By Kalyan Dev Bhattarai

Today whole nation is debating on the rampage of September 1 and trying to shift the responsibility from one to other entities, without considering the basic facts of the problem. The basic fact is that today, peace in Nepal seems almost unattainable due to the corrupt, power-hungry, self-centered politicians. The corrupt politicians neither could maintain the achievements 1990's mass movement nor could they improve the lives of the general people, who remain in the same old pathetic and miserable condition. The change of 1990 has been just a switchover of power from one set of dacoits to other sets of dacoits. This is the basic cause of the rampage of September 1st.

Leaders with their undemocratic culture and lust for power and total negligence of duty towards the country have groomed the frustrated masses to be more violent and indirectly helped to increase the political strength of such unruly masses. So in every situation where the government fails to show required wisdom and political capability, the frustrated masses vent anger through violence because they have been instigated and encouraged by all the political parties.

Often, the corrupt politicians whether in government or in opposition or agitating in any pretext instigation the mob through hooligans. The recent violence witnessed as a reaction to the murdering of 12 innocent Nepalese in Iraq, is the outcome of the nexus between the political parties and such antisocial elements. Thus the second important cause of the September 1 episode is the hidden nexus between the political parties and the antisocial elements.

In such public outbursts, the victims are always the innocent people and the hooligans are never punished. The immunity provided to such elements of the society due to their close nexus with the political parties of the country is one of the main cause of frequent repetition of similar activities is another important cause of the September 1 rampage. After the destruction of private and government properties, the nefarious leaders, who protect the hooligans from legal punishments, give out hypocritical statements and visit the sites of rampage, which is nothing but an act of shedding crocodile's tears.

The relationship between hooligans and political leaders are very clear from the protection these elements get from the leaders. It is a known fact that these antisocial elements are important and essential forces of the political parties, not only to rampage the city during their so-called agitations, protests, any other political activities, but also to win elections by booth capturing and other illegal activities, without which such discredited leaders cannot win any elections. 

So drastic changes in present political system, model of economic development and social behaviors is indispensable to facilitate good governance and empowerment of the marginalized, deprived and exploited sections in the society. For this a new Constitution is required, as the present Constitution has been already murdered by the politicians, who ruled the country for last 14 years.  The king had only cremated the dead Constitution on 10th October, to save the country from political epidemic.

The politicians murdered this Constitution, so mercilessly that it is difficult for the people to differentiate between the so-called leaders and dacoits. During the last 14 years the politicians showed interest only in grabbing power and looting the government treasury. They not only ignored the wishes of the people and the need of the country but also shattered all hopes of the people by breaching the trust of the people, who worshiped them as gods until few years back. This was another cause of 1 September rampage.

So a new Constitution is needed, not because the present Constitution is out of date or was a hurdle for the overall development of the country, but because the political parties who ruled the country for last 14 years defamed this Constitution. They not only raped this democracy and looted the country and sowed undemocratic culture but also sabotaged the nation, under this Constitution. By such acts they breached the trust of the people, creating public apathy towards the present multiparty system.

So, to think that this lifeless Constitution can solve the present political, economical and social problems of the country is nothing but foolishness.  If we are really want to prevent the reoccurrence periodic rampage, we must opt for a new Constitution. But the experiences of the past must be considered when making the new Constitution, so that the repetition of the September 1 phenomena by another set of power hungry dacoits, claiming to be political leaders is prevented.

Present Constitution, prepared in 1990 by the representatives of the King, Leftist groups and Nepali Congress (representing the democrats), was in no way bad enough to be changed within 14 years. However, the political realities have drastically changed now with the emergence of the Maoists as potential force and the people are disappointed with those who ruled the country for last 14 years. The trust of the people in the monarchy is also at its nadir, after the massacre of the royal family, by crown prince Dipeendra. And also by the undemocratic act of the king undertaken on 10 October 2002.

In such changed context, without bringing the major political force of the country, the Maoist, in the political mainstream of the country, accepting their demand of constituent assembly, talking of democracy, development, elections or peace are all ridicule. Today we do not find a single trustworthy political force, whom we feel confident to entrust the future of this country, genuine democracy or development and feel safe that recurrence of incidents like those of September 1 will not occur again.

Let us be little honest and accept this political reality of the country. The total failure of security system and diplomacy as the dark side of the 1 September should be accepted. Efforts are needed to bring lasting peace in the country, so that normal economical and political activities of the Nation could be resumed. I find no sense in blaming the people or the multiparty political system for the corruption and misdoings of few politicians, who deserve severe punishment. Had our political leaders shown minimum democratic culture and morality, the story of the country would have been entirely different. 

To correct the errors of the past we need a new Constitution prepared by a constituent assembly. Any amendments or even drastic modification of the present Constitution will not be able to bring about the needed reforms as long as the same corrupt power-hungry political representatives make such modification or amendments.  

Preferring amendments of this Constitution rather than a new Constitution drafted by a constitutional assembly would mean, knowingly or unknowingly, supporting the nefarious leaders. Immunity to such leaders and their goons in the past has been the main causes of our political failures and the root cause of such repetitive vandalism as witnessed in September 1. So those who think that this country can be brought back to normality without severely punishing those leaders, who looted the country, raped democracy, deceived the people and sabotaged the nation during their rule, are either fools or are puppets of the corrupt, despicable leaders.

(Author can be reached at kalypr(at)wlink(dot)com(dot)np -Ed.)