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Development Issues Raised During the “People's Movement” of 1990

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Development Issues Raised During the “People's Movement” of 1990 Nader, Laura and Stephen Beckennan 1978 Energy as it re1ales to the quality and style oflife. Ann",,1 R~iew ofE1U!rgy. (J.M. Hollander, M.K. Simmons and D.O. Woods. eds.). Palo Alto. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES RAISED DURING California: AnnualReviewsPress. Vol. 3.pp. 1-28. THE "PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT" OF 1990 1 Paine. Roben (ed.) 1985 AdvocacyandAnthropology. MemOOal University ofNewfoundland. St Johns: Institute ofSocialand Krishna B. Bhattachan Economic Resean:h. Ratcliffe. John To get more insighl into the relation of the "pcople's movemenl" to ··1978 Social justice and the demographic transition: contemporary problems of underdevelopmenl in Nepal, il will be of grcal help lessons from India's Kerala Slate. /nurNJlioIlDl to look at political pamphlets distributed by political panics and professional ]olUlliJl o/Health &rvil:es. 8(1): 123-144. groups. In this paper I will show thai many development issues were raised in the political pamphlets relcased by political parties and professional organizations. Saberwal, Satish (ed.) At the end, I will analyze the two dominanl beliefs of the Nepalese public about 1968 Academic colonialism: a symposium on the the current situation of underdevelopment and future prospects ofdevelopmenl influenceswhichdestroyintellectual independence. of the country. Seminar (New Delhi). No. 112: December 1968. Shah,Saubhagya Development Issues Raised in the Political Documents 1994 'Western bias behind failure of development Released by Major Political Parties projects.' The Rising NepoJ. March 26. 1994: pp. I and 8. Political pamphlets played a very significant role in Nepal under the repressive reign of the autocratic panyless Panchayal regime. Political parties Srinivas. M.N. were banned in Nepal by the late King Mahendra in 1960; laler by the 1%2 1959 The dominant caste in Rampura. American Anthropologist. 61:1-16. Constitution. Political meetings, including mass meclings and Slreel demonstrations againsl the panyless Panchayal system and the king, were Tamang, Davika. GJ. Gill and G.B. Thapa (eds.) outlawed. In the beginning of the "pcople's movemenl" many political leaders 1993 /ndige1U!oUJ MalliJgemento/NallUalResolUces in and political activists were imprisoned for "public security" rcasons. Mostof the Nepal. Kathmandu: His Majesty's Government, national and local newspaper and newsmagazine were banned and many editors MinistryofAgriculwre.andWinrock Intematiooa1. were imprisoned. All the international newspapers were confiscated althe entry ports. In such adverse circumslances, one effective way to break the barrier Tiwari. Rajiv against spreading the messages of political parties was the wide circulation of 1987 Tehri: temple or tomb? Himal, Vol. O. No. O. May. political pamphlets, which arc nOlexpensiveand easy todislIibute. Itscffectiveness 1987. depends on how the people and public could relate their problems and demands Windmiller, Marshall to those mentioned in the pamphlets. If the pamphlets hillhc righl chord of the 1970 The Peace CorpsandPaxAmeriCalliJ. Washington. pcople's sentiment, they could help them to engage in public debale aboul D.C.: Public Affairs Press. mauers of common concern. 32 33 Occasional Papers in Sociology and Anlllropoiogy. Volume 4 (1994) II Political pamphlets were widely distributed by leading political parties, consumablecommodities in all parts ofthe country without any discrimination; sometimesjointly and sometimes independently, at various stages ofthe united guaranteed work to everyone; increased wages and fixed minimum wages; the "people'smovemenL" Among the partiesdistributing pamphlets were the Nepali right to organize trade unions, elimination ofdual ownership ofland; decreased Congress(NC)and theUnited LeftFront (ULF) -- comprised ofsevencommunist price of fertilizer; improved seed and insecticide; decreased interest rate; parties: Nepal Communist Pany (Marxist), NCP (Marxist-Leninist), NCP guaranteed fann profits; and increased salaries ofemployees in accordance with (ehau/Ita Mahadhibesltan), NCP (Manandhar), NCP (Vanna), NCP (Amatya), price increases, with the maximum increase for the lower<lass employees. and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party (NMKP) (the "Nepal Worker and Peasant Finally, the social demands were guaranteed equal opportunity for development Pany"). The United National People's Movement (UNPM), another coalition to all castes, ethnic and language groups and regions of the country, and front of radical communists, was comprised of five parties and some leftist affordable education for all people. At this point one may wonder whose wishes individuals: NCP(Masal). NCP (Mashal) , Sarvahara Sramik