Dear Dr. Bhattarai,
Encouraged by your replies to these questions I write to you now to bring up an issue that is not articulated often. Ever since the rise of the Maoists to power there has been intense resentment among some groups towards them. Nonetheless the Maoists do enjoy considerable support without which this election victory would have been impossible. Although the merits of arguments that question the validity of such support, or the reasons for the resentment are debatable I will in this note shy away from them, and focus on the demographics that are "pro and anti Maoist".
It seems that the people of Nepal, and indeed the rest of the world, are divided into the haves and have-nots. This although a simplification of a situation which clearly is not black and white, and has numerous grey areas in between, does represent the situation broadly.
There are those that have things to lose, and they are apprehensive of the change that the Maoists party might bring as leaders of the nation. Then there are those that have nothing to lose, and can only hope that this change from the status quo of corruption, greed and self-serving politics, will somehow elevate their position in society and the standards of their lives.
The question I pose is this. What steps can be taken, or will you take to make sure that these two groups, that are equally important role players in the future growth and prosperity of the nation, move ahead in a spirit of reconciliation? I hope you appreciate that an extended class-warfare can only be a detriment to growth, and if steps are not taken that is where it looks like we may be headed to.
I see a lot of support for you sir, and then I see a lot of resentment, negativity, non-constructive criticism, and some comments that are downright ignorant. However a person of your standing and experience must have some mechanism to deal with these. I hope you keep working towards a better future for our nation and prove the nay-sayers wrong. You have my support as long as you sort out the problems within your own party in relatively good time, and work towards the promises you have made to the millions of this country.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Conundrum
"Fuck the Maoists. Fuck your communism. Fuck your hypocrisy. Fuck your politics of murder and violence. Fuck you all. You bastards."
That is the rant that brings me here today. Fuck the Maoists, yes fuck them indeed. The question that begs is why. Fuck your hypocrisy; and how are they hypocrites one might ask. Fuck your politics of murder and violence; I guess you cannot argue with that one.
But what is the truth? The rant, despite the questions it begs, and despite the partial truth it holds, is still the view held by most people I know. Or in other words most people I know detest the Maoists and their policies, which arguably have not even properly materialized yet, and have a fear or hatred of them which borders on the irrational.
Apart from the irrefutable fact that the Maoists rose to power by violent means, and the red carpet on which they walked to ascend the throne of power was truly blood red, the other accusations seem to be born of fear of change.
Two points here, first being the fact that they rose to power by virtue of the fear they instilled in people, and their blood stained hands are not trivial points by any means. There are times though when the ends justify the means. I am not sure how many more decades we could have gone on with the status quo, and the maladies the stagnancy was breeding in its depths and indeed even on the surface. If in a few decades Nepal has indeed shown tangible progress and the lives of people are improved across the board then this bloodshed will have been worth it. I say that with the utmost respect towards the individuals that have lost their lives, and the ones they have left behind. For the good of the greater society sacrifices must be made, and the fact that I did not make any such sacrifice should not disqualify me from commenting on it. Revolutions have made modern nations such as China, Russia, France and countless others.
As for their policies and accusations of them being communists and hypocrites, I ask have we even given them enough time? We were docile enough to give the NC and the UML enough time to all but destroy the nation. Now we have a group, admittedly with shortcomings, but a group that is based in ideals of egalitarianism. I do not agree with all the Maoists do, or say. But for the greater good of the nation I am prepared to make those sacrifices. I will even sacrifice some of my own personal liberty, liberty that I hold dearer than all else, if it bears fruits in the future.
That brings me to another important point. All the criticism I have heard of the Maoists has come from folks who are well off, folks who have something to lose. The fact though is that the majority of Nepali people cannot go any farther below than they already here. No matter how hard you try, once you've hit rock bottom, you can only hope to go up. The Maoists I suspect provide that hope. I have yet to come across a person who has come from modest means, or from an unpriveleged background who speaks in tones of fear of the Maoists.
I may receive accusations of being a hypocrite along with comrade Prachanda, who propbably is one, and Dr. Bhattarai who seems a genuine person. I accept these accusations without regret. Hypocrisy is a disease not uncommon, the lack of it quite rare. All I am talking of here, with respect to the current situation of the nation is that we should look to the future, be engaged in a constructive manner and not dwell on the fact that we personally have things to lose, but focus on what we collectively have to gain. The current situation is not perfect by any means, but I do see significant silver linings that may prove to be the first signs of a bright sun that shines on all of Nepal.
That is the rant that brings me here today. Fuck the Maoists, yes fuck them indeed. The question that begs is why. Fuck your hypocrisy; and how are they hypocrites one might ask. Fuck your politics of murder and violence; I guess you cannot argue with that one.
But what is the truth? The rant, despite the questions it begs, and despite the partial truth it holds, is still the view held by most people I know. Or in other words most people I know detest the Maoists and their policies, which arguably have not even properly materialized yet, and have a fear or hatred of them which borders on the irrational.
Apart from the irrefutable fact that the Maoists rose to power by violent means, and the red carpet on which they walked to ascend the throne of power was truly blood red, the other accusations seem to be born of fear of change.
