By Dr. Alok K. Bohara
King Gyanendra’s February 1 speech and the Maoists’ decision to take the battle to the cities have both come with some ominous signs. King shows no sign of a letup against the political institutions, and the Maoists seem unwaveringly tenacious in their original goal to dash to the finish line, one way or the other. Danger to democracy seems to be ever increasing from many fronts. In this battle, a picturesque historical town of Tansen just fell victim to this ugly conflict. After establishing a strong presence in the rural areas of Nepal, which accounts for about 80 percent of the country, the Maoists are now knocking on the door. Their targets: the cities.
After staging a daring attack on a bustling town of Nepalgunj in the Far Western town bordering with India, nearly four thousand rebels armed with socket bombs, mortars, and automatic rifles, descended on this administrative stronghold hilly town of Tansen. Considered one of the most beautiful places in Nepal and dotted with historical landmarks, the heart of the town suffered a 7-hours long pitched battle. Its centerpiece, the Tansen Durbar and the surrounding landmarks, became the victim of the assault.
Tansen Durbar : Before the Maoists’ attack
Despite a 12-point New Delhi declaration between the Maoists and the parties, the King’s uncompromising posture and decision to continue to govern with fiat with the help of Generals and the former Panchayati hardliners is hardly consistent with his rhetorical commitment to peaceful resolution and democracy. The latest speech also comes as a slap in the face of some friendly nations like the US and UK who have given him the benefit of doubt and have taken a cautious attitude towards the tactics and ideological drive of the Maoists. In the name of national defense, the handpicked government continues to procure men, materials, and military hardware without any accountability or public debate.
In addition to generating a shock value, the Maoists, on the other hand, may have decided to advance towards a city like Tansen to expand their “tax base”. Or, perhaps it may have been their practice run for an assault on the Kathmandu Valley itself. This author at times even wonders if the warring factions are perpetuating this conflict for economic incentive and to advance their own respective rent-seeking behavior.
With the political parties oppressed and sidelined, the royal government does not need to be accountable to people for budgetary procurements. To the Maoists too, a peaceful resolution will mean an end to their rural financial tax base: NGO’s, teachers, farmers, foreign workers, tourists, cash crops, and the private and public employees. While China and India are busy creating growth and prosperity for their citizens, our generation is busy squeezing our limited resources to produce wars. Whatever entrepreneurial spirit the democracy era (1990-2001) had managed to create through political and economic freedom is all fast evaporating.
With a dwindling economy at the national level, the doubly taxed citizens are less likely to sustain these two parallel regimes. The exodus of our able bodied manpower to foreign lands is increasing, and the young bright minds are fleeing the country in droves. Once the productive middle class secedes from the statecraft completely, the resulting weak state is less likely to attract any investments, and the state may eventually implode.
Regardless of the motive of the extreme forces in the country, what is becoming clear is that the over stretched Royal Nepalese Army is not capable of protecting every city and town, whereas everything seems to be a fair game for the Maoists. That includes continuation of political assassinations and desecration of the national monuments and cultural landmarks.
On a personal level, this author has been touched by the Tansen episode. I was born in a house next to the newly desecrated “Baggi Dhoka”, the biggest gate in Nepal. This beautifully carved gate used to be opened occasionally to celebrate the Bhagawati Jatra. In later years, Tansen had become a tourist attraction.
During the 1950’s democratic struggle against the Rana regime, Tansen was also briefly considered as a possible exile place for the fleeing King Tribhuvan. Bishweswor P. Koirala had come to Tansen to arrange a government in exile and my father Pratiman C. Bohara, an army officer, had escorted him to meet the then Regional Commander Dhairya Shamsher. The stronghold Tansen Palpa fell to the democratic forces and an interim provincial government was formed. My father’s troop (Mukti Sena) advanced towards Butwal and Bhairahawa. My mother’s story about my father taking BP hidden under his military coat through the dark streets of Tansen’s Durbar area during a military curfew is still vividly imprinted in my memory. (Courtesy: my father’s letters, BP’s memoir, and oral tradition)
In a power game and conflict, such memories occupy no significance perhaps. But, the circle of pain is widening to touch just about everyone. How far are we willing to take this conflict and at what cost? What would be the fate of other cultural heritages like the Patan Durbar, Basantpur Square, Bhaktapur, thousands of shrines, and Janaki Mandir?
