04-22-2006, 04:34 AM
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.p...rial/editorial1
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->When Will Peace Finally Come?
By S. Lama
Political rallies, protest marches, demonstrations and strikes organised by one group of people or the other is a common sight in the streets of Kathmandu and in the districts of Nepal. Political parties, student wings affiliated to the different political parties, and the so-called intellectuals and members of the civil society organise these rallies and  demonstrations to voice their concern over âdemocracyâ. This has been going on for the last three years and, only God knows, for another how many more years this will continue. People have even started, jokingly and mockingly, likening these demonstrations to the Indian TV serials which seem to have no beginning and no end.
<b>Show</b>
But there is no denying the fact that the common people of Nepal have little interest in these rallies and marches, unless forced to attend them. They consider these marches as mere âgimmicksâ to attract dollars (in the case of intellectuals and civil societies), to advance their causes and to sustain their images (in the case of the political parties) and for media publicity (in the case of students). Tired and sick of these demonstrations, the people instead blame and curse the leaders for ruining the country, and disrupting their daily lives and business activities. It is not that the above organisers of these demonstrations arenât aware how the common man on the street feels about them, but they think that their âshowâ must go on for the reasons cited above.
The question is, why is it that the Nepalese people are so apathetic towards this âdemocracyâ, or, why are they silent when, allegedly, âdemocracyâ is being robbed of them in broad daylight? If one honestly looks for the right answer, one does not have to go very far.
The people are asking just one question to all the political leaders, writers, intellectuals and members of the civil society who organise these rallies: âHow many rallies and demonstrations did you organise when hundreds and hundreds of our innocent brothers and sisters, in the remote districts, were either killed or maimed in cold blood?â They ask: âHow many protest marches did you hold in the streets of Katmandu when hundreds of students were abducted, teachers lynched and when the educational institutions were burnt to ashes?â
The common people want to know how many effigies of the perpetrators of terrorism were torched at Ratna Park or elsewhere when school buses and ambulances were bombed and many innocent people were killed by those wicked people?
And they are asking, âPlease tell us what has made you the apostle of peace and justice today when you were so insensitive towards the citizenâs plight yesterday? Is it not a matter of shame for the nation that not a single protest was organised by any of the parties or organisations during the last eleven years when the country was literally bleeding? In fact, the leaders of most of the organisations were so apathetic and insensitive towards the plight of the victims of the insurgency or terrorism that they either did not utter a single word against the barbarism or even if they spoke or wrote something - when circumstances compelled them to do so - they spoke and wrote ambiguously, feebly and meekly. In another word, they acted in a very cowardly manner. The common people have not forgotten the days when in the daily newspapers, there used to be gruesome reports about the massacres committed by the Maoists on one side, and on the other, news about the political parities squabbling for power or about one political party blaming the leader of another party for his scams. They are always there to organise a nation-wide strike when the price of sugar goes up by a rupee or two, but no one comes out against the atrocities committed against the common people.
The so-called intellectuals often tell the common man about western-style democracy and the right to expression. But the intellectuals would do well to also talk about the sacrifices their leaders have made so that their people could live in peace. You have not been able to burn a single effigy of those murderers because you feared for your life. US Ambassador Moriarty was right when he said that one of the fundamentals of democracy is âcourage.â Is there such a word as âmoral courageâ in your dictionary?Â
Aspiring leaders tend to shout at the top of their voices at Ratna Park because they know very well that by doing so they will be turned into an overnight hero by the media. And with it comes opportunities for exposure in the international arena, through invitation for talks in the western capitals on topics ranging from democracy, autocracy to terrorism.
The public does not blame the organisers for the rallies because they are exercising their democratic right. But the thing is, if one had only spoken and stood boldly against the perpetrators of death yesterday, there would have been no need to look for democracy today. If they had only shown moral courage to condemn the perpetrators of the violence, Nepal would not have come to this pass.
The public would have readily come out of their doors in their support, and the murderers would have been morally vanquished and so many lives would have been saved. The nation would have gone for normal election, and the nation would have taken its peaceful course.
<b>Courage</b>
Oh you leaders and intellectuals, please think what kind of democracy you are looking for in the heap of all this pain, tears, explosions, smoke, anarchy, chaos and carnage, and, above all, in this stinking heap of your cowardice and selfishness.
And it is our ardent request to all well wishers of Nepal to do something to instill and inculcate some amount of courage in the hearts of our leaders and intellectuals to morally challenge the terrorists rather than trying to impose their style of democracy on us.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->When Will Peace Finally Come?
