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To the top and the downward slide; all in a year for Bhattarai
One year is a long time in politics. Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai who completes one year in office next week would agree.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University alumnus enjoyed overwhelming mass support even before he became PM and when he got elected to the top post in last August —-most Nepalis were ecstatic.
There was high expectation that despite differences among and within the parties, the 58-year old would deliver the delayed constitution and complete the stalled peace process.
Additional hopes of efficient administration and measures to put Nepal’s derailed economy back on track were also on his shoulders.
Bhattarai began with a bang by announcing cost-cutting measures including the popular decision to ride a locally assembled vehicle instead of imported SUVs and launching a campaign against black-marketing.
“Progress in peace and security, easy availability of essentials and action against black marketing is just a trailer. There is more to come,” he stated in his maiden address, 18 days after assuming office.
The former finance minister also promised to strive for double digit growth in economy and promote internal and external investment.
Towards that end he soon visited India and signed the Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Act, which was aimed at boosting investments from the southern neighbour.
The brief visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in January this year also ushered hopes of better ties and financial aid to boost hydro-power, airports, roads and other infrastructure.
There was progress on the peace front too. Early this year former Maoist combatants started leaving the cantonments that had been their homes since end of the civil war and their arms came under Nepal Army control.
Most former rebels left for their homes taking monetary compensations, but the issue of integrating the rest into the Nepal Army remained stuck. It hasn’t moved forward in months.
The parties also made good progress in constitution drafting by agreeing on several issues, but differences over federalism, forms of government and elections remained.
But hopes of them getting them addressed on May 27, the deadline for promulgating the constitution, failed and the Constituent Assembly got dissolved four years after its formation without completing its task.
Bhattarai who failed to bridge the trust gap among parties immediately announced fresh polls on November 22 to elect another Constituent Assembly. This is where his slide began.
Amid mud-slinging over dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, opposition parties refused to take part in polls. They demanded Bhattarai’s resignation and formation of a national unity government as pre-conditions for consensus.
In the absence of a CA, President Ram Baran Yadav termed the government as caretaker. But Bhattarai refused to accept that status or resign from his post. He wants to stay in power till elections or at least till there is consensus on who would replace him.
The road to elections is also not easy as over a dozen legal and procedural obstacles have to be removed. The Election Commission has expressed inability to hold elections on November 22 and the President has refused to endorse two election related ordinances.
Yadav’s move has pushed Bhattarai into a corner besides creating friction between him and the President. Still there is no sign of the Prime Minister’s resignation anytime soon.
The developments have made Bhattarai appear as a power-hungry politician no different from others. They have affected the Maoist party (it split in June), but it has hurt his own image more among the public who saw him as a saviour just 12 months ago.
Though there’s no guarantee that it might lead to consensus among parties on all issues including government, peace and constitution, his resignation seems to be the best way to end the present political and constitutional deadlock in Nepal.
Bhattarai himself is aware that prolonging his stay would do more harm than good to his political future. He is now waiting for an honourable way out that would cause least damage to him and his party and also prevent the present crisis from sliding further.
The blockbuster he had promised a year ago is unlikely to reach the box office, but Nepal would be happy if the trailer doesn’t continue any longer.
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Give an internet search for “Rajouri remembers martyrs on Liberation Day”, “Mirpur massacre of 1947″, “Muzaffarabad-1947 How I lived under occupation forces” & also give a search on Youtube for “What Remains of the Sita Ram Mandir opposite Saheli Sarkar – Muzaffarabad ” & “Remains of old Mandir – Skardu” And you will know what type of atrocities were perpetuated by Pakistan in 1947 in J&K and how from 1947 till date POK became 100% Muslim & Indian State of J&K remained multi-ethnic.
Now why this background, it is precisely because the same planks of institution of orchestrated Violence & the institution of political separatism based on the basis of religion again being used again & again. In 1947 it was Jammu Region we bore the brunt of violence & it’s after effects, & from 1990 onwards it is mostly valley. Pakistan has picked it up in 1990 where it left it in 1947. Contrary to the belief gun was introduced in 1990 the fact is gun was introduced in J&K right since 1947,& not only after 1989-90. Those who want to cite violence as legitimate is ill-legitimate for Non-muslims in J&K.
