On the ocassion of “Falgun 7gate” Democracy day

Aristotle once said – ‘anything that has a beginning also has an end.’ One could contest it if one so decides but Nepal’s Rana regime had its end written all across the wall. World War II itself was a new awakening in Asian and African countries because of its massive proportion involving over 60 countries of the world. The end of the war became the beginning of setting the waves of emancipation from the colonial or authoritarian clutches. The power equation of the world changed. British were leaving India. Padma Shumsher promulgated his constitution on January 26,1948 because he sensed the need to adjust to the changing time but he was a weak prime minister, unlike his predecessor Juddha Shumsher. And, he was incapacitated further more by opposition from his own Rana clan led by Mohan Shumsher than from the people. He succumbed. However, his constitution became operative from April 13 for historical purposes and Mohan Shumsher assumed power of the state on the 30th to start his strong-arm techniques resulting into a series of blunders.

By 1950, the organized revolt started in Kathmandu led by Tanka Prasad Acharya in 1940 by way of distributing pamphlets against the Rana Regime and for the establishment of democracy had already gained momentum spearheaded by newly formed political parties outside Nepal. Few members of the C class Rana having enormous resources fled to India. BP Koirala emerged to lead the movement. King Tribhuban, on November 6,1950, in the pretext of taking his family for a picnic, drove to Indian Embassy housed inside Sital Niwas. And, after four days, he was air picked to Delhi as arranged by Nehru, India’s founding prime minister. Before the revolution could get to the roots of the soil, it came to an end. After China crossed over to Tibet, Nehru’s saw the need of India’s intervention through the democratic movement but being careful about the stability.

Even before Nepali Congress could realize anything Indian prime minister Nehru had already secured the 1950’s Treaty of Peace and Friendship on July 31 from Mohan Shumsher making him sign on the dotted line by assuring him of his support. He thus engineered the ‘Delhi Compromise’ for installing him for the second time not in perpetuity of Rana rule but as the first prime minister of democratic Nepal. This is how the democratic forces lost its considerable strength for having forced to be wedded to the forces of status quo. The sequence of change was not in conformity with the process of change. So democracy came to Nepal not as a historical process of change but as a tripartite agreement between the King, Nepali congress and the Ranas. It became a structure that lacked the strength of unleashing the forces of social change and institution building.

But it was a new awakening, an awakening where people realized that they are no more like the bricks of the palace that reflected the super structure of greed and callousness of the rulers. But again, this realization was yet to percolate from the governing elite of the urban areas down to the people at the grass root, languishing hard for two bowls of day, and who actually were not even aware of the change of their rulers in the true sense. Thus, the democratic transition was a state of confusion of competing urban elite under the banner of different parties for their share of pie in the changed situation of continued of poverty and isolation. Other than India, Nepal had full-fledged diplomatic relation only with United Kingdom and United States of America. Because of having sent our army by Mohan Shumsher on the request of Nehru, and against the British Ambassador’s advice in assisting India’s effort to quell the rebellion in Kashmir and Hyderbad, Nepal had not been able to become the member of United Nations. The door to outside world was open but the effect of 104 years of isolation still continued.

The revolution opened up new vistas but because it lacked the strength in terms of its logical end, the social change became feeble. For any far-reaching social change, history continues but not the perpetuity of the ruling psyche. This is very crucial because in such a situation social change gets diluted with the forces of status quo manifesting in a changed environment to safeguard its interest. In this process, democratic values and ideals get diluted. In the new equilibrium, the forces pushing for massive changes and innovation become very week if not get stalled because the depressing forces manifesting in new design and political acrobatics exert the decisive influence having the strength in terms of resources and maneuverability.

Besides, human beings are not infallible and do have their weakness and, thus, those leading the nation as well. The story does not end here. Those whose profession is to exchange their skill of opinion building for few broken crumbs compete to sell their services in any political dispensation, and political leaders become their easy prey. Likewise, they also become the victims of their greed when dubious characters working in the garb of businessman could entice them for fast bucks. This is how political leaders loose their political capital earned through hard work, struggle and sacrificing the blooming period of their life for corruption induced resources. When they become weak in leading the nation, the internal and external forces exert decisive influence ejecting the initiatives for far reaching changes when it is not in their interest. Instead, they dictate their terms. This is how a nation looses its time of social transformation and meaningful change.

My analysis is not meant to underplay the strength of the revolution. It is only to make an objective assessment so that we do not run eulogizing it out of proportion. The 1950’s revolution that ushered an era in Nepalese history is formidable in terms of strength of time, strength of people, and finally the strength of what is known as the process of awareness. Actually it is the awareness that begets more awareness culminating into good governance that can face the challenge of time and shape the destiny of the nation. Nepal’s democratic process is broken and thus has disconnected series. The 1950’s revolution that gave birth to democracy for a beautiful dawn is to yet to see the sunrise as magnificent as the smiles of the people spreading across this land of ours. Will millions of people like me be able to see that all-encompassing smile? The 1950’s revolution is yet to beget that beautiful smile. As it seems, it is withering away, causing greater anxiety and hardship to the people.

Published in ‘ The Kathmandu Post’ of February 18, 2001 (Falgun 7, 2057) on the ocassion of 50 years of democracy