Kathmandu: Surprisingly rumor politics gets space despite the abundance of the media in a democracy that is a decade over old. Nepal’s traditional, conspiratorial politics came to play last week when a tabloid chose to publish a calculated plant suggesting UML’s Madhav Nepal as Prime Minister in an imminent change hastened by a supposedly early return of the King to Kathmandu. The King returns home as scheduled today thereby verifying that the news report was misinformation. However, subsequent reportage in even major dailies based on the published rumors more than adequately revealed that a calculated campaign is on to suggest that firstly, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa’s cabinet is on the way out and secondly the agitating parties are on the way to victory by obliging the King to accommodate their demands appointing Madhav Nepal as Nepal’s next Prime Minister.
While the concurrence is Thapa has long outlived his utility, there is no change in standpoints of the agitating parties that can back the rumors of accommodation. Although, significantly enough, the UML was mysteriously absent in one day’s agitation later accounted to a misunderstanding, the purpose and content of the reports have a clear mission in hindsight.
Firstly, the agitation has been hindered by poor participation. Secondly, the Maoists threat of violence in Kathmandu could have contributed to this hindrance. Thirdly, the government’s administrative measures have had to be coped with. Rumors of an impending favorable change allows party leadership to quell cadre inhibitions and even to encourage continued participation in the ongoing programs. To boot, it can help continue the agitation if the rumors don’t materialize as facts by a new position saying that the Palace had once more betrayed commitments.
This desperation on the part of the agitating parties make clear that something is amidst in their program of action, namely, credibility. The agitation has turned to one courting arrests. That the agitation is designed to impress cadre support is clear. But that it should show nakedly bank on rumors to change its standpoints hints at inbuilt weaknesses that may have to force revisions of calculated strength thereby a change in the nature of the agitation itself.
One thing is clear. The rumors anticipate change. And change for the better is overly due.