Most of us were sure that this day would come sooner than later. Finally it has come, thanks to the perseverance of the Nepalis people.
There were also many people dismissing the prospect of a republic Nepal. But this was inevitable because majority of Nepalis aspired for a democratic republic since long.
The road was bumpy and the ride was painful but we did get to where we wanted to go. From the brink of a civil war, we have made this transition in a relatively peaceful manner. It was always very hard a task to extinguish the fire of war. But the fire has been put off, swiftly, compared to other nations in similar circumstances. The country has overcome one difficult job. Now this is the start of another difficult job of nation building.
Of course there are doubters. One those who are determined to doubt. And another who doubt because of the difficult journey ahead. In no way, the picture is rosy. But now, Nepalis will have a completely new idea, a new way ,a new political setup to try new things. When old things don't work, you have to try new ways. And thats what the Nepalis have decided to do.
Optimists will hope for good things. Pessimist have every excuses to foresee doomsday . But this day is the beginning of a new era. Today the foundation stone for a just, peaceful, democratic, developed and prosperous Nepal will be laid. And it is the job of the Nepalis to build their future on it. Congratulations and best wishes to you all.
Well said Nepalean But
I take this as a change in the shake of change. I don't consider any
step progressive unless that don't uplift lifestyle of public. Don't
count loktantra,ganatantra,sanghyiatantra.....they are just new
chowschows in colorful packets with upahar yojana.
whoA! aviator crash-landed on this thread and it took me a while to even notice the pandemonium hahahahaha...
looking at the unremitting disavowal of the reality and incessant skepticism of some of our fellow nepalese here, it reminds of my dear friend who was once rejected thrice in one month by his prospective girl-friends hahaha...no wonder he never believed ever after that we still cared about him HAHAHAHAHA... aiyaaa....petai dukhyo
haha i see a celebration but not with full confidence by some hardcore republicans. Why thow a doubt or caution ? otherwise just proves that you guys are just gambling in the name of country. In the begining I was a staunch supporter of republicanism but the story that unfold during 2 years made me think " wait a minute here, what's going on?". That andolan-2 was nerver about granting 22 lakh citizenship to indians nor it was about federal system. But these players implemented these first in hasty like there is no tomarrow and being skeptic , i refuse to gamble over the sovereignty of nation and left the casino (not that i have +ve towards gyane and paras) but you folks keep playing roulette. the unknown darkside(black) has a also 50% of probability but red seems to be the winning hand for the moment. Celebrate with full heart why think of math?
"i see a celebration but not
with full confidence by some hardcore republicans. Why thow a doubt or
caution ? otherwise just proves that you guys are just gambling in the
name of country"
Since you did not direct your question at anyone in particular and I consider myself to be a republican, I will take it upon myself to respond.
First off, I think a republic, however imperfect, is a far better choice for the country than any form of monarchy. I will take "ganatantra" over "gyanetantra" any day.
That said, I think not just is it perfectly legitimate but a civic duty for us to ask questions of our leaders. Yes, they haven't fully demonstrated competence to resolve the impending ethnic crisis. Which is far better than Gyanendra, Panchas and neo-Panchas who were deluded into thinking one language, culture and ideology- theirs - could be rammed down the throats of all. As some one who is a realist, I have no problems pointing out the flaws that exist in the current political process. It does not diminish my support for a republic overall. Same thing with the issues of the PLA and YCL. Our leaders have performed miserably on this account. But the alternative of Royal rule or Army rule - Nepali or Indian - is far worse compared to the RNA-PLA hodge-podge which, while not desirable, can still be fixed with the right amount of political will.
In a pluralistic society it is only to be expected that people will show issue based support of thier leaders. In fact that is precisely the kind of support needed to make such a society function. Pluralism, unlike absolutism, including Royalist absolutism, does not demand blind submission to all aspects of an ideology.
