youngsters), who, literally, think they just popped up from a Terminator or an Avatar like action movies. In a way, the up-coming elections is a proxy referendum on secularists vs. Hindusim, republic vs. monarchists, federalists vs. centrists, free market vs. social egalitarians, young vs. elderly, old vs. new, urban vs. rural, internal vs. external focuses. As I predicted, the elections to be marred by violence and disruption. The morbid symptoms are already showing off their heads in different places in the garb of inter-party fights, communal riots, looting and burning.
Narayan Manandhar