UWB! Analysis
The ongoing strike has given an impetus for full-fledged democracy. But to achieve it, there is a long way to go
People have awakened; they are rallying overwhelmingly for democracy in unprecedented numbers. But, the movement has mainly centered around suburban areas such as Kirtipur, Kalanki, Gongabu, and Patan of Kathmandu Valley.
There is no denying the fact that people are enthusiastic. But, the state is in distress. For example, Home Minister Kamal Thapa is trying to build the cases of Maoists’ penetration in the agitation. He even spoke about the so-called case of firing by Maoists in an ex DSP’s house at Gongabu area. The state is trying to frame things that will diminish the parties.
Outside Kathmandu Valley, the movement is catching the momentum. It is greater than 1990’s movement. The protests of Banepa and Pokhara are few examples.
The ongoing agitation, however, is severely lacking leadership. In most places, people have participated spontaneously. So, the void created by leaderlessness should be fulfilled immediately.
United We Blog 
Comments
45 responses to “Kathmandu Spring: Where are the Leaders?”
Who needs Girija, Deuba or Makune! We’ll kick them out too after we done with this one!
Exactly. Leadership is required for achieving the goal (democracy at large) more strategically rather than spontaneously or haphazardly. At this critical time, we have to make the movement in such a way that we have to optimize the resources (meaning: maximizing our strength with less injuries and other fatalities). Leadership will also help in proper coordination and effective/efficient result.
we again need leaders like Girija, Deuba, M.K. Nepal or Oli or Lilamani or Dr. Bhattarai. No nation wants autocratic leaders anymore.
Hey UWB,
Mark my words the Kathmandu Spring will give birth to scores of new leaders! Better than the old corrupt ones.
Well let’s not hear what KT is saying. The EX-DSP’s son is my friend and they know nothing about the shooting. I called him and he was saying well I also heard from that guy. And yeh the aandolan is getting leaderless but people don’t want the old jerks to come around to lead them. Recently a same old stinking leader tried to lead the aandolan but you know what guys…people beat him first…People are knowing this is the right time to do all the good things and the time to payback..but still we will need leaders like the ones of Gagan and Yogesh. So we better wait for some while to get good leaders then to get useless and rotten ones fast…and besides who wants to go behind the likes of Khursani Bahun, Parkhal Mantri and so onn…..
In absolute democracy, the government is self-correcting. there certainly are new and emerging leaders. Absolute democracy will give birth to competitive political leaders through free, fair and impartial elections.
proud2bnepali,
Can u plz elaborate on who the so-called DSP is and why he’s framed by the Home Minister?
Have the governing Leaders of Nepal forgotten, that they are either Hindus oder Buddhists? As such, they should have read the Mahabharata, which not only explains all about life, but also the principles and virtues of leadership.
This is a time to think forward, and move ahead. Old leaders should be given due respect, that’s all. The future is at the hand of young generation.
Who needs these bloody chors? The movement has it’s own momentum. This should not be called a SPA andolan anymore. We should call it a peoples andolan and wash ourselves off the filth of SPA leaders. Everyone who agrees please say Yes.
Don’t be so hasty, when all the dirty work is done the leaders will come out. Give it a day or so. They also may have the excuse of being kept under surveillance or house arrest. Without leadership there is no direction, not a good premise for a happy conclusion. Besides nepalnews says that Kesar Bahadur Bista has called for the government to hold talks with the SPA leadership. Maybe we have a potential leader within opposing ranks.
If these directionless protests and vandalism does not stop soon, the guns will come out, and that will be the worst case scenario for us all, so hope that talks are held sooner rather than later.
Bist’s lip service is not good enough. He must dare to resign and others could follow him. It will be a good blow to KG.
I agree with proud2bnepali: Gagan Thapa, Yogesh Bhattari like new generation should lead the movement. Let the old guards remain only on the background. May be Lila Mani, Kp Oli, Prakash Man, Rajendra Shrestha, Gokarna Bista, Manjushri Thapa, Subhash Nembang to name the few, should come out to manage the strike and demonstration so that democratic republic is achieved with minimun loss.
I urge Keshar Bahadur Bista to resign immediately to create pressure on Gyanendra if he is sincerely means what he says. Otherwise, Kamal Thapa, Tulsi Giri, Sachit Samsher and Tanke will make this country a hell before the disappear from history.
