Subarna B. Chhetri

Remember a tale of four people named everybody, somebody, anybody and nobody? There was an important job to be done and everybody was sure that somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it because it was everybody’s job. Everybody thought anybody could do it, but nobody realised that everybody would not do it. It ended up that everybody blamed somebody when nobody did what anybody could have done.

Now, let us see who are Mr. Everybody, Mr. Somebody, Mr. Anybody and Mr. Nobody in Nepal’s preservation of democracy. Please come forward and speak your mind, like the King has done, and let us share the truth and let not the future generation ask us what you did with our future and your present. For the past 12 years or so Nepal has been the fertile playground of the above mentioned four categories of irresponsible people.

As the country faces constant threats of degeneration and disintegration one must surely applaud the King’s guts to speak out his mind to save the nation from total destruction. At these times his move perhaps embodies all the traits of a true constitutional monarch whose prime duty is to save the nation. After the ushering in of democracy people hoped of a Nepal of tougher standards, a Nepal of higher goals, a land of bigger dreams. We failed. The people must soon analyse search and punish the culprits who have played their dirty games in the name of the people and democracy.

The bickering political and their selfless party leaders are squarely to be blamed for the state of affairs that we are presently in. In the name of democratic exercises, the country in the last 12 years saw as many prime ministers, due to hunger for power governments fell like pack of cards, coalitions were formed and broken at will and corruption institutionalised, while the masses suffered along with the nation. For the record and what will not escape the analysts that during majority of this time the Congress Party was in power. Surely they must be held accountable and also appropriately punished. Now, let the people be the final judge.

At these times the Monarch who is the symbol of national unity with the sole and clearest intention of bringing the country out of chaos that it is in today, has repeatedly reiterated that the future of Nepal lies in democracy and has invited all political parties to join hands to save democracy and the nation. But the vested infighting and fractured political parties have turned the other way to the King’s call. Instead they have gone on to attack the revered institution of monarchy and jumping on the cheap bandwagon of republican slogans. The political leaders who have now lost confidence of the people only seem to see conspiracy in the Monarch’s intentions.

The King’s recent tour of the Maoist infested areas fall in line of the duties of the constitutional monarch. One fails to understand, why the weak political leaders who have won votes from these unfortunate masses out of fear of the Maoists completely neglect them at their times of needs while get worked up by the Monarch’s visit which is aimed to find solace and comfort to these poor and voiceless masses?

Finally, the barrage of battering against the Monarch and the institution of monarchy by the petty political parties led by its cheer leader GP Koirala must have jolted Nepal’s constitution where the decency and decorum of the constitutional monarch is clearly enshrined. It is amazing to find, even at this age, Koirala possesses a reservoir of energy to continuously hurl cavalier remarks at the sacred institution of monarchy right from the time when he publicly spoke about the “grand design” (which till date he has failed to clarify to the public), because the people would then turn around and ask him that during the time of the so called “grand design”, who was the country’s prime minister, palace affairs minister and the defence minister? Let Koirala be reminded that if he chooses to point a finder at someone then he should remember that there are three more fingers pointing back at him!

Perhaps it is better to be irresponsible than to be responsible and wrong. The people made the political parties and its leaders responsible and the latter proved wrong. Mark, the same people can also take away the responsibility. Today’s political leadership is haunted and plagued by the fact that someone else would walk away as the popular figure. The situation demands great sacrifice and work towards confidence building from all quarters and strengthen the King’s hands to turn the country around. And monarchy is too powerful a political force to be challenged. The late BP Koirala, the great statesman that he was, unlike his successors had realised this fact and had conceded the need to retain monarchy.

Sometime, the best way to improve an old idea is to put it before a new pair of eyes. This is exactly what the King is doing now and history has proven that one man’s vision can change the world. The magnanimity of the Nepali character is embodied in age-old wisdom that promotes tolerance and peace. If the political parties do not put their act together and

join hands with the King in saving the country then that very fabric of Nepali character faces destruction.

Chhetri is a freelance journalist.