I don't buy this idea of "gambling with sovereignty" either. By that logic, any political movement in geo-politically vulnerable Nepal is a gamble in some way or another. Perhaps if we had had good governance from all those who occupied the lofts of power, there wouldn't be this much strife. This is the same argument the Panchas preached to us for 30 years and the Ranas for a hundred years and it is the same thing every looser cries about when they are removed from power. The last I heard, the NC was blaming India for it's loss in the Terai. Even Upendra Yadav is blaming India for his party not securing more seats because he claims they bolstered the TMLP. It surprises me that India has no hand when Gyanendra came to power but a big hand when he was removed, likewise no hand when NC came to power but a big one when it was removed. I am willing to bet a buck that if and when the Maoist government falls, it will be blamed on India too.
Moving on to the points raised by some of the other posters, I have no problems with the celebration, but when the vermilion is washed away, when the sweets are digested, when the rallies die down, the problems that face us are enormous. Our leaders have sold us crappy political systems in the name of panchayat, democracy etc and we need to stay informed and be alert that they don't do the same thing this time in the name of a republic. It's now or never that we settle on a system of governance and let the governance actually begin.
Re: India's meddling: I know Nepalese have a fear of India taking over the country, but, I don't know what more they could do now that they are not already doing..Yechuri has made several trips to Nepal to speak to and on behalf of Prachanda; Karan Singh has made forays to press the role and importance of a Hindu Monarchy on the subcontinent; Advani is screaming bloody murder at the thought of a Nepal without a Hindu Monarch..Nepal's leadership has and always will be directed to some measure by India - that's a fact that may be hard to accept, but let's face it, our politicos in Nepal are only too happy to run to them when need be and run from them when it helps them politically....similar to Mccain running to Bush for money and away from Bush for votes..it's the same principle...Politics!
*****
Hello Captain:
It's been a long hiatus from Sajha from me, but, boy, am I happy I chose today of all days for a trip back...the eloquence and sentiments of your last post are right on point. It's about time the powers that be get to the much neglected role of governance; however, given the incessant bickering and posturing over portfollios and whose bungalow and bank balance is bigger, I doubt very much that a Republican Nepal will look markedly different from a Panchayat Nepal or a Democratic Nepal..unless and until the vermillion clad leaders learn to govern for the benefit of the country and not the self, I don't harbor much hope for change..the cynic in me at my worst I know, but, none of our erstwhile leaders has ever given me a reason to believe otherwise!
****
Looteji :-), good to see you ...it's been a while, but I hope all is well.
ch, when the discussion was about better of monarchy vs. republican ? please do not force me to get in to this otherwise i have to borrow from Kamal thapa ( with 12 rich countries being led by monarchies) the least I wanna do from that man . I'm neutral (that means i donot give rat ass who goes away) in this case, didn't like the hasty federal republic decision and election, 2 years of 3 parties totalitarianism and felt republicans cheated unsahamely with janatas on the question of monarchy as a fair observer. Also when did you see Nepali Ganatantra in work? did i missed something here? or you probably talking about past 2 years if so i would be happy to compare with statistics and the facts.
Besides, can you please give me the solution to purposed federal republic system in the context of nepal ? if u do, super, you changed my mind otherwise it's just another gagan narhari in making and chanting yapyap. After all what is the point of circular reasoning? only a loss of bandwith.
My rhetroic about gambling the country is merely in its practical implementation basis while your want theoritical argument over what and what not. Communism sounds so better in theory, doesn't it? now poor prachanda in battle to prove he is capatalist i feel sorry for him. It's perfectly ok to gamble politics, who doesn't? unforfunately what seemed internal conflict in nepal suddenly turned 360 in the past 2 years with unprecedented amout of external forces reigning in. soveignty and internal politics are two different thing please be aware. Haven't you learn anything from american politics after being here so long?
we have chatered in to unknown territory (not seeing federal ruplican yet). certainty makes someone realist.But your writing doesn't show anything except guarding, awakening blah blah. Had palestines knew of jews intentions? sikkim? yugoslavia? chequeoslavia? Call me a chicken I play safe than sorry in this matter. Pain of losing nation is too dear to me but hey who knows? you may be a winner at the end we will celebrate together.But if you lost, i'm sure some of you would have sleep depreviation if you are a true patriot.
By the way "hope" seems to be the final argument of yours like every federal republican again and again , isn't that the word why people gamble in first place?
