Tulsi Giri Interview

Tulsi Giri: "Political parties are not acting, but reacting."

Looks like I finally found something Tulsi Giri said that I like. He has hit the nail.

During the 2036 movement I was a small kid in Janakpur. A relative of mine who was part of the movement asked what I wanted to be after I gr0w up. I said, Anchaladhish. Zonal Commissioner. I disapprove of that answer! Within a decade, the answer had changed to Doctor. That was an improvement. Giri, on the other hand, had a relapse, a certified medical doctor who never practiced. A few years after the doctor answer, I myself had a relapse. And now I am at a point in life where politics just is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life. Nepali politics, American politics: 2008: Some Thoughts.

When you walked around Janakpur, where Giri is from, there would be graffitti that would be a play on the term Dr. Giri. The term would be disfigured to read Dakoo Giri. If you understand the Devnagari script, this makes more sense.

And at my first blog entry at this blog on Giri, I relate a story about a Ganesh Man Singh speech where Giri is all Singh talked about. (Response To The Panchayati Ghost Tulsi Giri)

And I went to this church service once in Kentucky. Some people who were struggling with my name asked me, "Can we call you Peter?"

"No, you can not call me Peter," I said.

Peter Giri is Tulsi Giri's Christian name.

After his Bijay Kumar interview where he sounds hostile and conciliatory at the same time, in this Spotlight interview, he has toned down much more.

The parties need to get into dialogue mode with this guy. We have nothing to lose.

The king announced he was for a constituent assembly right after 2/1. After he dismissed Deuba on October 2, 2002, he said he was for an all party government.

Those two are things we want also. So we already have common ground. You start at that common ground, and then you work backwards. And the only way you can work backwards or work at all is by getting into dialogue mode. There is no other way.

And if you don't take up on this offer, you are saying, although both the king and we are for a constituent assembly, we would rather get there the hard way, the impossible way.

A seven party coalition that has refused to come up with a political program to ignite the imagination of the masses is not on its way to launching a revolution. Precisely because you have refused to work on a political program, you are sending a clear signal you are for a negotiated settlement. So act like it. Otherwise, what good are you?

You don't go talk to Giri because you love him or agree with him. You go talk to him because he is in power, and you have business to take care of. "This is strictly business."

Why talk to Giri? Why not talk to the king? I am not against talking to the king. But talking to Giri is almost as good. They are both part of the same regime. Or you can talk to Giri who is ready to talk, and all you do is request an audience with the king. Tell him, it is okay if he is also present when the talks take place.

The point being, you got to engage and then stay engaged.

Homework For Another Round Of Civil War
Girija's House Revival Fantassy
October 2, 2002
Timi Sadak Ma Utreko Dekheko Chhu
Municipal Polls Or Mass Protests
Militarists, Maoists, Monotones, Dorambaites, Naxalites
Militarists Attempting A Doramba Repeat To End Ceasefire

‘The people do not agree on all matters all the time but there are certain matters we can agree’

..... an outspoken politician
..... At the age of 30, the former general secretary of Nepali Congress became foreign minister under the first democratically elected government led by prime minister B.P. Koirala. His offer, then, to mediate between the Asian rivals, India and China, sparked off a major controversy.
..... Briefly detained after king Mahendra took over, he later switched loyalty
..... went into self-exile in the neighboring India and Sri Lanka about 20 years ago
..... rented Baluwatar residence