Sangathan (SSS) do these represent? The simple answer is, everyone's interests. These lists of (the 'Proletarian LaborOrganization"), Ncpal Marxist-Leninist Pany (NMLP), demands, representing variousclasses and groups, were incorporated in political and the Sambhuram Shrestha group. Thc pamphlets are significant for various pamphlets to gain their sympathy, suppon, and participation to topple the reasons: thesedocumentsrenectassessmentsofthecurrentpolitical andeconomic panyless system. The leaders of the political parties who listed those demands condition of the country; they contained demands for changing the current knew that even if they came in power it will be difficult to fulml them. situation ofunderdevelopment ofthe country; they renected popularaspirations In their second political pamphlet, released as an appeal from the ULF, the as perceived by the political parties; and they were oneoffew available ways for 18 political, economic, and social demands were put forward after discussing in the people to participate in political discussions. detail the problems facing the nation. This was basically an assessment of the continuing situation ofunderdevelomentandademand foraradical transformation The first political pamphlet was released by seven leftist political panies ofsociety and economy through the transformation ofthe political system. The whojoined in the ULFon January 14, 1990 in order to panicipate in the popular ULF, in its appeal, assened that "with the extension of the panyless Panchayat movement against the ruling Panchayat govemmenL Press statements with the system in Nepal, the country is heading downhill toward massive destruction" same contents were released separately by each of these seven parties of the (see Antaras/riya Manch 1990-1991:23). newly-organized ULF (sec An/arastriya Manch 1990:21-22; Jhilko 199Oa: 49­ 2 51 ). This document was about their points ofagreemenL which wer~ minimal, The ULF funher assened that the imposition of the panyless system for but were the only basis for the newly-formed ULF. It contained thrcc sections: about mree decades had resulted in political, economic, social, and cultural the first consisted of 18 points containing demands regarding social, economic, anomie, killing multipany democracy, depriving fundamenlal human rights of and political issues; the second tolalled eight points about the mechanics of the people, taking away their right to express their pain through mass meetings working relationshipsofthe ULF with other popularmovementgroups, especially and demonstrations, and tonuring many activists who denounced the autocratic the NC. The 18 points included in the first pan of this document were later system (seeAnlaras/riya Manch 1990-1991:23). The ULF, in its appeal, funher released as the demands of the ULF during the early stage of the movemenL alleged that the panyless Panchayat system had squeezed the economy by developing an externally dependenteconomy, fulfilling the interestofrulersand Among the 18 points, some were political demands to end the panyless wealthy people, and encouraging corruption, black marketing, smuggling, and system and establish a multipany system; lift the ban on all political panics, as commissionocracy. On the other hand, the living standard ofthe majority ofthe well as independentclass and professional organi711tions: reinstate fundamental peoplehad fallen. Peasants, workers,national capilalists,andnationalbusinessmen human rights; eliminateall Kala Kanun (black law); 3 releascall political prisoners; were not able to sec economic progress ofthe country. Communalism5 is on the stop all political atrocities and arrests made in different parts of the country; rise. In brief, the ULF stated that "the country is in crisis not only in economic renew Nepal-India relations on the basis of Panch Shila;4 and follow a foreign and political but all sectors. The increasing national aspiration is for radical policy strictly compatible with non-a1ignmenL The main economic demands change in the country ..... The progress of Nepali society is impossible as long were suict control over skyrocketing prices; strict action against corruption, assuch a system [Panchayatl exists. Therefore, today's firstessentia1 need is the commissionocracy, smugglers, and black mariceteers; daily availability of 34 35 j end of the panyless Panchayat system and the establishment of a democratic theestablishmentofa multiparty democratic system in the country (cf. FOPHUR multipany system. This is today's national aspiration 100· (sreAlIlarastriya Manch 1990:4-5; sre also Antarastriya Manch 1990-1991:26). Both parties, in their 1990-1991:23). appea\, alleged that the ruling Panchayat government had taken away people's political as well as human rights. They further stated, ·The economic condition The punch line of the ULF documents was the strong correlation between of the people is dreadful. Prices
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