I must say, the image combined with the sound gave me a ‘lil high’ (and I am miles away from Nepal!). Good job. It must have been incredible to feel the sense of unity and the pulse of people through the sounds of pots and pans. Although a seemingly simple act of defiance, its quite intense and beautiful- wish I were there.

The King now has the backing of the RNA and the International comunity… This is going to make it extreamly difficult for the SPA to get their demands fulfilled. Yes the people are out there but how long will they be able to continue protesting - with the curfews, limited supply of food etc? I read many comments here from people who advocate further protests but what do the people who are actually in KTM think? Can they continue the protest living under these dificult circumstances… Now with the Monsoon coming will the protest loose its momentum … Perhaps the parties should have accepted the deal.

Exactly Bhudai Pundit. How long can we take this? What do we really want? Do we want Monarchy? Do we want Multi-Party democracy? Hell, I don’t care who’s on top, just give me peace. Give me stability. The so called “people” who everyone seems to be so high on are going to be forgotten as soon as any of these power hungry fools take over. This is a battle among the ruling class at the expense of the people. People are nothing but pawns, sacrificed for the powerful. Get back to your homes and make a living, people. Don’t let these hollow politicians sell you dreams that will never materialize.

This ‘common man’ completely fails to see what people want EVEN after two weeks of constant protest, numerous deaths and innumerous casualties. You don’t care who’s on top? But it is not about you anymore, is it now? I seek ‘personal peace’ also, but I consider that to be PERSONAL and not expect it to be at the expense of thousands of people protesting on streets of Kathmandu who are out there to create their own destiny. Battle of ruling class? There is only ONE ruling class in Nepal — the monarchs.

Yes Mystic I agree. I think common man misunderstood what I was getting at.
I certainly don’t think that it doesn’t matter who is on top…
My concern was wheather the parties should have accepted this proposal for the time being to ease some off the preassure on the residents of KTM who have been suffering because of the curfews, no food supply etc.

When did we elect the so called Leaders of the SPA? My biggest issue is the people on the streets are being mislead. They are being fed hollow dreams of a republic. All the SPA wants is a few more concessions and then it will grab the bone the King just threw at them. The ordinary people, the common man, wants peace and stability and gives little about who’s on top.

It is so naive of you to assume that the protesters are unaware of the shortcomings of their leaders.

Sarahana,

The entire people concerned with Samudaya are dumb as dodos. There is no use talking to people working as waiters in American hotels and living on American dreams.

Holy macaroni, load of assumptions in your post that replying to it is like talking to an elementary kid. Parties have ALWAYS been constitutional. They are the most legitimate representation of people, whether YOU like it or not at PERSONAL level is a totally different issue .

How are the people mislead? They have option not to participate in all this. Hollow dream of a republic? As opposed to substantial illusion of a peaceful Nepal under Gynendra’s rule, or Paras’ for that matter? Elaborate please.

So far the SPA is NOT grabbing any bones. Your speculation is way off. The ordinary people want peace and prosperity but know that such can only be achieved by proper participation. Right, they don’t care about who is on top, just that the top-person should be the one LISTENING to the voices of many.

I remember watching couple of “protestors” being interviewed on televsions. These were villagers brought into Kathmandu by the political parties. So the presenter goes, “Dai, why are you here in KTM?” the common man goes, “Khoi thanachaina…I am just here on the behest of the some party representatives and moreover mother said it’ll be a great opportunity to visit the pashupatinath and bring her back some ‘prasaad’”. There goes your common man. He didn’t look one bit like he cared about who he was marching for, he probably had a small lodge room behind “Dharahara” and two meals a day.

yes, we have all heard such stories. however, i’m curious, when did you see this on tv, and did you see this on NTV?

And that’s where you propose to keep the ‘common men’ — in a small room with two square meals a day for rest of their life and consecutive generations also. BTW you do get those in state penetentiary also — a room and two square meals a day. Peace and prosperity indeed!

I knew you would ask that, hence I didn’t mention which TV, moreover I don’t even remember. But that’s not the point. My point is the common man has simple dreams. A steady job, a happy family etc etc… He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Maoism or republicanism etc etc. He lives his day to day life in bliss, yes he is ignorant, but he is happy. Then comes the party rep who sees this common man as a “bokka”. Let’s brainwash this guy and make him march for us, hell he won’t have any clue what he’s doing, we’ll just tell him he’s doing it for the country and viola! You have masses of ignorant protestors who will believe anything.

actually it’s very important when you saw that on which tv, because (1) the more conservative media presents very selective information and is as manipulative of “the common man” as anyone else (2) political sentiments have changed considerably in the last few years.

common man just wait and watch

common man are not as naive as you think they are

The common man went on the streets in 1990, brought the present SPA leaders to power. Those leaders exploited them, common man was forced into poverty, common man was unhappy, common man was disillusioned. Common man had no where to turn to, opportunity! Enter Prachanda. Exploitation of common man, phase 2. Maoist revolution, a failure. Now common man exploitation phase 3. He’s being sold new dreams of a republic, byt the same salesperson who sold them dreams in 1990. Common man is guilable.

