Thus, the political implications of Deuba's return are many and potentially far-reaching. But the most significant implication appears to be a possible political shift to the right
The return of Sher Bahadur Deuba, former prime minister of Nepal and president of the Nepali Congress (NC), last week has become not only the talk of the town but also a subject of national interest. He had fled to Singapore for a health checkup after being severely beaten by Gen Z protesters, along with his spouse, Arzoo Deuba, the former foreign minister. While his departure had attracted virtually no attention, his arrival was greeted rather unexpectedly by thousands of supporters amid cultural music and dance.
Deuba's contribution to democracy has been admirable. A person from the Far Western region, one of the most inaccessible and underdeveloped parts of the country, he has dominated Nepal's political scene since the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990. The fact that he has served as prime minister five times speaks volumes about his political influence. However, his later political career was marked by allegations of nepotism, corruption, and poor governance.
He was criticised for providing parliamentarians with expensive and luxurious vehicles free of taxes, an episode that came to be known as the Prado scam. Two parliamentarians – Bidur Poudel of the NC and Prem Singh Dhami of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or UML – upheld their dignity by rejecting the offer. Deuba also initiated the formation of Nepal's first 52-member jumbo cabinet. He further split the NC by forming the Nepali Congress (Democratic), although the party later merged with its parent organisation on the eve of the Constituent Assembly election.
The departure and return of rulers and politicians have been recurring events in Nepal's history, as well as in its mythology. Ram, the hero of the famous epic Ramayana and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, returned to Ayodhya amid lights and celebrations after spending 12 years in exile in the forest. During his exile, he also defeated Ravan, who had abducted his wife, Sita. He subsequently established a model of good governance that came to be known as Ram Rajya.
Though a mortal like Deuba cannot be expected to rival the divine Ram, he could certainly have emulated some of his ideals of good governance. Ram eventually abandoned Sita and subjected her to a trial by fire following public gossip questioning her chastity. Deuba, by contrast, did not take any action when allegations were made that his spouse had accepted bribes and kickbacks.
Similarly, the five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata returned from 12 years of forest exile followed by a year of living in disguise. After winning a fiercely fought war against the Kauravas, they ruled for 36 years before abdicating the throne in favour of their grandson, Parikshit, and embarking on their final journey to heaven. Deuba, however, returned to the presidency of the NC after temporarily handing over the position to Purna Bahadur Khadka before leaving for Singapore. This, according to his critics, demonstrates his continued hunger for political power.
In the Licchavi era of the seventh century, Udaya Dev, the grandson of the illustrious King Man Dev, was compelled to flee to Tibet. Although he died in exile, his son Narendra Dev eventually ascended the throne with the support of Tibet's Emperor Songtsen Gampo. Narendra Dev continued the tradition of good governance associated with the Licchavi dynasty, reinforcing its reputation as a golden era in Nepalese history and upholding the rule of law. Deuba, in stark contrast, attended the national gathering last week, which turned into a conference of a splinter faction of the NC following the Supreme Court's decision to review its earlier verdict.
King Rana Bahadur, known for his eccentricity, returned to Nepal from exile in India in the early 19th century. Large numbers of people had gathered to block his entry, but they eventually yielded after he challenged them over whether they were loyal to the king or to his conspirators. Deuba, too, adopted a similar defiant tone, saying that nobody could harm him and citing the inability of even former King Gyanendra to do so.
King Tribhuvan took refuge in the Indian Embassy before fleeing to India in the 1950s. His departure provided momentum to the NC-led revolution against the Rana regime. Following the Delhi Agreement, his return to Nepal contributed to the downfall of the 104-year-old Rana regime. He subsequently declared the formation of a government by the elected representatives of the people through a Constituent Assembly. Deuba, however, made no comparable milestone announcement upon his return.
Perhaps the most memorable political return was that of the charismatic former prime minister B. P. Koirala, who came back to Nepal with a campaign for national reconciliation. His return triggered several political developments, including the holding of a national referendum to choose between the existing Panchayat system and a multiparty system of governance. Although the Panchayat system won by a relatively narrow margin, the referendum helped pave the way for the restoration of multiparty democracy in the 1990s.
Deuba therefore appears to have missed an opportunity to establish himself as a political statesman at a time when the country is experiencing considerable political uncertainty and chaos. Instead of becoming a unifying figure by maintaining equidistance from both the NC recognised by the Election Commission and the Supreme Court and the faction led by Shashanka Koirala, he appears to have been drawn into the latter camp.
His declaration at the conference that he would pursue Hindu traditional values, along with four other proposals, and the government's formation of a committee to hold talks with Durga Prasai, an avowed supporter of the monarchy, reveal an interesting political coincidence.
Moreover, Deuba's return is reportedly believed to have been engineered by the Balen government to strengthen its prospects in the local elections. This could be achieved by weakening the NC through the creation and encouragement of factions within the party. Meanwhile, the communist forces appear to be losing ground, as illustrated by recent political developments in West Bengal and Kerala.
Thus, the political implications of Deuba's return are many and potentially far-reaching. But the most significant implication appears to be a possible political shift to the right.