I can empathize with your concerns about the threat to national sovereignty from, as far as I can infer, India. However,
what is the alternative to not moving forward with political reform,
however risky it might seem at this time? The Kamal Thapa -Tulsi Giri
line of trashing the parties and invoking India to justify a
royal/military power grab in the name of sovereignty has been
politically and electorally discredited and defeated. To try and
resurrect that argument would be like Gyandendra resurrecting Tulsi
Giri from his political grave. Look where that landed the country -
neither did the argument work with the voters nor was it able to stop
the process of progressive political reform. You can't tell people
they have had a lousy deal from the parties and then next minute offer
them something worse.
The food and fuel scarcity and continuing
issues with law and order pose the gravest threat to the Nepalese
sovereignty today. The parties have not proved themselves very capable
in this regard. However, there is only one other person besides GPK,
MKN and PKD who has proved himself more incapable in handling these
issues - and that is Gyanendra. Even if we take Gyanendra out of the
picture for a moment, why would the Army, without any experience in
these matters, be any better? At best they are a stop-gap solution that
can only last a short while, at worst, they could turn out to be an
unaccountable killing machine that could invite international (read
Indian) intervention. There is no viable alternative at this point in
time to the political process we have. That could change with time but
as of now the existing combination of political parties will be
charting the country's course for the next 2-3 years at the very least.
To
your other point, I have not seen Ganatantra at work but after seeing
Gyanetantra at work, I am willing to give it a chance. I sure have
concerns about the kind of federal structure that might be adopted but
last I checked it was for the CA members and not me to agree on what
sort of structure that should be. I will speak up, as should everyone
else, when the structure starts to take shape as it will in the next
couple of weeks and months. Compared to the absolute centralization of
power in the hands of a few elitists, decentralization, however
imperfect, is far a better option in my opinion.
Haven't you learn anything from american politics after being here so long? What
I have learnt is politics on the whole is dynamic, forward moving and
lends itself to progressive change. You can't fight change, you
embrace it, try to influence it and adapt your
arguments and policies to it. If only Gyanendra had learnt that, he
might have saved his throne and saved the country some precious time. Besides, I have lived and worked in Nepal much longer than I have in America and these facts hold true even more in Nepal because our collective grievances weigh much more on our politics in Nepal than they do in the US.
Nepaali
Long
time! I agree with everything you said. I remain a guarded optimist
when it comes to democracy (as I see it) and the idea of a republic but
I am skeptical about the ability of the current crowd to deliver anything of
lasting value. With the changing of the guard at Naryanhiti, I think it's time to change guards at the NC and UML. How's law school these days? (if I recall correctly from
another thread a long time ago)
Like everyone, I am happy about new era of Nepal, but in one corner of my heart and mind I am fear for Nepal as well. I just cannot convince myself that we will be any better as we all have been hoping. I do not know why it could be just doubts or............. who knows. We cannot predict future, but LET'S HOPE THE BEST FOR NEPAL AND PRAY THAT OUR MOTHER LAND WILL BE BETTER THAN EVER IN NEXT FEW YEARS STARTING FROM TODAY.
The only ones I see benefiting from this are the ones at the top of the Power Hungry Nepali Political Hierarchy. And like true bhedaaas Nepali citizens are jumping with joy not really knowing what efect this is going to have on them. I have seen this before in 1990 and in 2005 which led to further deterioration of all aspects of life in Nepal. Ordinary Nepalis have yet to see the fruits of this labor. Which only time will tell. Now that they(Maoist) are in charge, they will be accoutable for everything that goes down(like murde of Mr Shrestha, asking bhatta to support their Gestapo like YSL etc etc). The tables have turned and its up to them to make things right for Nepal. Otherwise THE MAOISTS ARE NOTHING BUT WAR MONGERING POWER HUNGRY ARMED POLITICAL PARTY.
Its a great milestone in history of Nepal,
congratulations to all Nepalese. Abolishing long ruled Monarchy is one good thing but the real
challenging days are a head.
Nepali JANATA i.e. innocent public
are dancing and singing on the streets, little do the know it can be
one more change for sake of change. Prajatantra, LokGanatantra,
BHOKTANTRA or be it ganatantra are just like LOTTERY PACKAGE to lure
innocent JANATA. Truth but sad, JANATAs are gullible enough to dream
that GANATANA is answer to all the problems such as electricity, water,petrol, gas and what not. These selfish leader never care about JANATA..(neither did KING).