Common man is naive.

a common man is not naive, Common Man is redundant.

Lol.

I think that since the protest has been in a swing and the whole people of nepal are aware and in action we should not stop. If we dont want another protest in another ten year i.e. when paras is king we should continue that the king should not be there. There is chaos but it is at this moment that will change how nepal will be for next ten twenty years. So, let the struggle go on.

“Those leaders exploited them, common man was forced into poverty, common man was unhappy, common man was disillusioned. Common man had no where to turn to, opportunity!”

Are you saying the common man was better off before before the emergence of the SPA? You are telling me the common man was not exploited before?

Bhudai Pundit, So you are agreeing to the fact that common man is being exploited?

They weren’t common man before; they were simply loyal subjects of the rulers, simply subjects. Designation of man comes after his independence.

Mystichacker, define Common Man.

Common Man:
I am saying the common man was expolited during the post 1990. But I would argue that the common man was expolited even more during the Panchayat era…

though exploitation is too heavy a term to use in this context, it is nevertheless important to acknowledge the role of interests.

this mobilisation of people into the streets might be interest based, might not be. we need considerable hindsight and research to figure that out. but from what has been written so far by people on the ground, the outpouring has been spontaneous, though more a verdit on the king’s rule than on the need for democratic freedoms.

it’ll interesting to see who benefits the most from it.

It is not an abstract that needs to be defined. Common man is a synthesis — representation of that which is basic and that which is essential.

mistychacher, what’s your point? No need to woody allen here about this and that - because now is not the good
time to be so philosophical. It’s time to just do it - do something to help your brothers and sisters to take this political capital of this mass movement to a new hight like no one has ever seen it before.

Democracy rocks!

Agreed democracy, you rock!

hey guys, don’t you understand? this commonman is full of BS. the thing about that tv that he is talking about is as full of shit as it can get.
he sounds like such a cry baby!

thanks, mystichacker!

mystichacher, my man, what’s going on now? what do you think it will happen now?

What will happen — I don’t know; what should happen — transfer of power to parties, disarming of PLA, reshuffling of RNA, some resolution between king & parties that point towards incorporating Maoists into mainstream — whether through CA or otherwise. The usual, it’s time to move on.

agreed mystichacker, you rock too!

reshuffling of RNA?
Care to elaborate?

I doubt the RNA will be reshuffled. Nobody has any complaints about its organization. The debate is centered around who should be able to command the RNA. It has always been under the authority of the king but now it looks like the tides might be turning.

Public service announcement from the Beautiful people at partynepal.com tsk tsk tsk

http://www.partynepal.com/indexpage_partynopolitics.jpg

The irony of the picture is they got the some picture of those radical black nationalist group like black panther in that collage. Talk about being dazed and confused.

reshuffling very logical solution

the batalions will be reshuffled so that there is no biased loyalty towards any entity.

for example put the maoist under RNA commander and vice versa. or something like that? right pradip?

I don’t know the logistics neither the mechanics of fusing/reshuffling two armies. Ashoke Mehta could more appropriately answer your question. But the concern is, what is going to happen to those 20000 ‘battle hardened’ Maoists soldiers who are almost USED to fighting and carrying guns as their livlihood. How do we incorporate them into civilian lifestyle without fearing a backlash. There are so many social issues that need addressing. One immediate solution, send em to UN peace-keeping mission. They’ll get to be part of army and also get paid good dough.

“One immediate solution, send em to UN peace-keeping mission. They’ll get to be part of army and also get paid good dough.”

A solution - that too an “immediate” one?

Inquisitive but sporadic browsing of this place at times reminds me of one Karl Albrecht quote: “Albrecht’s Law - Intelligent people, when assembled into an organization, will tend toward collective stupidity.”

What’s next? Prachanda for Nobel Peace Prize?

(Shakes his head in dismay!)

oh please. if things progress quickly enough, the maoist army is expected to soon integrate with the RNA, which is to say they will be “defenders of the nation”. if that is a feasible practical solution, why isn’t the UN peacekeeping force the same? obviously giving prachanda Nobel Peace Prize has entirely different implications and lack of practical consequences.

there are two things you can do with people who have committed crimes, but are not psycopaths or physically incapable of conscience:

1) extinguish whatever is left of their dwindling life (send them to jail, execute them, punish them)

2) rekindle whatever is left of their dwindling life (send them to rehab, give them meaningful opportunities)

Or, here’s another radical idea, create a paramilitary out of a PLA that will act as a countervailing-force to the RNA. Use taxpayers money, more precisely tax the remittance to fund the PLA. How do you like that now?