Question is not only about the liberty alone. The point in analysis is that those who took a gun in hand & tried to enforce the will as was dictated by ISI are they going to be heard? ARE THEY POLITICALLY CORRECT & THOSE WITHOT GUN POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
Kaks is not the only film that has been made on Kashmir, there is also a documentary film “and the world remained silent” by Ashoke Pandit let them make it to screen that also.
Then if it is balanced opinion you call Mr. B.K.Gupta author of a book, “Forgotten Atrocities Memoirs of a survivor of the 1947 mirpur massacare now in POK at the time of invasion of J&K by Paksiatn partition of India by, Bal K Gupta which gives how Hindus and Sikhs were captured by Pakistani forces in POK and were taken to Alibeg Prison. The prisoners at Alibeg were in a situation that could only be described as a concentration camp. Relief came eventual y when the International Committee of the Red Cross liberated the Prison. The book is filled with stories the author collected during his time at Alibeg, through relatives, and by contacting fellow survivors.
This ethnic cleansing is not new; we Jammu people have seen it in 1947 which Kashmir has not seen. Post 1990 there were massacres in Jammu region in Doda, kistawar, Reasi & others. And for this people of the mind like yours are responsible. Let you also listen to it then?
There is an Arabian saying if you go shooting don’t complain when you are shot & that is precisely that is to be looked into it, has Press to give the view-point of
those who are responsible for making POK 100% muslim & are we to get
dictated by on that side of LOC. In that occupied part of Kashmir these
separatists have got training in gun., after all Kashmiri Hindus in valley were
killed by Kashmiri Muslims that is the tragedy in this case, where are their
human rights, the argument given by separatists is that muslims were killed in
hundreds & hindus in hundreds but that argument also does not stand correct
because Muslims were not killed by Hindus, that is the difference here.
Bigger Question are you going to make J&K on Indian side a state on 100% on religious basis or what, and more bigger question is how can a person with gun saying that politically he is 100% right and the person who is un-armed and raising political voice against it how can he be politically in-correct on whose behest ethnic cleansing has been done in valley & parts of Jammu.
A foot note about brand of Azadi in Valley will be good to give here. The character of Juan Marcos Troia, an Argentinian football coach of the film inshallah football , is credited with taking footbal in J & K to its greatest heights. But he is now suspecting, as he has been questioned by the state football association about
the funding for his clubs. Not just he, but his family too is now the target of a whisper campaign. Fundamentalists are ratcheting up religious mobilization His house vandalized, Marcos is now running around asking cops for help”We have to fend for ourselves,” says his dejected wife, Priscilla, writes the media of their plight.
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… Cont…) During invasion of tribal’s in 1947. Large scale massacres in J&K took place in which people from all communities were killed which include Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs Christians, Buddhists ( in gilgit ballista area) several thousand Muslims were massacred in Jammu in first week of Nov.1947, We know starting at Muzzafarbad on 22nd & 23rd Oct-1947, several thousand Hindus (three times than that of Muslims) were slaughtered at the hands of Pakistani Raiders, its army, their J&K civilian traitors in the border areas of Kashmir when they entered the Valley and then in Jammu Province at Deva vatala, Bhimber, Rajauri, Kotli, Mirpur, Poonch and at Gilgit, Askardu. In first week of Nov-1947 in Jammu several thousand Muslims were taken to forests in kathua & murdered in cold blood there.
In the event, on October 26, the tribals were still on the rampage in Baramula, killing, burning, looting. Of Baramula’s 14000 inhabitants, only 3,000 were alive the next day. The atrocities committed by these tribals are too well known to every person to need any rebuttal, even Barbarians will be ashamed.
