Nepali Times
Editorial
Death of a statesman


BIKRAM RAI

The lives of widely admired statesmen often don't get much attention in their lifetimes. The media tends to focus on the more insalubrious characters in the political firmament. This is particularly the case in developing countries such as Nepal, where political corruption is taken for granted.

When politicians are praised, it is often only when they pass away, and flaws are graciously overlooked and virtues extolled to the heavens. Inevitably, assessments depend as much on the milieu in which said politician existed as in their inherent qualities.

When Girija Prasad Koirala died, his many critics stood back for the most part. Others scrambled to praise him, if only for his political longevity. With Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the tipsy 'saint' of years gone by, the accolades would have flowed easier, not least because he had expired as a political force some time ago.

But of course Bhattarai, in his Gandhian guise, was an uncommon politician. He furnished a fairly unsullied link to the heady days of the first revolutions of Nepal. Whatever his shortcomings, he is remembered as the prime minister who brought together Nepal's interim constitution at a time when a quick transition to true democracy still seemed possible. In his spartan tastes (notwithstanding certain indulgences) he provided a stark counterpoint to every avaricious politician we have been forced to endure since.

So what have we learnt from the death of a statesman? Not, despite our struggles to complete the post-conflict transition, that Bhattarai's pronouncements on the necessity of a constitutional monarchy are valid in our present context. If they were once, they are not now; for this we should have been lucky enough to have a monarchy that was prepared to abide by the constitution, a decade back.

Rather, the public show of grief and the commentary surrounding Bhattarai's passing should serve to remind us what many in this nation still hold dear. The first is the attachment to revolutionary change, of which Bhattarai was a democratic embodiment. The second is the yearning for a statesman who will rise above party politics and self-enrichment for the good of the country. To what extent Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was a saint is open to debate. But Nepal's surviving politicians would do well to understand this: that it is in contrast to their shameful, unprincipled behaviour, and not some universal standard of corruption, that Bhattarai was held up as a saint.

READ ALSO:
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1. chandra gurung
Loyal to Koiralas until the last moment, huh, Nepali Times Editor?:)

Bhattarai has to be compared with another human. That's all.

This one data should be enough. When he was PM, there was a poll, that ranked him as the most popular PM. He got about 60% of votes. The second was Madan Bhandari with 10+, third was Ganesh Man with 10+% votes. Other politicians, including Girijababu, were languishing at the single digit.

Bhattarai had no relatives of his own who could passionately campaign for him in elections. The Koiralas knew that the stakes were too high. So, they campaigned against him in what is famously called Antarghat. Koiralas then captured the plum positions in ministries. The more they tasted power, the more determined they were to exercise monopoly over it.

People liked Bhattarai, because he was a good man. Like a yogi, he didn't believe in hoarding properties for himself. He was liked even when he espoused outdated ideas (re supporting monarchy). But make no mistake, he was very good man. Our grandchildren will probably not believe it when they read about his story.


2. who cares
after reading articles about kp bhatterai, it is not hard to tell that its girija who organized coup against him and ganeshman after the order from south with the help of corrupt, crooks, shahs.


kp bhatterai sounds like a patriot, but it was never mentioned, on the other hand opportunists like shahs, maoist are portrayed as patriots. 


so only loud noise sells in nepal. 


3. obsrvr
Was Bhattarai responsible for seeding the Bhutanese refugee problem? He made a stark, unfitting public comment on Bhutan's King in SAARC summitt and soon after the refugees started flowing. One wonders ...


4. Rjsh
"The lives of widely admired statesmen often don't get much attention in their lifetimes. The media tends to focus on the more insalubrious characters in the political firmament......"
Ironically, Nepali Times didn't give much focus to this statesman.




LATEST ISSUE
638
(11 JAN 2013 - 17 JAN 2013)


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