As per nepalnews, kesar bahadur bista’s party has called for dialogue. Let’s make sure not to let the oppurtunists like bista escape again…they are the one who backed king, now trying to take advantage of the situation….we should not repeat the mistakes of 2046…lets warn SPA not to leave any room for them…one of the main agendas of this andolan should be strict action against those who were found guilty by mallik aayog and similiar aayog to be formed after lokatantra
Hye guys dont worry those morons will pop out of no-where when the democracy is restored and there are openings for the post of minister. Its the ordinary people who will have to dodge those bullets.Fk’ING morons???
hey say,
no way there will be dialogue this time until king steps back. and what do ya mean the potential leaders in the opposition rank. Leave GP, makune and few others aside…there are thousands of good leaders in SPA. Bista might be a good political analyst but he is one of the must charlaten leaders. no room for the leaders like him in new democracy.
Thapa, Giri and tanke might be the prominent one..but bista , mainali and prakhas koirala (and his dhoti daughter) are the one who betrayed nepali people and joined hand with KG
what’s happening here…
total chaos…SPA calls for voilent strike….its no way demonatration for peace…
how can peace prevail after such voilence…. alll young people think twice…. where r u heading?
why can’t we have peaceful demonastration like in thialand?
whats wrong in peace?
too many questions to answer…
where r our octagerian leaders…
closely behind the doors, preparing new daura suruwal????? for one more visit?
PLEASE DONOT PLAY GAMES WITH OUR HEART AND SOUL..
Need some inspiration ? Read below what I got from the web :-
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.”
“Perfect freedom is as necessary to the health and vigor of commerce as it is to the health and vigor of citizenship.”
Patrick Henry
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.”
“I don’t care if I fall as long as someone else picks up my gun and keeps on shooting.”
”I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man. “
Che Guevara
“I only regret that I have one life to lose for my country. “
Nathan Hale
“We must dare, and dare again, and go on daring. “
Georges Jacques Danton
“When the government violates the people’s rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensable of duties.”
Marquis de Lafayette
“There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.”
Alexandre Ledru-Rollin
“You will kill 10 of our men, and we will kill 1 of yours, and in the end it will be you who tire of it.”
Ho Chi Minh
“Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be put right.”
Carl Schurz
“Where force is necessary, there it must be applied boldly, decisively and completely. But one must know the limitations of force; one must know when to blend force with a maneuver, a blow with an agreement.”
Leon Trotsky
“It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
Emiliano Zapata
Gentlemen
The point is that whoever becomes leaders of Nepal we as a people must DEMAND accountability and tranparency.
It is rather strange for the political leaders not to come out. Except Makune who is under house arrest. But then again these are spineless bastards so I guess I shouldn’t be that suprised. If this conflict comes to an end with the King backing off I wonder what excatly will happen. General elections? Will the disbanded constituent assembly be reinstated? Then there is the Maoist factor.
Ideally the best solution would be for the King to call the parties for dialogue and reinstate parliment. I know we all want to see Girija et. al lynched but we must be patient.
After parliment is reinstated then that interm government could call for an election and at the same time get the Maoist to join mainstream political arena.
These are very uncertain times for Nepal.
Thanks peoples rise.
I admired Che Guevara’s most
bhudai pundit,
I agree that parliament reinstment is the best solution, but i dont want it to be happend by the wish of king. why give so much importance to king and beg him for his kindnees, why not people themselves….my be what i am talking is not written in the constitution…but the constitution is no more…so every thing should start from scratch…and peoples role should be utmost from wrting the constitution to forming the new goverment. I hate new leaders to be abjured by king again…whoever takes oath under king will go disobedient to people again.
Bravo:
I hear you. But I am trying to be pragmatic and realistic. With the reinstatement of parliment we can make constitutional amendments and gradually strip the power of the king so that he has no control over the RNA etc.
My only worry is that now we say “the people this and the people that” but like we mentioned before there needs to be really strong leadership. I like Gagan Thapa but can we just make him the next prime minister of Nepal?
I don’t know what the King will do. If he continues on this path then I cannot say. But if he backs off now then the best solution will be to form an interm government and then take things on from there. The RNA is very loyal to the King. The last thing you want is for RNA hardliners to take power for themslves or do something else that is drastic.
I guess now the political leaders would have learnt something. Actually as much as I hate it the best bet would be to see Girija be head of an interm government who would call for new elections.
I don’t know …. maybe that is not the best solution but what else can you really do?
Now, what will happen next is :
April 10 -11 : Maoist will declare war agaist government on all levels. They’ll start to cripple goverment machinery with all their might.
