TGW ANALYST
Kathmandu: When some erratic foreign diplomats posted in Kathmandu are provided with extra attention than what they really deserve, Nepali politics is bound to suffer.
When a diplomat has already been recognized as a “trouble maker” then he must be politely told to pack and land in the country of his or her origin.
To cut the story short, analysts wish to talk in details as to how and why the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, a political body so carefully and cautiously nurtured by Upendra yadav, is counting its last breath.
Chances are fair that even if the MJF survives, the party will see vertical and horizontal split both in the near future.
But why is this cataclysm and frenzied situation in the MJF? Who created this hotchpotch in the party which is the brain child of its founding President, Upendra Yadav? Who played villain that encouraged some interested party stalwarts to create pandemonium in the party of late?
Let’s come to the point. The analysts have some answers to these questions raised above.
It was May 15, 2009. The time should have been 10:30 in the morning that a diplomatic car with 22-1 CD plate entered the official quarter of then Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav in Pulchowk.
By this date, Prachanda had already resigned from the post of the Nepal’s Prime Minister. He resigned on May 4, 2009, but was told to continue by the Nepal President until new PM was not in place.
When the car with the tri-color flag made its way inside Yadav’s compound, Mr. Yadav was alone and talking to some of his friends in the cell phone.
When the talk was over, Upendra yadav was taken aback and became a bit nervous as well when he saw in person “His Majesty Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood” knocking at the door of his private room seeking permission from Yadav as to whether he could enter his room or not?
A pretty flabbergasted and some what annoyed Upendra Yadav invited the “unwanted guest” as a mater of courtesy.
For some minutes, the two talked trifling matters.
The serious talk began between the two with an “instruction” note from Sood wherein the Indian envoy point blank ordered Yadav to “extend” his party’s support to the new UML-NC coalition and that too unconditionally.
This was not all.
Yadav told the Indian diplomat that he will have to convene the party meeting and then decide on where to put his party’s numerical strength.
“You have to support the new coalition at any cost”, is how Ambassador Sood ordered Yadav-the president of the MJF.
With series of instructions and orders coming as it did from the Sood quarters within a short span of time, Yadav couldn’t control his resentment and finally said what he should have to, “Behave Mr. Ambassador! You are just an Indian official of the Joint Secretary level and how you could dare to talk with the Foreign Minister of Nepal”?
Yadav continued, “My party will not support the new coalition as demanded by you and mind it that if you talk in such an abusive and threatening manner, the entire Madhesi population will go against the Indian establishment”.
Ambassador Sood then came to his composure and forwarded Lolly-Pop to Upendra Yadav and said, “If you support the new coalition, my government is ready to extend any support that your party may need in the days ahead”.
Upendra Yadav remained undeterred and provided little attention to the sweets that Sood was to offer his party if the MJF supported the UML-NC coalition.
This angered Sood who said prior to leaving the room, “I will secure the MJF support even if it demanded a split in your party…see what I will do now”.
The heated debate discontinued as the Ambassador was out of the room. Perhaps he felt insulted and humiliated as well.
Perhaps he deserved such “gesture” from a strong nationalist like Upendra Yadav.
An infuriated and insulted Indian Ambassador used one special card that was carefully kept under his sleeve and concluded that Upendra yadav must be “taught a lesson” right now before it was too late.
It was May 26, 2009, late evening, the Indian Ambassador Sood threw a lavish “dinner” to some of the MJF stalwarts who tentatively were by then annoyed with the dictatorial functioning of the MJF President Mr. Yadav.
This dinner took place a day after the swearing in ceremony of Mr. Defeated Nepal asNepal’s prime minister.
This adds meaning to this lavish dinner.
Those who attended this “quiet dinner” at the “Lainchour Palace” were, among others, Bijaya Kumar Gachhedar, Sarat Singh Bhandari, Jitendra Narayan Dev and Ram Janam Choudhary.
No wonder, it is this set which enjoyed the dinner at the Indian embassy that fateful evening has summarily been expelled by the MJF party. The party has even made null and void their ordinary membership.
Bijaya Gachhedar, talked to be a democrat with clear and visible India bend, has been elevated to the ranks of the country’s DPM and been told to look after the ministry of physical planning and development.
The irritated faction of the MJF under President Yadav is loitering here and there to sack the MJF team that has been sent to the UML government. Though only Gachhedar has been made a minister, the fate of the rest Gachhedar adherents is still unclear.
In an indirect manner, the main constituent of the India elevated UML-NC coalition have told Yadav point blank that they will “recognize” the MJF team led by Gachhedar.
Gachhedar is talked to have with him some 32 plus CA members and is in a comfortable majority which, if need be, is sufficient enough to split the party and receive recognition from the Nepal Election Commission.
Yadav claims the otherwise but no body is listening to his plea.
Now a word about why Ambassador Sood pressed Yadav hard? What could have been the motive in seeking the support of the MJF for the new coalition under Mr. Defeated Nepal?
Sood’s spies told him that Upendra Yadav is a die hard Maoist. (Prachanda in a recent interview has said that he sent Yadav to take the charge of the Madhesh and Yadav acted as per Prachanda’s instructions).
Upendra’s summary denial of his party’s support to UML-NC coalition could be seen in this light.
Now that Yadav has been cornered by his own party men thus what could be expected from Yadav is that he will join the hands of the Maoists and take revenge from the establishment which harassed him on May 15, 2009. In the process, he will first destabilize the Mr. defeated Nepal’s coalition.
Several things have come to the open.
Firstly, with this sad episode, it could be stamped that Gachhedar and his team possess Indian bend and were willing to support the UML-NC coalition for a variety of seen and unseen reasons.
Secondly, Upendra Yadav is still a radical communist and thus by extension the bete noir of the Indian establishment.
Thirdly, Sood’s unwarranted penetration has virtually split the MJF party.
Fourthly, Sood sowed the seeds of MJF party split on May 15, 2009, the day he forcefully entered into the private room of Upendra Yadav.
Fifthly, it has also become clear now that the friends of Gachhedar who enjoyed dinner at the Indian embassy found it comfortable to associate with Gachhedar for seeking Indian blessings time permitting.
Sixthly, No wonder then analyzing all these events, the Maoist students June 7, 2009, demanded that Ambassador Sood be sent back to New Delhi at the earliest. Some Maoist CA members too demanded that Sood be told to pack.
But is Upendra a lost case now? Perhaps not.
He has already flexed his muscle and the likelihood remains that his party may create added problems for this lame duck Mr. defeated Nepal’s government.
Let’s see how Upendra Yadav expresses his anger towards Sood’s Delhi regime in the days ahead.
But Upendra is likely to be saved by the Nepal laws that govern the functioning of the political parties.
The article 67(4) of the Interim Constitution now in force clearly states that “ if one no longer remains the member of a political party or if the party informs to the concerned bodies that he or she remains no longer with the party then the CA membership may be made null and void.
This is the last weapon, but a Himalayan one, which could tame the erratic Gachhedar team.
How Gachhedar and his team come to terms with the MJF president will have to be watched.
More tongue chewing events perhaps will follow. Keep your fingers crossed.
2009-06-10 09:14:23