The Human Rights Charter of the UN and the Geneva Convention serve as a warning to those who commit human rights violation in a conflict. But, the perpetrators of the Tansen event must be reminded of the Hague Convention of 14 May 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
(Dr. Bohara is professor of Economics at the University of New Mexico. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected]. Follow selected responses sent to Dr. Bohara after the carnage in Palpa.—Ed.)
Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Human Rights Activist
I noted your serious concern very much. I agree with you to raise our voices to stop similar carnage as in Tansen. Let us work together to break the present stalemate and try our best to bring the conflicting political forces together for serious talks to resolve the political crisis peacefully.
Kul Chandra Gautam, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations
I, too, feel distressed to see beautiful Tansen being desecrated by the Maoists. It is not a revolutionary act but a barbaric one.
As you know, I am from Gulmi but went to school in Tansen (Janata Vidyalaya), and have many nostalgic memories. We have seen an outpouring of grief and outrage from many people not just from Palpa but throughout the country at the Maoists’ mindless destructive act. I do not know how the Maoists think that they are winning any hearts and minds through such barbaric brutality.
In recent months, we have all been so outraged by the king’s dictatorial actions that the Maoists have been let off the hook. As two wrongs do not make a right, we must continue to speak out against Maoist atrocities just as strongly as we do against the royal Autocracy.
The Tansen episode reminds us that we Nepali diaspora and the international community do not consider the Maoists’ violent acts as “revolutionary” but as despicable acts of senseless brutality. The main victims of the Maoist violence so far have not been the rich, feudal, exploitative, capitalist, royalists but sons and daughters of ordinary Nepalis including poor soldiers, policemen, civilians, and public infrastructure, now including landmark buildings of historical importance. Their acts are inexcusable and will come to haunt them one day.
Professor Dr. Surya P. Subedi, University of Leeds, UK
It was heartbreaking to see the carnage in Tansen. My thoughts are with all of you with close connection with Tansen. My one and only visit to Tansen was during the student movement of 2036 B.S. as a member of the central action committee of the three main student organizations of the day which were fighting against the Panchayat system, but the memory I have of the place is of a scenic hill-top town with warm and hospitable people happily going about their daily business.
The Maoists are destroying our infrastructure and places of historical significance and the King and his henchmen are systematically dismantling our democratic institutions and the very fabric of our society. The vast majority of the people of Nepal are helpless and we should do our best to help them, because they look up to us residing outside of the country as a moral force, which has a measure of influence in both the Maoists and the King. The useless speech that the King made on Feb 1 was deeply disappointing. The whole situation is frustrating. Let us unite in our thoughts and prayers and accelerate our efforts in opposing the Maoist barbarism and the medieval autocracy imposed on the people by the King in whichever way we can
Dr. Madhu Ghimire, Kathmandu
I too would like to join my sentiments with all of yours. Destroying infrastructure and local and national heritage is a despicable feat and cannot be condoned under any circumstances. It inflicts a very chronic wound on the national life and leaves behind an everlasting nidus for continuous division in the life of the nation. Tansen has a very proud position in the life of our nation – socially, politically, geographically and culturally and any wound inflicted on her touches the heart of every single individual that cares for this country. We all empathize with one another on what this nation is going through at present. Sharing the sentiments,
Dr. Ambika P. Adhikari, Arizona State University
I have been to Tansen twice, and have the fondest of memories of the picturesque place. The beautiful old town with compact urban setting reminded me somewhat of my own district’s Bhojpur Bajar, and Dhankuta Bajar that I so often visited as a child growing up in Bhojpur district. Except that Tansen was more beautiful, and had a more interesting “urban” design to its setting.
I was told even in the seventies that almost every household in Tansen had at least one college graduate, which was a phenomenal achievement in Nepal, with a literacy rate of about 25% then. In fact, so many of my colleagues while studying in India came from Tansen and Palpa that this claim seemed credible. The Maoist destruction of the Tansen heritage is regrettable. The royal regime’s incompetence in securing the nation, while holding on unconstitutionally to power is a sad event in Nepali history.
I am saddened by the destruction of parts of beautiful Tansen. It is tragic to lose parts of our cultural heritage.
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