Extravagant show

Even after two and half months, the three major parties — UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (UML) remain at loggerheads as to who would be the person to fit into the shoes of the Constitutional Committee chairperson. The hectic pace of talks to sort out matters at the last minute, unfortunately, failed to produce any result. The adamant attitudes of the parties concerned has brought in this stalemate and the consensus strategy has been shelved. With both the NC and Maoists wanting their nominees to head the vital committee, and UML playing it safe, the said election has been deferred until August 28, eleven days later than today the set date for it. The loss of agreement among the three parties is the reason for the delay in filling in the post of the CC chief. Mammoth sessions among the three parties failed to produce any result. This is rather sad in the context of the basic fact that posts have a peculiar charm for every party. Consensus had brought the country so far on the road to the republican status, but giving the peace process the logical finale while readying the constitution has all been disrupted all because the Maoists have not only been obstructing the House business but also going for further demands that has put the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government on its defenses.

It is true that UCPN (Maoist), the largest single party represented in the Constituent Assembly, cannot be sidelined, but it has to feel its accountability towards the people who gave them that status. Their talk of "civilian supremacy" has led to the polarisation among the political parties which does not help the country in any way, at least for the moment. The stepping down of the Maoist-led government was inevitable because of its single-minded approach to getting things done based on the party's interest rather than the people's. With a new government other than its own, the Maoists feel the loss and so could be making up through making the House business falter. This will affect the Maoists themselves in the long run. The peace process ought to have been their priority, but they are delaying it on one pretext or the other. The issue of who will be the CC chief has become a bigger conundrum than the people had expected. It is a matter of ridicule that even after a long hiatus since the post fell vacant the parties concerned could not arrive at a common meeting point. This called for an election for the honourable seat. But, despite the election schedule duly notified, the parties want more time.

Sticking to one's own gun has been a very critical factor dragging the political game on a very futile mission. The parties vouch for the welfare of

the people and the protection of their rights, but they miss out on their own duties and responsibilities.

At this crucial juncture, when the statute

drafting process is very slow by any standard, the delay in the choice of the CC chairperson comes as another grim reminder that party interests seem to override all other interests. It sends a very grievous message that the political parties seem to be drifting away from the agenda that they had been entrusted by the CA polls namely consensus.

Letting off steam

Anger management should preferably be taught from a tender age. Many children throw up tantrums to get what they want, and later on in life they learn that it does not work creating difficulties in the growing up periods. It would be useful to teach this from this age so it was apt on the part of World Without Anger in collaboration with Lumbini Buddha University to organize a conference on “development of emotional literacy in this millennium”. Experts are of the view that anger is mostly a hurdle for success. They opine that a child should always be treated without anger and that adolescents who are found exhibiting excessive unnecessary anger in most cases end up ruining their lives.

So, as recommend by them, it would be beneficial to teach children in schools how to get rid of

anger and school children could be used as agents

of change in this strife-stricken world. The children could actually promote peace. Thus, the conference has trained some 70 participants on the ways

of controlling anger. The organizers should work

in earnest to see that their recommendations

are heeded and teach more people how to manage anger which causes much stress.