But
lets be hopeful this time, I wish those corrupted and visionless
leaders could think something about country. Shah dynasty did no good
to country and to be very frank, these shameless leaders are no
different from Royals. Haven't we seen them ruling us for last 16
yeras? Well, Maosits are there as new force but DO U RELALY THINK these
bloodthirsty and juvenile leaders can lead Nepal peacefully? I maybe
wrong, but I doubt :-(
Its so unfortunate that even in 21st
century we are still struggling for basic needs, there is no water to
drink, no fuel to run vehicle, no gas to cook, no books to read in
school and above all NO LAW AND ORDER in country. Lets we all hope and
wish these will be first priority of new Nepali govt. Lets hope this
time political leaders will not fight for power.
Its only my personal opinion, feel completely free to disagree. Congratulations once again.
Change in Nepal is old story told and re-told and spiced up differently, Thats about it,
It is a few days dream fantasy and hope. It is a never ending cycle of change. However every change gives us hope and reason to celebrate like in the past. Indeed we are doing it now.
We ranked high in most corrupt nation in the world along with Burundi, Honduras, Iran, Libya, Philippines, Yemen.
It does not matter what system would be in nepal. Culture of corrpution and accepting it as a way of life will neither bring change nor new life in Nepal. Unless and until ....................................................
The
Shah dynasty died yesterday. It was 239 years, eight months and three
days old in unified Nepal. Many may not believe their eyes that its
demise has come — much sooner than they had imagined. The nation has
observed a public holiday, but not to mourn for the monarchy. Few tears
were shed. On the contrary, the Nepali people celebrated the occasion
with great fanfare and festivity. Hundreds of thousands of citizens
poured out on the streets of Kathmandu and the rest of the country to
rejoice. Fireworks lit up the sky, the crowds sang songs and chanted
slogans in a gay and triumphant mood, and the houses were illuminated.
None of those who had sworn their loyalty to the monarchy till the
other day came out to speak out for it. So discredited had the royalty
become that even the former monarch and his supporters could not
perhaps have fathomed its depth. Now, the hereditary reign has become
history. It is gone - gone for good.
With the fall of the monarchy,
the principal symbol of feudalism has fallen. But feudalism still
pervades Nepali life, including politics, in its so many
manifestations. Efforts should be stepped up to erase that. Now, the
people have supplanted the monarchy as the core of Nepali nationalism
and national unity. This epochal change complete, attention must now be
directed to the tasks at hand - to consolidate the gains of the Nepali
people’s long struggle for freedom, peace, good governance,
development, justice, equity, and inclusiveness.
The challenges are
daunting but not insurmountable. Everything will not automatically fall
into place just because of the birth of a republic. The political
parties and everyone else who counts need to strive hard to replace the
wrong practices and wrong political and governing cultures with the
right ones, and institute a sound mechanism for exacting accountability
from public officials in all sectors. To make the political revolution
or the peace process complete, a new constitution and general election
have to be realised within the set timeframe. We also need to resolve
other issues like the adjustment of the Maoist arms and army. In the
past, too, particularly with every successful people’s movement, the
political leaders had publicly pledged that nobody would be able to
usurp their freedom any longer and good governance would be practised.
But they could not keep their promises.
Threats to democracy exist
even in a republic, as we have seen in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Unless
the Nepali leaders wake up to this danger in its true proportions and
put in place enough safeguards, through measures such the restructuring
and reorienting of the security forces, the danger will continue to
lurk in the wings. Even extraneous forces with contrary interests will
then find it easier to meddle in the mess. The political forces owe it
to the nation to guarantee that the Nepali people will not have to
fight for the same things once again. To safeguard the country’s vital
interests, our political leaders will also have to learn to evolve a
consensual approach to several key issues of national interest, such as
those relating to Nepal’s sovereignty, independence and territorial
integrity, its foreign relations and security, the development and
utilisation of its important natural resources. A republican order
should mean better things to come. Today’s jubilation will have been
repaid several times over if this dream comes true.