Author can read in links , I stated above how at Muzzafabad on 22/10/1947 , “Raiders play deception. They asked males among Sikhs to come out, telling them, “We have nothing to do with Sikhs”. The latter felt relieved but as they ran back towards the bridge they found the gate on the other side of the bridge closed. The raiders began firing on them, and killed them mercilessly. Then they began pushing the dead bodies down the railing of the bridge with shoes into Kishenganga river. The bridge was clear again. The raiders then asked ladies to segregate themselves from the main crowd. All the ladies in the age group of 11-45 years were huddled into 30-35 buses, waiting on Kohala side and were taken to Waziristan etc. Small children in the lap of their mothers were thrown on to the road, where they fell victim to starvation or dogs. The children of once rich people were now at the mercy of dogs. Just to tell you Non Muslim women abducted from J&K by Tribal’s were sold on the streets of NWFP for Rs 15.00 & the children for Rs 5.00, I do not know you know this or not ? Members of the minority community had been put in jail in Muzzafarabad, Raiders were all the time looking for young ladies. The father-in-law of a lady had been shot dead when he tried to resist attempts of raiders to abduct his daughter-in-law. She never came back. Outside the jail groups of raiders would rape women in full public view. At times there would be gang-rape. Only few ladies returned to their families after abduction and rape. There were instances where ladies were killed after rape. You will read in link even dead were not buried, even uncivilized people like Huleghu Khan allowed to bury dead, but this was a strange islamic army of tribal looters did not.
During the tribal raids in Kashmir Andrew Whitehead the BBC journalist. had written sometime back how tribal raiders entered St. Joseph’s Convent and Mission hospital on the Jhelum Valley Road that links Srinagar with Muzaffarbad, and killed people including. a patient, Mrs Motia Devi Kapoor, Lt. Col D.O.T. Dykes and his wife Biddy, who had come to the hospital to give birth her Baby, the husband of the hospital doctor, Mr Baretto & after raping the 29-year-old Spanish nun Sister M. Teresalina Joaquina & a nurse Miss Philomena they killed them in its precincts.
I know many of people will not know this. Col. Habibur Rahman Khan who had fought with Subhash Chander Bose in INA became the murderer of Non Muslims at Bhimber along with tribal lashkars. He died in pain. Listen about brutal burning of Rajouri where 25000 people were burnt to death during Diwali of 1947 & I do not know you know it or not Hindus in rajouri today do not celebrate Diwali even today in memory of those massacred in 1947. Col. Rahamtullah Khan was one time in army of Hari Singh, his son Aslambeg Khan are called Rajouri butchers, & were instrumental in all this loot. they were arrested later by Indian army. Maharaja got them released as they were his old servants. what happened to them is another story. Mahraja thought that they will help him in getting his accounts in Lahore banks unfrozen. But nothing happened. Rahamtullah died of cancer and his son was killed by dacoits. I hope you have heard about the Alibeg Gurudwara in Mirpur, which was turned into a concentration camp for non-Muslims & scores of men were slaughtered, women raped & children sold. And for this those persons of Muslim conference that rule in POK now were responsible, and some of them claim to be now the Mujahid-i-awwal, but the fact is they should be tried for war crimes.
In the words of Pakistan they have made POK , Azad Kashmir which they say is free, but if we analyze it today as a citizen of J&K a complete exchange of Non-Muslim population has taken place from that so-called Azad Kashmir to Indian Part of Kashmir as a result of that bloodshed. If there were non-Muslim remnants in So-called Azad Kashmir, there that has been converted, it is 100% Muslim today. Does it indicate some thing? I hope you meet some day the persons who have settled in Jammu from Mirpur, from Muzzafarabad, from Poonch, Rajouri, & and listen to them how their and near ones were butchered in these areas and by whom and who connived with whom in this massacre? You will be more objective later. ARE WE TO ALSO SUPPORT THIS AZADI TODAY THEN?
Having said so but if we analyze the population ratio on both sides of LOC more ethnic diversity on Indian side & none on POK side, why? Did Indian soldiers kill all Muslims or All non-Muslims were killed or converted on POK side & by whom, by GOVT there along with army, else how can it happen that not a single soul of Non Muslims live there. The result was that POK is now 100% Muslim with not even a soul of Non-Muslims that in itself is an indicator. I have been asking this many writers from valley this question but they do not have any answer to it. I repeat once again not even a single soul of Non-Muslims that also after 1947, what happened to all of them? We know the answer but writers from valley do not like yet to answer it.
That is why I said Bigger Question are you going to make J&K on Indian side a state on 100% on religious basis or what, and more bigger question is how can a person with gun saying that politically he is 100% right and the person who is un-armed and raising political voice against it how can he be politically in-correct on whose behest ethnic cleansing has been done in valley & parts of Jammu.
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