By Sunil KC

In the aftermath of the protest at Tinkune near the Kathmandu airport last Friday, March 28, organised by the joint people’s movement committee for the restoration of constitutional monarchy and establishment of a Hindu state, also supported by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the government has resorted to heavy-handed tactic to suppress any opposition to the present republic system and the present constitution. However, the political parties, mainly the three big ones, have missed or chose to ignore the crucial message of the movement by directing all their wrath on the former King accusing him of being the main perpetrator of the protest and the violence that ensued.

They have failed to acknowledge and fathom the simmering discontent of the general people against political volatility, constant bargaining for power, rampant corruption, crippling economy, massive unemployment and the mass exodus of young people outside the country for livelihood plaguing the country for the last two decades. Also, they failed to gauge the ever-growing disillusionment rife among the people and that the protest manifested the people’s growing cynicism against the present political parties and the political structure.

At a multi-party meeting of political parties supporting the republic on Sunday, called by Prime Minister KP Oli of UML, all those parties in unison accused the former King of scheming to topple the present federal loktantrik (democratic) republic state. Maoist chairman Prachanda did not participate in the meeting. Still, at a different program, he accused the former King of conspiring against the constitution and the present system and that he should not be let go free. There are even reports that they want the King to be put under house arrest and his passport be revoked.

The protest turned violent and led to the death of two persons, a TV journalist and a commoner along with more than two dozen others injured. In the violence, two buildings and several vehicles were torched. The protestors accuse the government of instigating confusion and chaos by lobbing tear gas canisters on the dais when organisers of the protest were reciting the national anthem. Many social media posts along with participants and spectators say there were police in civil dresses on rooftops of private buildings lobbing teargas shells at the rally which led to the chaos. One Sabin Maharjan was killed when he was walking on the street and the security personnel apparently shot him without being provoked. Another, a TV cameraman, Suresh Rajak died in the flame when a building he was taking photos and videos of the protest from inside was set on fire. The chain gate was locked by some unknown and he could not flee. Similarly, the herbal medicine factory at Jadibuti was also torched during the protest.

Following the protest, the government has arrested dozens of people, including vice chairman of RPP Rabindra Mishra and general secretary of the party Dhawal Shumsher Rana. They have been charged with treason. However, the commander of the protest, Durga Prasai, fled away breaking the police barricade. Later, he said he escaped fearing for his life and accused the government targetted him to be assassinated. Police are still looking for him. Chairman of the movement committee, Navaraj Subedi, has been put under undeclared house arrest with only his family and close ones allowed in and out, reports say.

While the pro-republic parties led by UML, NC and the Maoists kept on echoing their oft-repeated political clichés that there is no alternative to a federal republic, and secularism and that these are sacrosanct. Ironically, these parties are oblivious to the fact that the general people feel that these parties have been using this political set-up as a tool for enriching and empowering themselves, lobbyists and interest groups, and those close to them. Leaders of all political parties, mainly the three big ones, have been enmeshed in charges of corruption, grafting, kickbacks, bribes, and misuse of authority. Still, the party leaders not only remained blissfully indifferent to these accusations but also chose to brush them aside or cover them up forcing the people to conclude that nothing good would come out of them and the political set-up they had structured where these three main parties control all aspects of governance through power sharing, bargains or quotas.

While infighting for power is a common phenomenon among them they always collude with each other if their political monopoly is challenged. The whole political set-up now is that the parties in power want and force the government machinery to subjugate to their will. One latest example is the ouster of NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising. At the parliament on Monday, Oli said that Ghising was sacked because he was not loyal enough to the government and did not give in to its will enraging the opposition parties. Similarly, Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University Dr. Prof. Keshar Jung Baral resigned recently from the position only after 13 months. He said that he could not bear the constant pressure from Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chancellor of the university, to appoint a dean and to make thousands of part-time and temporary teachers and other staff permanent without proper procedure against the order of the Supreme Court. He also said that it was impossible to manage the university which is highly politicized with fraternal organizations of all political parties exerting pressure and influence on all academic and administrative decisions.

The people have been witnessing this shit show for the last two decades and when they ultimately felt the chance of these parties changing for the better was getting even remote and the political parties failing to go beyond just political rhetoric they were forced to seek an option that might bind the country together. The pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party has said it will continue protest and other forms of agitation until the present system of federalism, secularism and republicanism is abolished. This means unless the present set-up of politics that benefits only a few at the cost of the general populace is amended or even cleansed completely, this country may be bracing up for a series of protests, agitations and even a revolt.