..... whether they share my views or not they continue to be my colleagues and friends. ..... Although those who agree with me they are not organised, they have strong commitments towards my faith. ..... when I came here, everything was normal. After two days of my arrival, a political change occurred ..... only a hue and cry of politicians who had lost the privileges of being a prime minister or minister. They are trying to create the confusion. ..... He wanted to resolve terrorism and see the democratic process move smoothly. The king also made commitments on return of democratic process within three years. No body had forced him to make such commitments. He wants to see the democratic process reenergized and a genuine democratic institution established. ..... I thought it was my privilege to serve the King because I know that the monarchy has an extremely important role to play in the country since that is the only stable force in this country. ..... I am hundred percent sure that good sense will prevail on them and that they will come to negotiations for a mutually agreeable solution. ..... When you work to explore the areas of agreement, the areas of disagreement either disappear or we try to resolve them later. ..... I am not a good writer. ..... I don’t care about how I have been projected in the public. I have every right to express my views like any other person. ..... the sovereignty is vested in the people but the people do not exercise that sovereignty itself. That sovereignty is manifested or transferred or exercised by means of a mechanism. If it is in the parliamentary form, people’s sovereignty is transferred to the institution of parliament. In the form of monarchy, the sovereignty is transferred to the institution called monarchy. It is a question of modus operandi or how the sovereignty operates ..... Now it is up to the people to decide. Left to me I would like to see that monarchy should have a strong role to play in the country because that is a stable institution. That is my view. Others may not agree. If they think that is not correct, then the people will decide which is right and which is wrong. ..... Political parties are not acting but they are reacting. ..... But if you act on the basis of reactions all the time, then you don't come to any conclusion. What I have suggested is that this is high time for political parties to act. When you want to act, you have to find out the basis for that action. For reactions, you don't have to find any basis. ..... You react in anything you want to react. For action, you need to think how all of us can put together our heads and find out a solution that will bring peace and harmony and ensure the smooth functioning of democratic institutions in the country. ..... I feel that we all have interest of the people of Nepal in our mind. ..... We lifted the emergency and eased the restrictions as soon as the country moved towards normalcy.

A Question For Mahara (October 2)
Tulsi Giri Is Beyond Redemption (September 19)
Response To The Panchayati Ghost Tulsi Giri (March 18)

Homework For Another Round Of Civil War

Killings down, abductions up: INSEC

KOL Report
KATHMANDU, Oct 6 - There has been a significant decrease in the killings of people but the cases of abductions have risen sharply in the past one month after the announcement of a three-month-unilateral truce by the Maoists on Sept 3, according to the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC).

A report made public today by the local human rights body said that 33 people have lost their lives after the truce declaration. Twenty-nine of them were killed by the state and four by the Maoists.

INSEC further reports that the Maoists abducted 8, 057 people, most of them students and teachers, from 35 districts during the one-month period.

The security forces have arrested at least 106 persons from 25 districts in allegations of being Maoists during the same period, says the report.

The report accuses government of intensifying its search operations in remote areas.

"In the past when the presence of security person would be nil in the villages, they are now seen actively carrying out search operations in those areas," the report says.


This is beyond irresponsible. This is extremely irresponsible. This king wants to wash his hand in blood.

After the Maoists declared their unilateral ceasefire, the king and his men had a one week window to react to it positively.

Some of the things the king needs to realize but refuses to are:

1. There is no military solution to the insurgency.
   
2. There is a fundamental asymmetry between the RNA and the PLA, in their style of operations. Even if the RNA were to double in size and more to become 200,000 strong, they could still not win. There would be no victory declaration. Why? Refer to point 1. The Maoists do not have to attain the RNA's numerical strength to maintain the military paralysis.
   
3. A king who seeks foreign aid to fight the Maoists is lying when he says it is wrong to seek foreign aid for peace. He is being cruel. UN mediation would be the best way to forge lasting peace.
   
4. He was a king. Then he became a dictator. Now he is on his way to becoming a man-eating tiger.
   
5. The ceasefire was not an act of weakness on the part of the Maoists. And it became the lull before the storm only after it was not reciprocated. They did intend a soft landing. But they can't do it on their own.
   
6. Their ideological transformation away from a communist republic is not a sham, but they can not do it on their own.
   
7. Ultimately only a constituent assembly will bring lasting peace. It is the king who has been dragging his feet on this fundamental point. His gameplan is to postpone it for as long as possible, preferably indefinitely. That will be his undoing. The Nepali people do not seek a constituent assembly as a gift from the king. That assembly is their birthright.
   

Just looking at this one report I shudder at the thought of the ferocity, the intensity of the civil war should the ceasefire come to an end. This is unnecessary. The king is upping the ante.

No, the Maoists and the king are not equally responsible. The king holds primary responsibility, because he holds the seat of power.

If the civil war enters another round, the following will be directly responsible:

• The Maoists: for not declaring a full ceasefire to provide political space to the democrats, for not including a halt to abductions and extortions as part and parcel of the ceasefire.
• The King: for not responsding to the ceasefire in a positive way, instead letting it go waste, instead doing all he can to bring the ceasefire to an end, instead encouraging the Dorambaites.
• The Democrats: for not ditching the House revival idea, for not going for an all party government under Article 127, for not coming forth with a clear political program so a movement can be launched.
  
• The Foreign Powers: for not pressuring the king towards an interim government and a constituent assembly.
  
• India: for taking a stand against UN involvement.