Back to democracy

Given the belligerent tone adopted by the Maoists, it is clear that they mean to do everything they can to bring the new government to its knees.

The endgame in Nepal has only now begun after a needless hiatus brought on by the ham-handed handling of the problem by King Gyanendra and his advisors. The mainstream political parties have nominated the venerated GP Koirala as Prime Minister and called off their agitation and will now have their members of Parliament participate in the first session of the revived Parliament on Friday. The experience of the past year and the king’s tyranny is likely to persuade the new Parliament to call for the revision of the Constitution to make the monarchy’s role ceremonial, or even to do away with it altogether.

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The Maoists have revealed their hand by opposing these new developments, declaring that this was “a conspiracy to protect the regime”, and that their ‘struggle’ would continue -- presumably against the country’s legal and elected government. This makes things simpler because it clearly establishes a line between those who seek to maintain Nepal as a liberal democracy -- whether or not in the form of a constitutional monarchy -- and those whose agenda is to overthrow this order. The swift return of normalcy to the Kathmandu valley following the king’s decision, of resuming Parliament and presumably accepting the people’s verdict on his future, indicates that the Maoists don’t have as much support in the area as they may have been led to assume from the massive demonstrations that rocked the capital.

New Delhi’s interest is not in blocking change in Nepal, but to ensure that the process takes place in a stable and peaceful manner. This is not to suggest that India get involved in Nepal’s political tangles. How the interim government deals with the monarchy or the Maoists are strictly its own concerns. But New Delhi need not shy away from affirming that it is for a democratic Nepal and will therefore provide all assistance to a legal government to meet the Maoist challenge. Given the belligerent tone adopted by the Maoists, it is clear that they mean to do everything they can to bring the new government to its knees. New Delhi must go out of its way to help the new government find its feet and do whatever needed to help it meet the many challenges it will confront in restoring democracy, peace and order in Nepal.