#337 23 February - 1 March 2007 16 pages Rs 30 PREYING ON FEAR: A Maoist rally Weekly Internet Poll # 337 against King Gyanendra's Democracy Q. How much do you know about the Day speech on Monday attracted crowds federalism debate? of onlookers in Ratna Park. Total votes: 2,516 Weekly Internet Poll # 338. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. What do you think about an ethnic federalist structure for the Nepali state? KIRAN PANDAY What’s a constituent assembly? Who can we trust to run Nepal? Big questions ANAGHA NEELAKANTAN As in previous polls, the so, support for the Maoists has freedom of expression and the largest proportion of those polled eroded in the last six months. right to information. nationwide opinion poll were undecided about which As in a previous poll in Republicanism, federalism, and conducted last month by political party they would vote October 2006, Nepalis are still secularism may be the most-heard A the research group for if elections were held. This divided on whether or not to keep slogans from political groupings Interdisciplinary Analysts shows time, many also didn’t want to the monarchy. Most of those who but they are lower that Nepalis still don’t have much say who they’d vote for. Among favour the monarchy want a down on the faith in politicians. Respondents those who had made up their ceremonial one but don’t like agenda. The fate Editorial p2 were also found to be surprisingly minds, Maoist leader Pushpa Gyanendra as king. of the monarchy The undecided ill-informed about the constituent Kamal Dahal is marginally more Close to two-thirds of the is rated as the assembly elections. trusted than other leaders. Even respondents want to be identified least pressing constitutional as Nepali and not by their ethnic issue. Affirmative action for group, and almost the same women and dalits, and autonomy number say Nepali should be the are deemed more important. only national language. Nepalis care most about the rights to equality, property, Go to p8-9 2 EDITORIAL 23 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH 2007 #337 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda Dixit Executive Editor: Anagha Neelakantan Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Rupendra Kayastha Director Sales and Marketing: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Circulation Manager: Samir Maharjan [email protected] Subscription: [email protected],5011628/29 Hatiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur [email protected] GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu 5543333-6, Fax: 5521013 www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 5547018 Dignity for all Today’s ferment may not be nice but it is necessary THE UNDECIDED he recent weeks have shaped by 70 years of harmonious place where all The most believable reason for delaying the constituent assembly thrown up an interesting prejudiced living, or I could groups can live in dignity. But polls is not that the election commission hasn’t been able to T phenomenon. No sooner have told her about things as I such a Nepal cannot be attained complete preparations. Nor is it because of fears that it will not be do the madhesis, janajatis, dalits, see them: that there was no if multitudes feel left out of the free and fair. It’s because most Nepalis don’t know what a women, and others begin peace over the centuries, only mainstream. constituent assembly is. demanding their fair share in a silent acceptance of one’s fate. What is happening today All recent opinion surveys have shown Nepalis to be future Nepal, than the predictable That today’s fight is about may not be nice, but it is overwhelmingly in favour of constituent assembly elections because for them it is subliminally synonymous with peace. But laments over an old Nepal rights and about refusing to necessary. This country has to voters electing an assembly to draft a new constitution must know accept an undignified existence, go through this foment before it why they are voting and what the parties and candidates stand for. EYES WIDE SHUT against subservience to a can emerge as a strong nation. This should be the job of the political parties, but they just Sheetal Kumar haughty elite that refuses to see None of this debate would be haven’t gone out to educate voters. The latest IDA poll summarised how bad things were for the happening today had it been in this issue also proves just how far removed the parties and their masses that make up this allowed in 1950 or, indeed, leaders are from the people’s aspirations. Most Nepalis don’t emerge. A Nepal where things mosaic of a country. even in 1990. But the political really care about what happens to the monarchy, they want their were peaceful, everyone lived in Everywhere you turn to parties and the civil society lives to improve. The leaders flog republicanism, secularism or harmony, and there were hardly these days—in the newspapers, beholden to them did not ethnic federalism, but people care more about jobs, health, and any bandas or shortages. on the airwaves, at every corner listen. And so we have this education. Take my mother who, in all tea and barbershop—you hear debate all over again. When Most Nepalis are undecided about who they’ll vote for in a future election. This should be a dire warning to the seven-plus- her innocence, lamented that the and see the predictable longing voices are suppressed time and one alliance to shape up. As far as the voters are concerned, the madhesis were being violent. for peace. These longings are again, either through military parties are preoccupied with petty turf battles. Last year, the And why were there khukuri mostly expressed by a section of force or through prejudice and people’s foremost desire was peace. This year it is development, marches in Kathmandu? “We’ve society which benefited from wilful negligence, they tend to but they see self-absorbed rulers squabbling endlessly over a just ended one conflict, and the status quo. get louder and more violent. division of the spoils. another one rises. Why can’t all Longing for peace and Nepal is at that stage. The survey shows this disillusionment runs deep. The people these groups live in peace, as we harmony is well and good, and Let us not forget that the are fed up with politicians hell-bent on taking to the streets and have for centuries?” she asked. we should all pray that Nepal constituent assembly, which we punishing the people with strikes, blockades and shutdowns. The You can’t change a mindset becomes a peaceful and all believe will help end the gas lines, load-shedding and shortages have stretched the public’s Maoist conflict permanently, tolerance to breaking point. We may can also be a source of other have sidelined the king, but we haven’t got rid of this culture of cynically feeding conflicts. And that’s what the on the people’s misery to make a debate today is about— political point. participation and representation The tarai is allowed to simmer so the in the formation of a new state parties can sit back and enjoy watching where no one is penalised the Maoists roast in a fire they started. because of age-old prejudices. For their part, the comrades are so Madhesis, janajatis, dalits, desperate to shift attention away from the women, and other marginalised madhes debacle they are working groups are protesting because themselves into a frenzy demolishing they see that the constituent royal statues. Simulated outrage, they assembly election is rigged should know, can work both ways. Rhetoric about a New Nepal aside, against them. They know that this is the one real chance the state has without participation in to get the future of the country on track. A sufficient numbers, the ‘New botched election, one that few people Nepal’ that emerges out of the believe is free and fair, and in which assembly deliberations will not fewer still know what they are really be much different from the ‘Old voting for, can lead to violent ethnic Nepal.’ politics. Better to take time to educate Listen to them. Failing to voters, ensure it is free from intimidation do so now will mean that we’ll than stage a hurried and fatally flawed continue to long for peace poll. and harmony for decades to come. z KUMAR SHRESTHA The ties that bind Proof, if it were needed, that there is a common Nepali identity e are living in paranoid times. they do with the centre. almost always dismissed as losers too We also ignore the inconvenient fact Madhesis think that their future So what does hold us together? When scared to openly carry the standard of the that Everest is on the border and that its W isn’t safe in the hands of pahadis. ethnic autonomy is discussed, it is in royal family. northern face lies in foreign territory and The pahadi leadership of the janajatis isn’t Nepali, a language that evolved during the Wherever you go in Nepal and claim that the highest point on earth lies in too sure of its place in a democratic Nepal. Gorkhalis’ military campaigns and was whenever, through the Himalayan winter, Nepal. Sagarmatha will soon replace the Tharus don’t trust the pahadis but fear even later standardised by the Ranas to serve as midhill monsoon, and tarai summer, the food king on Nepali currency. There was a time, more the domination of upper caste the court language. Upendra Yadav of the of choice for those who can afford it is dal- not too long ago, when the mohar rupaiya madhesis.