How many times have we not heard ‘the Maoists are Nepali too’? Help build your country bretheren.

Intergrate all the maoist kids into the RNA ? I hope a lot of them will just drop their guns and go back to their lives.These are mostly kids why would anyone think its a good idea for them to join the army.

If things progress quickly enough? My point is, it should not. It requires cautious, meticulous and diligent plan and should be done gradually. Intellectual mergers might have greater impact in the long run, but armed mergers can be devastating in the short run, if done hastily, and without due diligence. If you think otherwise, we just have to agree to disagree in this one.

Regarding Prachanda for Nobel “Peace” Prize, it just could “also” be height of insanity. Your second option sounds more appropriate. Especially, considering this as a national predicament. — Are we all not a Nepali?

The point is not that. It is given. The gist of my posting was the “immediate” aspect of it.

By the way, that was not radical. In some ways, isn’t that the scenario now to some extent?

yes, but i don’t believe we are, realistically, in a position to take it slow. hours before the king declared reinstatement of parliament, some were still debating the idea itself, which is fine, but often “intellectual” discourse is out-of-sync with what’s really going on. not the kids, obviously, and not all may want to even continue the rest of their lives as armed soldiers, but there will be an urgent need to answer what to do with the many of the Maoist soldiers who would like to remain soldiers. that is, there is an “immediate” solution demanded by the situation.

No, it is not. You fail to see the difference between a rebels group and a legit para-military force that ‘control and safe-guard the interest’ of certain geographic boundaries and economic processes.

If incorporating PLA with RNA is the height of insanity, stratifiying PLA based on unwanted fears of elites is the height of stupidity.

Yet I agree with your ‘proposal’, due diligence and all that, marginalize these people again and sure you are to see a more radicalized Maoists branch out from moderate ones to cause another cycle of rebel insurgency.

Thus the proposal to ‘immediate’ addressing of issue, whether to throw them in a rehab or a jail or send them on a UN mission can be debated at ‘intellectual’ level.

For the sake of an argument, it sounds fine. But do we want to throw in all the “masalas” together and hope the curry tastes wonderful, or do we want to be “definite.”

Nepal, as a country can not afford to have a chronic case of upset stomach with hasty measure. Not that I am against anything that integrates the subjects that is making our country a vulture-happy-state, however, the “immediate” aspect bothers me. The real question and concern should be, how quick is quick enough?

Do we want an ad-hoc solution or one that brings us lasting upshot?

perhaps the discussion should move to the forseeable “unintended consequences” and how to address them most effectively (moving past discussing the idea of integration itself). no?

There u go again M’Hacker!!! Thanks.
And we all know the flesh and bones of RNA and Maoist soldiers, coming from SIMILAR class,creed social background…and all that….and an amalgation would be another strength in Nepalese defence, much of the countryside is WELL navigated by the soldiers who are not yet in the Govt. payroll, yet they cud be. Why NOT?

“If incorporating PLA with RNA is the height of insanity…”
I NEVER said that. Please verify. Perhaps a “hurried” reply? :)

And I was not even implying marginalizing them. Just some planned and gradual POA would be the need of the hour, if and when the day arises.

Indeed it can be debated on “intellectual” level. If my 2 cents would count at all, rehab sounds more appropriate. We can always take it from there and integrate those who want to and are capable, in Nepal Army.
-

Sarahana, I concur. That is something worth pondering upon.

Neither can Nepal afford to ‘wait’, especially when there is growing awareness amongst those ‘marginalized’ who feel it as little too late for leaders to make concessions with the status quo. They don’t have the luxury of waiting to draw a road-map for their life, where their life itself is defined by battles. Providing them with options that make sense to them instead is more meaningful.

If we STILL refuse to see things clearly, we can no longer satisfy our ‘intellectual digression’ by putting all the blame on ‘unintended consequences’. THAT is what we cannot afford, rather than ANY ‘ad hoc solution’, me thinks. But there are bigger heads out there, so let it be whatever.

Merely “waiting” for something to happen is complete no-no. Maybe the solution lies in making them feel as a part of the equation; gradually and with planned rapidity, help them assimilate with the environment might just be the key.

“Providing them with options that make sense to them instead is more meaningful.”

Exactly! That is why through, meaningful, honest and clear POA should be there in the first place. If not 100%, at least something more than a rough draft has to be in place.

There are bigger heads in place, yes, and they always have been. But for some reason, I have always wondered if all they have is just “head,” and nothing “inside” of it?

Maybe it’s just me. Let’s leave it at that.

This is my first day in Samudaya as an active participant. However I’ve been very sporadic browser. My best wishes to the coterie and hope we can see more balanced and “as it is” articles.