I really don't want to throw water on the uphoria of others at this historic juncture, but the cynic in me is crying out that on a fundamental level nothing has changed! Yes, we no longer have to support a monarch and his son and several relatives, but the important work that would make life better for the people of Nepal has never changed...irrespective of the type/colour of flag that was the choice of the moment.
We now have a Maoist government that is not able to form a majority i.e. infighting, political posturing will continue. We have YCL, an armed faction within a national Army that has sworn allegiance to Prachanda but not Nepal.. We continue to live in ignorant bliss on the fate of thousands of missing and dissappeared..how is a mother/wife/son/daughter expected to believe in a Maoist Government if they were responsible for the brutal rape and killing of loved ones'; similarly, how are so called maoist sympathizers expected to believe in a government that was equally involved in mass dissappearances/ torture?
There is much to be hopeful about, but, there is also enough to worry those willing to look beyond the firecrackers and sweets and euphoria of the moment. Nepal has a very arduous struggle ahead of her and I would love to believe that the Moaists have a plan on how to change the fortunes of the country, but when the smoke of the firecrackers clears, I fear that the magnitude of the work that lies ahead is going to prove too much for a man who knows how to govern through the barrel of a gun, but not through neogitations and diplomacy.
****************
Captain: Good memory there. Mercifully I'm done with the torture of law school as well as the bar; I have been a practicing attorney for almost a year now...yes, I know, a proud flag waving member of the very bottom rung of parasites!
ढमाधम गाई गाउ गाउ मा गाई काटेर भोज खाने प्रकृया हुनु र अब आउने दुर्गापुजामा गाई को बली चाडने भयो भने तिहारमा गाई पूजाको ठाउँ मा सुङुर पूजा हुने होला।New to us.
This Syanjali cat needs to get his headed checked. Get outta here damn shitwipe. You ain;t nothing but a hypocrite and the King of FOBs!! Run before the peeps here neuter your damn gedas, damn phucka!!
15 yrs lathalinga Politics and finally republic day is here, I wonder whats next.. Is it time to celebrate or think about how to lead the country to the right direction.. I think most people are overseeing one of the major factor atleast to me.. Will this republic government lead to partitioning the country.. Madhesi party have not forotten about wanting their own land, so who is next, Bauns, Chettris, newars, Rai , Limbu,.. How will the new government work with this crisis..
I will be very happy if this issue nevers shows up but am definetely watching how things will be handled when people comes forward demanding their own land?
What about YCL is it going to be dissolved or will there be a new leader in town handling the control of YCL? What about the next presidental election ? Will the CA decide what if no majority is own ?? Are we again going to fall for mili juli sarkar and then 3-6 months down come up with abishwash ko prastap ?? I think some of these major points need to be discussed...
Congratulations! Really glad to hear that. Best wishes for a stellar career ahead
####
Syangjali
Cow slaughter will be a tricky issue in the new constitution and I don't know how they are going to deal with it. If you look across the border to India - the only other place I can look at for a comparison - I believe it is allowed in some places and banned in many others. We might see a similar situation in Nepal where it is allowed in some areas and not in others. There are Hindu neighborhoods in India where beef is not sold and Muslim neighborhoods where pork is not sold. That decision is driven more by demand and supply than anything else as Muslims will not go near a place selling pork and likewise Hindus near one selling beef so the local butchers often decide what to stock based on the needs of the population in their area. You already see some of that happening in Nepal today with "thulo-khasi" and "sano-khasi" butcher stores.
That said, cow slaughter is deeply divisive issue and could prove to be a political life line for a resurgent monarchy in the future. It is a wedge issue that will split the bases of the major parties if they don't handle this with care.
MAGA and all how do you feel about Trumps cabinet pick?
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. I'm neutral (that means i donot give rat ass who goes away) in this case, didn't like the hasty federal republic decision and election, 2 years of 3 parties totalitarianism and felt republicans cheated unsahamely with janatas on the question of monarchy as a fair observer. Also when did you see Nepali Ganatantra in work? did i missed something here? or you probably talking about past 2 years if so i would be happy to compare with statistics and the facts. 
