Mike Pouraryan
Nepal: The Beauty & The Beast
I have had the privilege and good fortune to travel to Nepal. I remember the beauty and the simplicity. t was such a tragedy that Nepal began its' current dissent when the King and Queen were killed by their Son and the King's misrule saw to it that the Monarchy ended. I also remember the immense poverty as we traveled the streets of Katmandu past the Royal Palace to our brand new Hotel. I could certainly understand when the Maoists began their insurrection. What I could not understand was the brutality of the war that almost brought Nepal to its knees.
When the Maoists won the election, I thought that they would use their mandate to govern responsibly. But, they walked out of the Government and have apparently boycotted Parliament. It seems to me that the Maoists need to understand that turning Nepal into a failed state will serve no one. There are 30 Million Nepalese whose increased poverty and depravation should be a cause of great concern. Yet, they seem to be choosing a path of narrow-minded irresponsiblity that will cause utter chaos. Of course, as the Economist reminded the world in a recent editorial, it is just not the Maoists but the rest of the political gang that currently runs Nepal that needs to wake up.
I hope Nepal grows up. I see Nepal's biggest problem to be India. India has a significant Maoist insurgency that it is trying to deal with. That insurgency has been the direct result of the very poverty that led the Maoists to begin their 20-year insurgency. When people begin to take up arms, they seem to have no choice and of course will always be branded as terrorists by those who oppose them. What is crucial for all political actors to realize the underlying challenges and work to deal with them. Until that is recognized, such insurrections will go on.
When the Maoists won the election, I thought that they would use their mandate to govern responsibly. But, they walked out of the Government and have apparently boycotted Parliament. It seems to me that the Maoists need to understand that turning Nepal into a failed state will serve no one. There are 30 Million Nepalese whose increased poverty and depravation should be a cause of great concern. Yet, they seem to be choosing a path of narrow-minded irresponsiblity that will cause utter chaos. Of course, as the Economist reminded the world in a recent editorial, it is just not the Maoists but the rest of the political gang that currently runs Nepal that needs to wake up.
I hope Nepal grows up. I see Nepal's biggest problem to be India. India has a significant Maoist insurgency that it is trying to deal with. That insurgency has been the direct result of the very poverty that led the Maoists to begin their 20-year insurgency. When people begin to take up arms, they seem to have no choice and of course will always be branded as terrorists by those who oppose them. What is crucial for all political actors to realize the underlying challenges and work to deal with them. Until that is recognized, such insurrections will go on.
