[Today is the New Year's Day of Nepal Sambat - 1134. Today, November the 3rd , Sunday, people in Gujarat, India are also celebrating the New Year's day. The Newar people of Nepal are celebrating New Year's Day today. Nepal Sambat was introduced by Shankhadhar Shakhwa, a Newar from Kathmandu Valley, on October 20, 879 and was in practice as Nepal's National Calendar until Chandra Sumsher Rana came into power. He became Nepal's PM on June 27, 1901 and introduced Bikram Sambat as the national calendar of Nepal in 1903 AD but the speaker of this video, Nepal's former Prime Minister, Babu Ram Bhattarai, this very day at a public programme last year in Patan, does not know and asks 'why the former Rana Prime Minister would have required to replace 'Nepal Sambat' and introduce 'Bikram Sambat' to the land ?' Also posted below are two news reports on the upcoming November 19 Constituent Assembly Elections. We wonder whether Nepal is being governed, now-a-days, from New Delhi as Bhutan ? - The Blogger]
India's RAW that is, Research
and Analysis Wing, chief Alok
Joshi accompanied by Chief
of Nepal Desk Sashi Singh Tomar were recently in Kathmandu to take
note of Nepal's preparations for the upcoming Constituent Assembly election.
The real
administrators of Nepal.
The RAW is India's notorious intelligence
agency mainly involved in fomenting instability in the region.
Nepal has been RAW target since the advent of the new order, observers
opine.
Joshi and his team quietly landed at Kathmandu
Airport on October 9, 2013 and after holding secret meetings with Nepal's
subservient political leaders left to New Delhi after three days, reports have
it.
The RAW team was stationed at Hotel Dwarikas'
in Kathmandu wherein Nepali leaders representing Nepali Congress, United
Marxist Leninist and Madhesh based parties had held several rounds of meeting.
Mahanta Thakur of Tarai Madhesh Loktantrik
Party, Bijaya Gacchedhar of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Loktantrik and Sher
Bahadur Deuba of Nepali Congress (the man with Mahakali fame) were spotted at
Hotel Dwarikas.
Joshi was primarily interested in possible
alliance between political parties in the election and the impact of split in
the Maoists party in the election results, reports Annapurna Post.
RAW nation that
Nepal has tentatively become unfortunately. Yet Nepalese people smile. Smiling
population.
*
[Similarly,
Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party (SP) has selected 25 candidates under PR
from ´Sah´ castes. Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar-led Madhesi People´s Right
Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) has picked 56 and 37 candidates from Tharu castes
under PR and FPTP, respectively. Likewise, Upendra Yadav-led MPRF-N has
selected 22 candidates and 35 candidates under PR and FPTP belonging from Yadav
castes.]
A Republica Report
KATHMANDU, Nov
3: While Madhesi parties have sought to portray themselves as champions of
inclusion, caste equations run deep in Madhesi political parties‘ choice of
almost all the candidates fielded.
In the
constituencies across Tarai, political parties have fielded candidates of a
caste that is in majority and who are likely to win the constituency with the
communal support.
Caste, a Hindu
system of dividing society, should have no part in the politics of the federal
republic of Nepal, Devesh Jha, a political analyst told Republica.
Hinduism, Islam and other religions too preach
equality of men and women regardless of caste and creed. ´´But caste has been
resurging in Nepali politics since the late 1990´s resulting in a polarized
society,´´ adds Jha.
It is needless
to say that the caste factors play major role during elections, pushing other
social and development issues to a backburner. Though issues like inflation,
corruption and governance are raised by political parties, it´s the caste
factor that prevails ultimately.
“In Madhes,
close competitions among caste clusters have an influence on electorates. The
competition between castes tends to bifurcate society as well as political
parties. It´s the caste which plays a major role in the victory of a particular
candidate,” says political analyst Jha.
“Caste played
a role in the first CA elections of 2008,´´ says Jha. The political parties
also consider the factor while fielding their candidates for the poll. It is
unfortunate that the factor is becoming more dominant elections after
elections. ´´
He further
says that 3Cs will have a major role at Tarai constituencies during the
November poll. “Caste, Cash and Capacity are the three major factors which
would hold sway in the upcoming election and its result.” Jha insists that the
voters of Madhes prefer to vote for candidates belonging to their caste and
community.
“The voters
are likely to be influenced by those candidates who offer short term incentives
and pecuniary rewards during poll campaigns. Besides, the candidate´s ability
to influence the power politics of the country would also play a key role in
poll.”
Jha further
says that it is the irony of Madhes politics where caste is getting primacy
over ideology. However, he admits that caste politics has become a tactics to
woo the voter from certain community.
“Caste-based politics doesn´t last long as it disrupts the social harmony
existing since time immemorial.” He also pointed out that caste of a party boss
also influences the selection of candidates.
For instance,
Mahantha Thakur-led Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party (TMDP) has selected 28
candidates under Proportional Representative (PR) and 34 candidates under first
past the post (FPTP) electoral system. The party´s chairman, vice chairman,
general secretary and spokesperson belong to the Tarai upper caste.
Similarly,
Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party (SP) has selected 25 candidates under PR
from ´Sah´ castes. Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar-led Madhesi People´s Right
Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) has picked 56 and 37 candidates from Tharu castes
under PR and FPTP, respectively. Likewise, Upendra Yadav-led MPRF-N has selected
22 candidates and 35 candidates under PR and FPTP belonging from Yadav castes.
Another
political analyst Bijay Kant Karna says that caste-based politics has limited
the scope of secularism. “The caste-centered politics has reduced the boundary
of secularism, which requires that each people be treated by the content of
their character rather than by their creed and religion,” adds Karna. He also
admits that caste has become a key factor influencing poll results.
Political
Analyst Dipendra Jha opines that caste-based politics is a South Asian
phenomenon. “Caste-based politics is dominant in every south Asian country as one´s
sentiment is invariably attached to the community that the candidate belongs.”
Jha further
says that candidates belonging to a particular caste that has majority of
voters would come victorious. “For instance, voters in Tarai would vote for the
candidates belonging to his/her caste or community,” he adds.
“There is
polarization in society because of caste-based politics,” he said. JP Gupta, a
senior leader advocating Madhesi agenda, said the deeply rooted ‘caste politics’
is a major factor which determines one´s capability. “At a time when Madhesi
parties, especially Madhesi People´s Right Forum-Nepal (MPRF-N) joined the CA, party
leadership selected leaders for power sharing on the basis of caste,
overlooking the quality and likabilities of leaders,” claims Gupta. He also
adds that the MPRF-N, the mother party, has now fragmented into many splinters
because of caste politics.
Gupta further
says that the most important factor influencing voters is the candidates´
caste, not political experience.
When asked
about the effect of caste-based politics becoming dominant in Madhes politics,
former President of Federation of Nepalese Journalists Dharmendra Jha says that
the trend would have grave impact on marginalized, oppressed and
under-represented communities living on the edge.
“The politics
which should be all inclusive would turn toward the trend of ´might is right´
due to the caste politics. Dominant caste would prosper at the cost of
marginalized communities that will lead toward the degradation and social disharmony
at the end.”
Jha further
opines that the caste politics may reap immediate benefits but in the long run,
it will turn counterproductive as it might give birth to a new dictatorship in
Madhes society.
“The PR system was brought to ensure the
representation more inclusive but the Madhesi parties don´t seem to have
understood its essence. They have not submitted the PR list in an inclusive
manner. In the PR list too the caste factor holds sway.”
The analysts
have said that the present society is suffering because the state mechanism and
dominant political parties in the past failed to understand the issue of inclusion
properly.