April 11-15 : More public participation agaist autocracy. More support from diff organisations, unions, civic societies. More clashes. Death toll will reach 20+. Sort of anarchy will reign. Lootings in Kathmandu will also be reported.
April 17-20 : King will address the nation. Call the parties for truce. Clashes will continue. Destruction of govmnt properties will be rampant. Death toll : 40+.
April 21-22 : NC will show interest to share power with King. UML will stay out. Demonstrations and clashes will continue. Maoist will have taken control of atleast 2 major cities. scenario : total confusion. Nobody will know who is in control.
April 24-30 : NC will form government. India US will support. Demonstration will be even more intense and widespread. Total anarchy. Death toll 100+
Friends,
Why you are sacred with Maoist? They are fighting for to restore the people’s government. Their fight is only directed against atocratic feaudal system led by Gynendra. The government media as well as some of the media run by some corrupt leaders of UML and NC( Both groups) potrayed them in a bad way, in real sense they are not. They(media and some groups) have hyped some wrongs that the Maoist have done during the war against corrupt regime. As a responsible party Maoist has in the past accepted some of the atrocities that happened on their behalf. They are for the people and has come at this level by the people. They are not terrorist at all. Solely media potrayed them in a bad way. For instance look at what the western media did for Nelson Mandela for so many years. Media specially western potrayed him a terrorist. All of sudden he has become great leader( and indeed he was /is) even for those media who are in extreme right. So guys oneday Prchanda and Baburam who are now represented by some media /groups as terrorists will be become the most nationalist leaders and dear leaders of Nepali people. Please wish for that day.
Comrade Sandesh,
I’d trust a snake before I’d trust the Maoists. Their track record says it all. Mao after all was a bigger criminal than Hitler and Stalin combined.
I trust the people and only those who truly care about the welfare of the people. That excludes the King, the Maoists and the corrupt old leaders of the SPA. I can see some new promising leaders arising!
Where is G Shah? Just kick him out of the state, so all problems will be solved?
To curious, well bro I would love to say the name of the DSP but you know there is something called privacy…well I asked him coz he was my fren so but I can’t let his name here…sorry bro but you can goto Gongabu area and then ask anyone and they will sa you okey.And why am I still hearing guys like Bhudai saying reinstate of pariliament from king…why are you even suggesting that..man guys like you shouldn’t even think like that..Okey you are being pragmatic but dude….remember when you give something to someone then you certainly can take it from then..okey you may say this will be like taking from him with force…but still if you keep on insiting that the king can restore the parliament and aandolan will be over then you are giving him still a good old way…when he sees like OHHH MYY GOSH now things are bad he will either say you got all you needed or he will ask the supreme court to do it and this is very very real possibility looking at the way even Tulsi Giri is defending that constitution….Okey I will more then happily agree if it is done through aandolan….and bro look what people are demanding….REPUBLIC….and if they agree on such petty things how come we say we respected the blood that is being shade…it will again take 16 years and then it will be the killer guy in the power…paras….coz this old will die very soon if he succeds to rule also coz he already has a very very bad heart condition…and you know the TIME magazine about how much he smokes everyday..SO bro….at least say reinstallment through people not by the goodwill of the killer…otherwise the untouchables will remain that and we will again have more fighting….
And finally about not trusting the Maoist..well guys if you belive me….there are so many cadres inside each party which doesn’t trust the others and think if the king calls the other will go…many of them come in my house for some kind of rest some time from aandolan and as I have been also to some I have seen the bitterness…but they all accept that they were all very bad persons but still can’t trust each other also let alone maoist…they still think KG funded maoist….well let’s stop thinking weird things or being so much sceptic..or seeing so much of history ‘s bad only….coz look the general history is always the same but the inner history is everywhere the different and every thing must begin somewhere…so for now instead of thinking maoist are the new khamers…..let’s pray that maoist are really like what we saw in prachanda’s tears and baburam’s feelings and let’s just hope for something good at least for now…coz we have to make people victorious then we can deal with anything and anyone….maoist didn’t won coz they were something special…..they won coz in no other country there have been 14 governments in 14 years…………so first let’s be strong and at least they are pleding for help…if u understand the deep roots of the political ways……this is more then enough for the time being…..
Kirat:
Although I share your sentiment about the Maoist from on an emotional level I also know that the Maoist will need to be included in the future political framework.
