Simple Convictions

Reviewed by KRISHNA SHARMA

The greatest lesson Nepal’s incumbent Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala learned in his entire political career spanning 60 years must be a one-liner from the movie 'The Godfather' by director Francis Ford Coppola. In that epic movie, the main protagonist Don Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando, has this advice to his son: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

It is the fruit of that ‘Corleone diplomacy’ which helped Koirala not just to recapture his ‘lost political image’ but also to liberate the nation from the bloody hands of its autocratic king Gyanendra who had come to power after the infamous royal massacre of June 1, 2001.

The 84-year-old Koirala, the leader of Nepali Congress, one of the nation’s largest political parties, reveals in the book that Corleone’s diplomatic advice was the hard earned mantra that facilitated him to re-shape the democratic future of Nepal. The Himalayan nation has been marred by 12 years of bloody Maoist violence and political conspiracies that were continuously hatched by a regressive monarchy. If he had not learned and practiced this diplomacy and had continued to underestimate the communist forces, which he had been doing almost all his political life, the popular uprising of April 2006 may not have been a success story. Koirala’s self-damaging remark in 1990 at a mass meeting had demonstrated his uncompromising stance on ideologies and perhaps an utter lack of diplomatic skills and political maturity at that time. He had uttered then: “All denominations of communist parties and a criminal gang of the royal family are the same.”

But in recent years Koirala leapt far ahead of his contemporaries in his political and diplomatic bearing to become a national hero. In fact, he began to emerge as an introspective and an compromising leader during the past decade or so.

In his ‘last political struggle of life,’ to cite his phrase, he displayed political prudence and diplomacy by establishing and nurturing ties with previously sworn enemies, such as the ultra-violent Maoists and the oft-conspiring royal family members, as well as his skeptical friends in the international community.

However complicated his political and diplomatic relations with others as mentioned above, Koirala asserts in the book that they were merely his ‘simple convictions.’ And if we judge them from what he said during his last struggle for democracy in 2006, we would be fairly convinced that he, in fact, has simple convictions – the conviction that the 21st century is not going to be a playground for autocratic rulers like king Gyanendra, that the king will have no business being anything other than a constitutional monarch, that democracy is the answer to the country’s problems, that the Maoists are misguided rebels who need to be brought into open politics by means of a revived parliament, and that peace is the priority of the moment for the people and the nation.

Koirala says in the book that he realized that guns and violence would never solve the problem. So he resolved that the Maoist problem could only be addressed through dialogue. He became convinced of the need to defend democracy from the guns of both the Maoists and the king so there would be no need for future generations to fight for democracy like he had to. This was the decisive struggle of his life.

It was Koirala’s own critical decision to develop ties with the then underground Communist Party of Nepal -Maoist (CPN-M) at a time when the latter was senselessly killing and kidnapping people, including party workers of Koirala’s own Nepali Congress as well as his associates. The aging Koirala single-handedly took all the responsibility of negotiating with the Maoists and he did it on the basis of what he calls his rock-solid but ‘simple convictions.’

It may not have been easy for the country’s longest serving Prime Minister (i.e., Korala), to convince the rest of the other political parties and their leaders that the dissolved parliament should be revived. His simple conviction— his ability to persist on his resolutions— might not have been that simple to others. But eventually his wisdom paid off because his detractors finally saw the validity of his conviction under the circumstances and the king also had to yield to the popular will.

And that is the essence of “Simple Convictions: My Struggle for Peace and Democracy,” published recently.

The book is in fact a compilation of his 24 speeches and statements delivered during the period between October 2002 and March 2006. It also includes the 6-point and the 12-point understandings reached between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the CPN-M. The book subtly emphasizes Koirala’s departure from conventional diplomacy and the practice of Corleone diplomacy.

And that was the diplomacy that was felt but not foretold by many Nepalis. The introduction to the 117-page book is written by Kanak Mani Dixit, a noted journalist . Dixit writes that during the period covered by the pronouncements of Girija Prasad Koirala contained in this volume, Koirala evolved as a national figure, beyond being leader of the Nepali Congress party.

The extempore speeches from Nepali are translated into English by Devendra Dhungana. Although the readers may find many redundancies in terms of content, oral speeches by nature are like that. Also the theme of the speeches also reflect the discourse of a particular time, which again can be repetitive.

In his conviction, Koirala, the youngest brother of Nepal’s noted political thinker of the century, BP Koirala, demonstrates his capacity to pull together with others despite differences and to serve as glue holding diverse views together on the road map from the struggle for democracy to the interim constitution to the constituent assembly (CA).

One of his recent assertions-- nowhere in the world have kings returned after their exit-- may become a reality or not after CA elections or the possible establishment of a republican Nepal, but as long as Koirala continues to feel the pulse of the nation rightly and adheres to his democratic stance, he may also emerge as a noted Statesman of Nepal.

Yet another daunting challenge before Koirala is to read what is inside the mind of Prachanda, the ambitious president of the CPN-M. It is time now to be cautious as to whether Prachanda's ‘aim of becoming the president of Nepal in five years’ is guided by rightful political choices or by vested interest in total political powers or his desire to return to violence.

Ultimately, a compilation of speeches does not necessary cover the entire gamut of a person’s political attitudes and values. One can only hope that Koirala will some day write his memoirs to help readers to more authentically and thoroughly understand not only his newfound convictions but also the motivations behind them. And given that the peace process still hangs in balance and there is much more work to be done and more rebels to be wooed or befriended (particularly in the Terai), it is also important to note that perhaps it is too early to assess the long-term impact of Koirala’s convictions.