By S. Lama
Political rallies, protest marches, demonstrations and strikes organised by one group of people or the other is a common sight in the streets of Kathmandu and in the districts of Nepal. Political parties, student wings affiliated to the different political parties, and the so-called intellectuals and members of the civil society organise these rallies and  demonstrations to voice their concern over âdemocracyâ. This has been going on for the last three years and, only God knows, for another how many more years this will continue. People have even started, jokingly and mockingly, likening these demonstrations to the Indian TV serials which seem to have no beginning and no end.
<b>Show</b>
But there is no denying the fact that the common people of Nepal have little interest in these rallies and marches, unless forced to attend them. They consider these marches as mere âgimmicksâ to attract dollars (in the case of intellectuals and civil societies), to advance their causes and to sustain their images (in the case of the political parties) and for media publicity (in the case of students). Tired and sick of these demonstrations, the people instead blame and curse the leaders for ruining the country, and disrupting their daily lives and business activities. It is not that the above organisers of these demonstrations arenât aware how the common man on the street feels about them, but they think that their âshowâ must go on for the reasons cited above.
The question is, why is it that the Nepalese people are so apathetic towards this âdemocracyâ, or, why are they silent when, allegedly, âdemocracyâ is being robbed of them in broad daylight? If one honestly looks for the right answer, one does not have to go very far.
The people are asking just one question to all the political leaders, writers, intellectuals and members of the civil society who organise these rallies: âHow many rallies and demonstrations did you organise when hundreds and hundreds of our innocent brothers and sisters, in the remote districts, were either killed or maimed in cold blood?â They ask: âHow many protest marches did you hold in the streets of Katmandu when hundreds of students were abducted, teachers lynched and when the educational institutions were burnt to ashes?â
The common people want to know how many effigies of the perpetrators of terrorism were torched at Ratna Park or elsewhere when school buses and ambulances were bombed and many innocent people were killed by those wicked people?
And they are asking, âPlease tell us what has made you the apostle of peace and justice today when you were so insensitive towards the citizenâs plight yesterday? Is it not a matter of shame for the nation that not a single protest was organised by any of the parties or organisations during the last eleven years when the country was literally bleeding? In fact, the leaders of most of the organisations were so apathetic and insensitive towards the plight of the victims of the insurgency or terrorism that they either did not utter a single word against the barbarism or even if they spoke or wrote something - when circumstances compelled them to do so - they spoke and wrote ambiguously, feebly and meekly. In another word, they acted in a very cowardly manner. The common people have not forgotten the days when in the daily newspapers, there used to be gruesome reports about the massacres committed by the Maoists on one side, and on the other, news about the political parities squabbling for power or about one political party blaming the leader of another party for his scams. They are always there to organise a nation-wide strike when the price of sugar goes up by a rupee or two, but no one comes out against the atrocities committed against the common people.
The so-called intellectuals often tell the common man about western-style democracy and the right to expression. But the intellectuals would do well to also talk about the sacrifices their leaders have made so that their people could live in peace. You have not been able to burn a single effigy of those murderers because you feared for your life. US Ambassador Moriarty was right when he said that one of the fundamentals of democracy is âcourage.â Is there such a word as âmoral courageâ in your dictionary?Â
Aspiring leaders tend to shout at the top of their voices at Ratna Park because they know very well that by doing so they will be turned into an overnight hero by the media. And with it comes opportunities for exposure in the international arena, through invitation for talks in the western capitals on topics ranging from democracy, autocracy to terrorism.
The public does not blame the organisers for the rallies because they are exercising their democratic right. But the thing is, if one had only spoken and stood boldly against the perpetrators of death yesterday, there would have been no need to look for democracy today. If they had only shown moral courage to condemn the perpetrators of the violence, Nepal would not have come to this pass.
The public would have readily come out of their doors in their support, and the murderers would have been morally vanquished and so many lives would have been saved. The nation would have gone for normal election, and the nation would have taken its peaceful course.
<b>Courage</b>
Oh you leaders and intellectuals, please think what kind of democracy you are looking for in the heap of all this pain, tears, explosions, smoke, anarchy, chaos and carnage, and, above all, in this stinking heap of your cowardice and selfishness.
And it is our ardent request to all well wishers of Nepal to do something to instill and inculcate some amount of courage in the hearts of our leaders and intellectuals to morally challenge the terrorists rather than trying to impose their style of democracy on us.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->