Other if the Maoist are not on board we are back to were we started.
I personally think that the Maoist are ready for negotiations. They have shown in the recent past that they are willing to make compromises and reach a solution. Take the stance of the Monarchy issue, the ceasefire etc. Of course they will need to give up their arms…
I see so many difficult and complex question in the near future I just get diorentented when I begin to think about it.
Ok so imagine that the King backs off or goes into exile. What happens to the RNA? It will come under civilian control. The Maoists are going to want to reach some sort of a agreement where the RNA is disarmed etc… How will the RNA take this? Who is going to lead these negotiations?
What is the international community espcially India think about the Maoist joining the mainstream politics? Are they going to think that this gives the wrong signal to their own insurgents and interfer?
Man I don’t even know what to think.
Kirat ji,
May be I have biased opinion towards Maoist but it is sure you are seriously indoctrinated with western negatively mediated information particularly about Mao and communist. The west is very unfair and negative about the progress and prosperity about China under the leadership Mao as they were against his political thought. They have forgotten how many millions people were saved with the correctness of Mao’s principle and policies. They are agagin and again spinning the some likely mistakes that might had occured during cultural revoluttion. In Mao’s time definitely there were deaths due to famine, natural disaster and poverty specially in the begining of his rule. But he has not murdered any civilians as present great preacher of the democracy and humanright has been doing. See in Iraq, Isn’t this the role model democracy you are dreaming?
In gist the world should salute him ( Mao) as a TITAN of the 20th century. Please do not add the death that occured during the faminine and natural disaster that Mao had done.
Sandesh ji, fact is a fact..here is a little bit of what I GOT BY googling, AND THE FACT is, chairman admits to it.
Mao caused the greatest famine in history by export food to Russia to buy nuclear and arms industries: 38 million people were starved and slave-driven to death in 1958-61. Mao knew exactly what was happening, saying: “half of China may well have to die.”
Two wrongs dont make it right. You may have found a voice here in the name of democracy but if the King has to go then so does Maoism.
Yes, Mao caused the greatest famine in modern history, which killed between 25 to 35 million people.
Some facts. It wasn’t because he wanted to buy arms or anything but because he wanted to modernize China so quickly that he told peasants to give up farming and take up smelting. Not only was this a disaster to farming, but because every metallic item was to be used to make ‘ores’ in backyard furnaces. They made steel, but you can imagine the quality of the product.
these maoists must have baffled by the massive public support for the popular movement without a single gun. these idiots dont have a clue what the popular movement is all about. now they feel that they lagged behind the race– wants some pie of it, a credit. thats why they declared new program of destruction or is it new distraction? SPA has done well by asking these idiots to help the popular movement by staying out of movement. i am sure that is the only reason that people participated on this scale.
I hope Girija and Madhav Nepal and Duhba are quaking in their boots. Because I don’t think the people defied protestors just so they can cling on to power.
Be scared old fossils, be very scared. After this is over, we’ll come and grab you if you don’t behave.
leaders will appear when they know what to say. The ongoing movement looks inspired by arising negativity and hopelessness. If there is a real claim for welbeing of Nepal, including a total stop of all bandts, the possibility of going to school and to work and so on, abolition of caste system, that would be somebody I would try. All others are throwing mud at each other and people are just being emotional. The King did what he could and will continue to do so, trust him. So reconciliation is the best chance to stop the violence for now. We all love Nepal, I like the days when there are no curfews and no bandths all are so happy to be in a normal mood. The use of a blogsite like this is to learn to be literate, not throw stones, try to elaborate your thoughts. The whole maoist movemnent is frustration, first happy the government was sacked, then cry democracy.???
Why everybody is giving credit to SPA. This andolan is not of SPA but of the people who did not support them since last 3 years of gyanendra’s rule. How come everybody fogot that till Feb 1st last year Makune was King’s leutinant in his cabinet. These leaders are just forpower and nothing else. Girija says reinstate the parliament because he will be the primeminister the next day. Makune goes to india begging those communist in delhi’s power so that his party can form the government with their pressure.
SPA went begging Maoist for 12 point agenda and forgot their atrocities to their own cadres bythe maoist in the last 10 years. Maoist have killed almost 5000 SPA’s cadres. what explanantion can they give. And who knows these SPA will also shake hands with King G,if they are taken into the cabinetunder 127 article.
so do not trust these SPA leaders, this andolan should also do another thing, preparefor a strategic changes in the political system, so that these leaders shoud be allowed to loot the country on the pretext that they are the leaders of the people. How can these leaders say that king G is misusing funds to the tune of 60 crores per year when these same leaders took away more than 1 billion in just one deal like chase air, lauda and south east deals of RNAC.
things for thought guys!!
