Brief sparkle? In what is the first high profile meeting since the death of Nepali Congress President and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the top leaders of all the three major political parties held a meeting with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav at his official residence Sunday. Also present at the meeting were two leading civil society leaders who were goading the leaders to reach a consensus at the earliest as the deadline for the promulgation of the constitution was fast approaching with very little, if any, progress being made towards this end. Now that there are less than two months left for the drafting of the constitution, it behooves on the political parties, particularly the big ones and their leaders, to be more accommodative to the views of others and not to stick rigidly to their stances putting partisan interests above that of the people whom they are supposed to be representing. But, that is not happening with the UCPN (M) chief coming out in strong words that for the statute to be readied by the deadline it is time for the Maoists to lead the government. Nepali Congress for the moment supports the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government. Meanwhile, the reported UML lawmakers move against their own prime minister seems to have been stalled. All this is indicative of a power struggle at the cost of other important things to do. The leaders have forgotten that serious deliberations on contentious issues like the state restructuring and the reintegration and rehabilitation of the former Maoist combatants, among other things, have to be done. Now that the leaders of the three major political parties have met on one platform and carried out serious parleys to end the political imbroglio there is a flash in the pan that the politics of the country will take a positive turn making it possible to promulgate the constitution within the stipulated period. Hopefully, the leaders will stick to their commitments and pledges to do all that they can so that this is possible and not let the people down, but as of now if we are go by their activities they for the most part have not practiced what they preached. Although the meeting did not take any major decisions it was significant in that it was held after the void left by late Girija Prasad Koirala. What the public have been witness to in recent times is the spitting of venom by responsible leaders against each other adding to the confusion and raising doubts and apprehensions about the fate of the peace process on which hinges the future of the nation which has experienced strife for more than a decade costing thousands of lives and bringing untold sufferings. Despite all the immediate concerns, this meeting may be just a glimmer that the right direction will be taken up. But, given the past track record, once past the gathering the usual hostilities resume. In times, when consensus should rule, the parties have made it competitive politics that ought to be the scene after the constitution comes into force. However, given the political collage the people can only be cynics from precedence. And the leaders are yet to furnish the needed credibility.

Developing immunity The haunting dread of garbage collection and disposal being suspended all of a sudden seems to keep the Kathmandu dwellers on their toes all the time. As a matter of fact, it only takes a month or two for one or the other stakeholder group around the landfill site to emerge and bring to a halt all garbage disposal activity. It is then a few days of stench filled streets and alleys of the metropolitan city before a bargain is struck and slowly some semblance of civilized life banking on cleanliness and hygiene begins to surface. It has been for the umpteenth time that the city has turned a waste disposal site and no one knows when the next one is due. The authorities concerned appear to show their concern only when the game has gone a bit too far for comfort and health. The deal with the agitating party over, no follow up is evident. Even as the complaints pile up, the city inhabitants without a miss go on dumping their waste in the open glare of the streets. Don’t the citizens have their responsibility too? “They do” will be the perfect answer. But, it seems that people find garbage piled streets better than keeping the household wastes packaged in the home till the green signals come. The haunting dread of garbage collection and disposal being suspended all of a sudden seems to keep the Kathmandu dwellers on their toes all the time. As a matter of fact, it only takes a month or two for one or the other stakeholder group around the landfill site to emerge and bring to a halt all garbage disposal activity. It is then a few days of stench filled streets and alleys of the metropolitan city before a bargain is struck and slowly some semblance of civilized life banking on cleanliness and hygiene begins to surface. It has been for the umpteenth time that the city has turned a waste disposal site and no one knows when the next one is due. The authorities concerned appear to show their concern only when the game has gone a bit too far for comfort and health. The deal with the agitating party over, no follow up is evident. Even as the complaints pile up, the city inhabitants without a miss go on dumping their waste in the open glare of the streets. Don’t the citizens have their responsibility too? “They do” will be the perfect answer. But, it seems that people find garbage piled streets better than keeping the household wastes packaged in the home till the green signals come.