Over 29,000 government schools were shut for more than a week in Nepal as teachers went on a nationwide strike against a new law that brings schools under the management of local bodies. This will affect the education of half-a-million students.
Around the same time, almost all the hospitals were shut down, providing only skeletal emergency services. Doctors were on the streets to protest the assault of doctors on duty and damage of property at the Pokhara-based Manipal Teaching Hospital following the death of a patient brought in in “critical condition”. It was called off on Saturday after the government undertook in writing that safety would be guaranteed and criminals brought to justice.
Unrest brewing in different parts of the country has deeper social, cultural as well as communal and political dimensions. President Ram Chandra Poudel has brazenly continued the practice of granting amnesty to convicts, including in murder cases, demoralising the judiciary and law-abiding people. The last two months have witnessed incidents — cow slaughter in public places and community feasts — to assert the rights of people in “secular Nepal” (with the army on high alert to meet any eventuality).
In a way, the republic has been criminalised, and there has been sacrilege against secularism. It is only natural that the constitution promulgated in 2015 under a fast-track system – dispensing with debates and rights of the members to move amendments – did not allow all sides to have a common understanding of basic values. Raman Shrestha, a former Attorney General appointed by PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” in his previous tenure, has said this “constitution has failed in every respect”.
As frustration grew domestically, it was only natural for PM Prachanda to hope that the international community, which played a role in Nepal’s political change in 2006, may come to his rescue. He was away from the country for almost a fortnight – five days in New York to attend the annual UN event and eight days as part of the official bilateral visit to China. On his return home on Saturday, he disclosed he had solicited international support for crucial domestic issues including the peace process and transitional justice, mainly to secure amnesty for himself and Maoist cadres.
The most publicised picture of Prachanda from his China visit was from Mt Kailash and Mansarovar, completing a pilgrimage that began from Ujjain (India), Pashupatinath (Nepal) and Mansarovar (China). It’s believed that he was advised by “Indian friends” to offer prayers at Mahakaleshwar to dispel the impression that he was anti-Hindu.
Former King Gyanendra was accorded a very enthusiastic and overwhelming reception at Bhaktapur city in Kathmandu last week. The people gathered did not hide their displeasure with the “corrupt” politicians and their wish to bring the monarchy back to “save the nation”.
The most publicised picture of Prachanda from his China visit was from Mt Kailash and Mansarovar, completing a pilgrimage that began from Ujjain (India), Pashupatinath (Nepal) and Mansarovar (China). It’s believed that he was advised by “Indian friends” to offer prayers at Mahakaleshwar to dispel the impression that he was anti-Hindu.
Former King Gyanendra was accorded a very enthusiastic and overwhelming reception at Bhaktapur city in Kathmandu last week. The people gathered did not hide their displeasure with the “corrupt” politicians and their wish to bring the monarchy back to “save the nation”.
The US’s elation is proportional to Chinese anger and frustration with the Nepali politicians in general and the Maoists in particular. Nepal’s army chief General Prabhu Ram Sharma was in New Delhi to participate in the Indo-Pacific Chiefs meeting that China was not happy about. Prachanda kept insisting to Chinese authorities including Prime Minister Li Quiang that the MCC did not have a security component and that Nepal abhors military groupings. Prachanda seems happy with the ties and trust he has been able to build with the US and India, which also implies his readiness to face the consequences both on the domestic and external fronts.
Some signs are visible already. The Department of Defence team of the US Embassy organised a medical outreach event in Humla, bordering Tibet, collaborating with American and Nepali doctors. The first international dignitary that Prachanda met on his return was MCC Chief Alice Albright.
Naturally, Prachanda had to do more explaining in the north. There was no mention of carrying forward any projects under the Belt and Road Initiative in the official handout, except a pledge in the joint communiqué earlier “to accelerate the consultation to finalise the text on the BRI implementation plan at an early date”.
China’s eroded trust in Nepal, in the wake of MCC ratification and substantial agreement on power generation and purchase with India, was further visible when Beijing insisted and Nepal complied and recognised that “the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” under its “One China Principle” rather than the usual One China Policy.
How will this jell with domestic politics will still matter more than how the other external stakeholders will respond. After all, public anger is directed equally against top leaders and parties, both those in power and in the opposition and the international players who worked in tandem during the movement in 2006 and set the agenda of the constitution.
Source : Indian Express