Comrade Sandesh,
Please do not mistake the sheer anger and guts of the people on the streets today as any sort of sympathy or support for your Maoist terrorists.The SPA leadership have used you for their convenience,bur we the people do not want or need to use anybody but ourselves and our commitment for democracy, not monarchy, maoism or any other form of “ism”. Just as we are ready for the Kings gun, so too we will be ready for your Prachanda’s.
Cry havoc and let slip the dog’s of war.
Loktantra Jindabad!
Sandesh,
Comrade is it?
Let me try and enlighten you and your argument point by point and blow by blow.
1.Why are we afraid of Maoists?
We are not afraid of Maoists, we are just afraid of the bullets that could penetrate our childrens heads, and the bombs that would shatter a person into a hundred pieces. Also, we are afraid of your regrssive policies to send Nepal forward into this century. Afraid that we will be failures in the eyes of our future generations if we let people like you take over. But believe me we are not afraid of you as a person. And believe me if we had guns we would not be afraid of your guns either.
2. Your Maoist fight is only against autocratic feudal system led by Gyanendra.
But, you have been figting the democrats before and killing unfeudal villagers and abducting their children and forcing them to follow your ways all by use of the gun and not through convincing them through deeds and argument. It has always been through the barrel for you I’m afraid. You have also slaugtered over 5000 democratic cadres in the process.
3. Maoists have been potrayed in a bad way by the media.
Well, I know media can be biased but the bus blown up in Magdi was not computer generated. The slaughter of journalists and party cadre was not made up, the adduction of children was not made up. The media can have their own biased opinions but after reports of such atrocities we can make up our mind about the facts.
Who told you the western media potrayed Nelson Mandela as a terrorist? Maybe the South African govt, controlled media, but definitely most of the worldwide media have always condemned the apartheid in south africa and the jailing of Me. Mandela. How can you even attempt to compare Baburam and Prachanda the major advocates of violent methods to reach their disillusioned goals to Nelson Mandala, who has always practiced the Gandhian principles of non-violence!!!
4. As for your accusations that M/s Kirat is affected by western media and that Mao did great things–
Well you have seen the statistics on the famine and the lives destroyed by the revolution. China has only begun to prosper due to western styled economic liberalisation since the mid 1980’s due to Premier Deng. They still suffer in terms of freedom of expression and human rights. But the government has cleverly adapted a capitalist economic approach to keep their population happy for the time being. And besides your great leader Mao use to enjoy a very capitalistic and luxurious lifestyle while his people suffered under his revolution.
[…] We Blog For Peace And Democracy In NepalUnited We Blog, Nepal - Apr 10, 2006The ongoing strike has given an impetus for full-fledged democracy. But to achieve it, there is a long way to go. People have awakened … […]
[…] We Blog For Peace And Democracy In NepalUnited We Blog, Nepal – Apr 10, 2006The ongoing strike has given an impetus for full-fledged democracy. But to achieve it, there is a long way to go. People have awakened … […]
when people rise they dont need any leaders. proof, with madhav nepal behind the bar, bamdev and jhalanath–neo ‘PRABASHI’ in delhi, girija in ghyampo and April in Action on its peak. any one thing people need these losers.
Thank you, Sandesh (10/4).
Norwegian leftwing organisations support the struggle of the Nepali people. Currently, we are collecting money so we can send a healthteam/doctors to Nepali countryside. Will hopefully arrive this summer.
The Maoist comrade form Norway,
We donot want maoists here in Nepal, please stick to your own country.
It’s good to see the comment on Nepal by those brave people who left their mother land in the time of struggle but let’s hope they will be back….
Now the time has come to kick out autocracy and restore power in the hand of the people, not only this old corrupt generations of 7 parties n MB’s who are domestic of usa and India should be replaced by the young generation of new thoughts ,vision and prospects who are only loyal to Nepal and nepali
Lastly, to Mr Ajay please don’t use “Mr Shah=gyane”, it hurts….co’z all shah are not like gyane….today also there are some “shah” who are fighting for the peace and very eager to do something for their country….so I request u not to discourage them n me!!
Big to you thank that contain such resource. Probably all this keeps on enthusiasm. Many thanks for your work