By Siddhartha Sharma

This has been the first news from Nepal from almost a decade that could really be seen as a ray of light.

With an understanding that sounds like an oath of passionate conviction for the betterment of all Nepalis, I doubt whether Nepal will ever have to go through all her miseries ever again. Undertaking the responsibility for creating democracy, peace, prosperity, social advancement and a free and sovereign Nepal is indeed a most commendable act which demands respect. But don’t these words have a familiar ring to them? It seems as though all the political candidates during elections used to repeat these very words, and that both the warring parties claimed they were fighting for the exact same thing.

Then where did it go wrong? What created the situation that thousands of Nepalis had to die, and may be twice the number had to flee the country in search of a livelihood? Maybe it is because of the short memory and dull mind that we seem to forget what we are fighting for in no time at all…as poet Bhupi Sherchan said, Haami Bir Chhau Tara Buddhu Chhau mind set. Or may be its because of the short life span that Nepalis have that we tend to overlook planning and waiting for reaping a fuller, but collective harvest sometime in the future.

Democracies are not unattainable, but nurture them unwisely and their manifestation can really astonish people. We don’t even have to look too far, just cross the border and look at the”demoNcracy” in Bihar, where human rights may be the last thing in the political leaders’ mind. Just shifting the power from one absolute ruler to eight powerful leaders does not ensure that the common man/woman can access what s/he really wants. What s/he needs is security in terms of food, shelter, clothing, dignity and chance for actualizing his/her dream. S/he needs the belief that his/her tax money is being used for the purpose of fulfilling the needs of people just like him/her. The belief that all the aid money s/he hears that Nepal is receiving is going to be utilized for common purposes and not for individual luxuries. S/he doesn’t want to get confused regarding why the so-called public servants act like his/her masters, and then ironically demand money. Whoever has heard of a master asking for money now?

What is most admirable about the 12-point understanding is the heartfelt self-criticism made by the signing parties. Like the concept of Yin and Yang, everybody has some goodness and evil inside him/her. The first step towards overpowering the evil inside a person is acknowledging that it exists. The parties go on to say that if any of them are found to be guilty regarding their past conducts (and I hope future ones too,) they would take action and then make the action public. This is really an amazing step by these ethical men and women who proved that they are indeed children of the land of the Buddha-the enlightened one. Such strong convictions and honour need to be applauded.

But one issue is really contradictory to their aims, the issue about placing the Royal Nepalese Army under the supervision of the United Nations, or any other international organization. Sovereignty cannot be achieved by allowing foreign bodies to supervise core national institutions.

If the parties and the Maoists are willing to compromise, then we as citizens– and all others who have a role to play– need to show that we too have a link with Buddha- the merciful. Grand designs of peace and prosperity are not the need of the day. Such piecemeal solutions can’t give way to the peace that all Nepalis have been craving for.

The international community too is eager for stability in Nepal. The United Nations, United States and United Kingdom as the champions of democracy and the caretakers of humanity have acted in a manner that their position demands. Though they do not want to be in the forefront in the region as India has claims about being the big brother in South Asia, they nonetheless have taken some responsibility. India also has advantages if the decade long war initiated by the Maoists comes to an end in its neighboring country, one because it would be seen as the leading figure in South Asia to bring about stability.

After all, India had mixed feelings when the Nepali government had started having direct contacts with countries in the West regarding issues like weapons procurement, and aid. And two, because the Maoists movement in Nepal has in some ways acted as a catalyst for the rebels in their own country. Though Dominos theory may sound too far fletched, motivation for insurgency also disregards boundaries, which would make it more difficult for India to handle its already active Maoists and other insurgent groups. India would definitely welcome and spearhead the mainstreaming of the CPN-Maoists, and at the same time ensure that democracy is insured, as per the demands of the “just” political ideologies of the international community.

What the Nepalese decision makers need to keep in mind is that though our Geographical position forces us to be dependent on our southern neighbor, it is possible to maintain our relationship with the rest of the world on our own and not off-set our relationship with India.

We should be able to request the international community to provide for such arrangements right now when the iron is hot. Our giant neighbor from the north has always been eager to promote stability in our country, always staying away from our internal affairs and helping us with our external ones in times of need. If history is recollected correctly, China would no doubt be our supportive friend in the region and would surely assert its support for a sovereign Nepal in the future also. We after all do not fall in the Greater China concept, and there is little doubt if China would want its competitor to flex its muscle in the SAARC region, where even it is seeking to venture.

Mistakes have been committed by all sides in the past. Once they have acknowledged the mistakes, and commit to improve upon them then the ground seems to have been set for the much-needed reforms in both the domestic policies and the foreign relations. If the Maoists are willing to give up their arms, the political parties are willing to work transparently, and the international community including our neighbors is willing to help us back on our feet then such a chance should not be missed.