Myopic Politics and Premiership
Nepali politics has loitered around like a lost traveler for a long time. With a grudging green signal from the revolutionary party, Jhala Nath Khanal has ultimately bagged the post of premiership along with imminent challenges ahead for drafting constitution on time, assimilating the PLA in the mainstream army, and paving the way for a long-term development of Nepali politics. Prachanda, as the largest party leader, has sensed some responsibility, belated though, which has showered some drops of water in the desert of Nepali politics. His speech in the Constituent Assembly today seemed to be filled with some responsibilty, some challenges, some guilty consciousness, and some commitments for doing better in the future. Seasonable though his commitments may be, it is also a good moment for other politicians to learn from, at least in this time of juncture when the country needs not the raving rhetoricians and lunatics but genuine politicians with a strong vision to lead the country during the time of crisis. The selection of the premier has helped the country put aside, at least momentarily, the impending dark clouds hovering in the sky of Nepali politics for a long time. We still need to wait and see if this change can arouse further hope by working positively towards unleashing the nation from the mire of Bihari politics.
February 4, 2011 (Louisville, KY)