Two points here, first being the fact that they rose to power by virtue of the fear they instilled in people, and their blood stained hands are not trivial points by any means. There are times though when the ends justify the means. I am not sure how many more decades we could have gone on with the status quo, and the maladies the stagnancy was breeding in its depths and indeed even on the surface. If in a few decades Nepal has indeed shown tangible progress and the lives of people are improved across the board then this bloodshed will have been worth it. I say that with the utmost respect towards the individuals that have lost their lives, and the ones they have left behind. For the good of the greater society sacrifices must be made, and the fact that I did not make any such sacrifice should not disqualify me from commenting on it. Revolutions have made modern nations such as China, Russia, France and countless others.
As for their policies and accusations of them being communists and hypocrites, I ask have we even given them enough time? We were docile enough to give the NC and the UML enough time to all but destroy the nation. Now we have a group, admittedly with shortcomings, but a group that is based in ideals of egalitarianism. I do not agree with all the Maoists do, or say. But for the greater good of the nation I am prepared to make those sacrifices. I will even sacrifice some of my own personal liberty, liberty that I hold dearer than all else, if it bears fruits in the future.
That brings me to another important point. All the criticism I have heard of the Maoists has come from folks who are well off, folks who have something to lose. The fact though is that the majority of Nepali people cannot go any farther below than they already here. No matter how hard you try, once you've hit rock bottom, you can only hope to go up. The Maoists I suspect provide that hope. I have yet to come across a person who has come from modest means, or from an unpriveleged background who speaks in tones of fear of the Maoists.
I may receive accusations of being a hypocrite along with comrade Prachanda, who propbably is one, and Dr. Bhattarai who seems a genuine person. I accept these accusations without regret. Hypocrisy is a disease not uncommon, the lack of it quite rare. All I am talking of here, with respect to the current situation of the nation is that we should look to the future, be engaged in a constructive manner and not dwell on the fact that we personally have things to lose, but focus on what we collectively have to gain. The current situation is not perfect by any means, but I do see significant silver linings that may prove to be the first signs of a bright sun that shines on all of Nepal.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
the return
So yes, I am back. Not that anyone cares, well except me that is, and that is quite enough I should think.
A few useless facts and events that I would like to rattle off here before I go into anything with a particular flow that I can then veer away from again, digression being the favored option here obviously.
I have written fewer entries than the number of years that I have been alive for, that clearly shows how useless I am. God forbid any of my prospective employers ever get here.
This count ofcourse does not include the entries I had in my previous blog, all of which I have now lost for ever, and that underscores my irresponsible nature. Suffice to say the details of the whole affair are rather tragic and would only do me further damage, and it would be better if I could just move away from the negativity.
Oh but wait, what a few weeks of negativity we have seen! The capitalist American system that placed profits before prudence, yet again, has dragged the entire world with itself into the doom and gloom of the credit crunch.
Governments now have taken action, and by most reckoning although a recession will ensure for a few months or years, things will get back to being better again.
How I wish for a disaster, in my rare fleeting moments of madness.
So, apart from that quite uneventful. Scratch that, one more additon to the list.
Obama.
Yes he can.
Yes they can.
Yes we can.
Yes I can?
Can I?
Should I? Is it really worth it? Change after all can bring disaster. Would it not be better to stick with the status quo, the warm, cozy comfort of the status quo? To spend the rest of our days cocooned in a slimy stagnation warmed just enough to keep us in a semi-conscious daze. The thought is enticing. For some.
That said, I would now take this opportunity to ramble while I wait for some other eventful event to explode in some far corner of my brain and let it make its way to the fore.
...
...
...
Have I lost my rambling skills? This is a disaster. Perhaps that would explain my long absence. Or is it the case that I have fallen victim to boredom?
A few useless facts and events that I would like to rattle off here before I go into anything with a particular flow that I can then veer away from again, digression being the favored option here obviously.
I have written fewer entries than the number of years that I have been alive for, that clearly shows how useless I am. God forbid any of my prospective employers ever get here.
This count ofcourse does not include the entries I had in my previous blog, all of which I have now lost for ever, and that underscores my irresponsible nature. Suffice to say the details of the whole affair are rather tragic and would only do me further damage, and it would be better if I could just move away from the negativity.
Oh but wait, what a few weeks of negativity we have seen! The capitalist American system that placed profits before prudence, yet again, has dragged the entire world with itself into the doom and gloom of the credit crunch.
Governments now have taken action, and by most reckoning although a recession will ensure for a few months or years, things will get back to being better again.
How I wish for a disaster, in my rare fleeting moments of madness.
So, apart from that quite uneventful. Scratch that, one more additon to the list.
Obama.
Yes he can.
Yes they can.
Yes we can.
Yes I can?
Can I?
Should I? Is it really worth it? Change after all can bring disaster. Would it not be better to stick with the status quo, the warm, cozy comfort of the status quo? To spend the rest of our days cocooned in a slimy stagnation warmed just enough to keep us in a semi-conscious daze. The thought is enticing. For some.
That said, I would now take this opportunity to ramble while I wait for some other eventful event to explode in some far corner of my brain and let it make its way to the fore.
...
...
...
Have I lost my rambling skills? This is a disaster. Perhaps that would explain my long absence. Or is it the case that I have fallen victim to boredom?
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