Buddhist monk, army man, scholar are Maoists' new envoys
Kathmandu, Jan 15, 2007: They tried to create a new society through an armed struggle that killed over 13,000 people. Yet Nepal's communist guerrillas have chosen a Buddhist monk to represent them in the new historic parliament that will be convened Monday.
After 15 years, the guerrillas are leaving the path of the bullet to fight with ballots and will re-enter mainstream and competitive politics Monday with 72 rebels, 40 percent of whom are women, in the new parliament.
Besides their party members, the Maoists have been given an additional 10 seats in the 330-seat House of Representatives.
As a tribute to civil society activists, who helped overthrow King Gyanendra's government last year by taking part in peaceful street protests, the rebels have now named 10 more members of parliament from different social wings.
The new envoys include Bhikshu Ananda, a Buddhist monk from Kathmandu, Maj. Gen. Kumar Phodung, who served with the Royal Nepalese Army, the Maoists' bete noire, for 35 years before retiring in 2002, and a Ph.D student from New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hari Roka.
For the first time in the history of Nepal, a former bonded labourer will also sit in parliament along with the kin of royalty and top army generals.
Motidevi Chaudhary, an ex-kamaiya from Bardiya district in farwest Nepal, is among the new names proposed by the Maoists as new MPs. Kamaiyas - people sold into slavery from childhood - were officially freed in 2000 after Nepal abolished the system. But in real life, the custom still prevails, due to acute poverty and illiteracy.
The kamaiyas have launched several protests in the capital demanding land and livelihood but despite promises by various governments, including King Gyanendra's, little has been done to redress their plight.
Chaudhary will go to parliament on a day when hundreds more Tharu families will ritually give their children into slavery.
The other Maoist nominees include a Dalit, a Muslim, an industrialist and a journalist.
The leader of the Maoists' parliamentary party and spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told the media the new envoys were chosen on the basis of their contribution to the anti-king movement.
This is a major bone of contention between the Maoists and the seven-party ruling alliance.
When the two sides agreed to add 48 new seats, the preliminary understanding was that the new envoys would be chosen from the people. However, the ruling parties have chosen to bolster their own strength by nominating cadres.
Among the new names said to have been proposed by the ruling parties, there are likely to be two more members from Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's family.
They are his daughter and Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala's aunt Sujata Koirala and the prime minister's nephew Shekhar Koirala.
Kathmandu, Jan 15, 2007: They tried to create a new society through an armed struggle that killed over 13,000 people. Yet Nepal's communist guerrillas have chosen a Buddhist monk to represent them in the new historic parliament that will be convened Monday.
After 15 years, the guerrillas are leaving the path of the bullet to fight with ballots and will re-enter mainstream and competitive politics Monday with 72 rebels, 40 percent of whom are women, in the new parliament.
Besides their party members, the Maoists have been given an additional 10 seats in the 330-seat House of Representatives.
As a tribute to civil society activists, who helped overthrow King Gyanendra's government last year by taking part in peaceful street protests, the rebels have now named 10 more members of parliament from different social wings.
The new envoys include Bhikshu Ananda, a Buddhist monk from Kathmandu, Maj. Gen. Kumar Phodung, who served with the Royal Nepalese Army, the Maoists' bete noire, for 35 years before retiring in 2002, and a Ph.D student from New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hari Roka.
For the first time in the history of Nepal, a former bonded labourer will also sit in parliament along with the kin of royalty and top army generals.
Motidevi Chaudhary, an ex-kamaiya from Bardiya district in farwest Nepal, is among the new names proposed by the Maoists as new MPs. Kamaiyas - people sold into slavery from childhood - were officially freed in 2000 after Nepal abolished the system. But in real life, the custom still prevails, due to acute poverty and illiteracy.
The kamaiyas have launched several protests in the capital demanding land and livelihood but despite promises by various governments, including King Gyanendra's, little has been done to redress their plight.
Chaudhary will go to parliament on a day when hundreds more Tharu families will ritually give their children into slavery.
The other Maoist nominees include a Dalit, a Muslim, an industrialist and a journalist.
The leader of the Maoists' parliamentary party and spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told the media the new envoys were chosen on the basis of their contribution to the anti-king movement.
This is a major bone of contention between the Maoists and the seven-party ruling alliance.
When the two sides agreed to add 48 new seats, the preliminary understanding was that the new envoys would be chosen from the people. However, the ruling parties have chosen to bolster their own strength by nominating cadres.
Among the new names said to have been proposed by the ruling parties, there are likely to be two more members from Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's family.
They are his daughter and Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala's aunt Sujata Koirala and the prime minister's nephew Shekhar Koirala.
posted by Ven. Pragya Jyoti at 10:31 PM
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