(From: http://www.nepalmonitor.com/)

Khem Aryal's Kathmandu Saga and Other Poems

Reviewed By DR SHREEDHAR GAUTAM

Poetry is primarily concerned with feelings and attitudes. All great poems try to recreate human experiences that involve the readers emotionally and intellectually. However, in today’s world, most people have become so obsessive with their personal affairs that they have neither the interest nor the time to imagine something beyond the materialistic values. The majority of people do not feel pained by the growing immorality and inhuman tactics pursued in society for gaining narrow goals. If politicians are lost in the lust of power, ordinary people are hankering after money and prestige, forgetting the basic purpose of life and social responsibility. In this context Khem Aryal, a young poet, has done a praiseworthy work by producing a collection of poems under the title "Kathmandu Saga and Other Poems."

The book under discussion contains 35 poems written on different occasions on a variety of topics, and is illustrative of the poet and his mission. Through innovative logic and humanistic appeal, he has made a point and drawn everyone’s attention. Starting with a philosophical poem "The Wonder Man," the book takes the reader through the intricacies of human life and the problem resulting from political corruption and immorality. The poet is particularly concerned about the two-pronged violence resorted to by insurgents and security personnel, and that has plagued the country for long.

However, the focus of the book is on showing the mysterious and illusionary world and the people’s miserable life. The book reveals the poet’s deep and mature experience of life, and appeals to sense of moral values. The poet raises various common issues, including the deceptive nature of love and friendship, loneliness of human life, greatness of mother’s love, and the shock from the betrayal of dear and near ones. These are experiences commonly felt, but very few can give a philosophical touch as exemplified by Aryal.

Though some poems reveal the poet’s sense of humor, other poems are written with the seriousness of their meaning. The book has blended the poet’s spiritual outlook as well as his sense of responsibility to the country. He makes appeal to the readers to realize the omnipresence of God in all lives and places, and conveys a meaning that God can be realized not by merely following rituals and outdated tradition, but also by rendering services to the needy and showing social protest to all political evils and social discriminations prevailing in society.

The book gives stress repeatedly on understanding the value of life and developing spiritual awareness with social responsibility by referring to the life and deeds of great seers like Buddha and Socrates. For the poet, being spiritual does not mean being contented with the graveyard-like silence in society, but arousing and awakening people to realize their potentiality that can transform the lives of individuals as well as the entire country. He goes to the extent of explaining the benefit of meditative life, not for personal pleasure alone, but to change oneself and then pursue the goal of changing the life of others living in a hell-like situation, not realizing their own strengths and energies. Giving a message of universal brotherhood and oneness of humanity, the poet abhors the insulting behavior shown to the downtrodden by some people under the egoistic influence of their materialistic prosperity. He holds the present socio-political system as responsible for the growing number of alienated and fragmented people. The poet exhorts that it is the responsibility of right thinking people to change the quality of human life with collective as well as individual efforts. The book is written with a purpose, as the poet does not seem to believe in the theory of art for art’s sake.

The poem "Kathmandu Saga" beautifully shows the poet’s vision. The city presents a pathetic scene for all as it still does not look like a city ruled by the people’s representatives, worrying for the people. The city does not symbolize a place of democratic and human rights even after the passage of over fourteen years after the limited restoration of parliamentary democracy. Like in the totalitarian Panchayat system, still lovers of democracy and human rights are fighting for the cause of people. The title of the book "Kathmandu Saga" is appropriately chosen as it exhibits the poet’s deep understanding of life as well as the political situation of the country. The rhetoric used by the freedom fighter as reflected in the poem is inspiring and thought provoking. The fighter prefers death to slavery and suppressed life, and wants the streets cleared off security personnel creating a sense of horror around.

For the fighter, the city has been turned into a military barrack where people cannot have free movement of life and free flow of speech. The fighter laments that this is the same city that saw the assassination of a king and a queen in the early hours of the night, despite the deployment of a large number of security personnel around the palace.

Now he feels that the city has lost its earlier solemnity and purity. It has become a paradise for a few and a restricted place for many. Freedom fighter is unhappy because he no more hears the beautiful songs over the sky of Kathmandu, but hears regularly either speeches of protest or political slogans in the corners of city, now a metaphor of Nepali plight.

However, the poem ends with the optimistic assertion of the fighter that very soon the city will regain its earlier glory and then people will have freedom to express freely and fearlessly. The Society of Nepali writers in English has done a good job in the production of this book, which could have priced much low considering the people’s capacity to purchase. The main essence of the book lies in the poem entitled "Kathmandu Saga" as it covers various aspects of Nepal’s socio-political life. The poet has captured the plight of the whole people within the single poem artistically. Some of the poems are not focused on the given topics. However, the book is quite readable, informative and relevant in the present context of the country. On the one hand, it raises philosophical issues related to human life. On the other hand, it sheds light on the current socio-political situation of the country.

The Kite Runner

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable, beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan nonetheless grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara, member of a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of their lies. Written against a history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But with the devastation, Khaled Hosseini also gives us hope: through the novel's faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows for redemption.

(From: http://khaledhosseini.com/)

Chanky Shrestha's Kayakalpa

Chanky Shrestha, one of the renowned modern poet and writer brought out this anthology of poems last year. Chanky loves philosophy as well as weaves it in his poems. Mostly, his frustrations to current social and political situations are reflected in his poetry.

Being also a journalist, Chanky has opportunity to learn about the inner aspects of political life in Nepal, and this knowledge plays added value to his writing. Chanky also brings his intectual insight in his poetry.

Sashi's Pahad Budo

Although I got this book from Sashi few years back, I didn't find time to go through this. Recently I read Sashi's poems and felt that he expressed truly from his heart. Fantastic poetry!!!