As painful and sad as the process has been for hundreds of thousands of Nepali brothers and sisters, for this political junkie, this has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It would be hard to ever forget the events during the April 2006 People’s Uprising: Mass jubilation mixed with fighting, tire burnings, flag waving, outrageous shouting, kicking, stone throwing, and in short, chaos in the streets of Kathmandu – immediately followed by a relative calm, a feeling of wellbeing, accomplishment, and shared optimism for the future of the New Nepal.
I can imagine this must have been what it was like during the final stages of the American Revolution, albeit with wagon wheels burning instead of rubber tires. America, once freed from the tyrannies of an aloof king, must have felt as the Nepalis did when King Gyanendra ceded power – relieved and forward looking amidst the rubble of war. Ready to take on the future with hopes of a new constitution and a new form of government, the newly democratized people of Nepal appeared born again, albeit a bit wet behind the ears.
But looking back to days following the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 (when England officially recognized American Independence), one can immediately see that true democracy did not immediately take hold. In fact, it took SIX years to elect a president and to ratify a constitution. Meanwhile, the economy of the new America was immediately thrown in the toilet without the backing of the British Empire, turning the joy of this newfound democracy into a bittersweet affair for the average then new American.
The ones who suffered the least, and immediately gained the most power and wealth, were the rich colonists who were always in bed with the king in the first place. For them, the American Revolution was a victory of the wallet...for all others, the winning of the revolution was a mere victory of morale.
True democracy did not immediately take hold in the US. In fact, after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, it took SIX years to elect a president and to ratify a constitution.
The original constitution for the new America did not recognize (let alone protect) the rights of women, minorities, or the rights of lower- or middle-class people. Slaves, after much congressional debate, were deemed to be just 60 percent of a person. Arguably, the people’s revolution in America simply replaced a distant despot government with a more local one, and did not transform society, but merely changed bank accounts for those coming to power.
Interestingly enough, this criticism mimics the most commonly held complaint I hear from friends, family, and the average Nepali on the street. I listen to folks all the time that feel there was no real seed change, and that business is usual amongst those now vying for power and influence in the capital. And with my limited analysis and understanding, I would agree, having seen the name Girija Prasad Koirala pop up like toast.
But I know little about Nepal’s political history, other then what I can gather from Wikipedia. I can, however, identify most of the places where George Washington slept, coming from one such hamlet in upstate New York. I do feel that the framers of the American Constitution and the writers of the Federalist Papers did not have poor working stiffs (and the average new American) in mind when constructing one of the most famous of democracies in human history. Why else would they have debated so vigorously for NOT including a Bill of Rights in the constitution (Federalist No. 84)? And what else could explain the sorry state of affairs in America 227 years later...
But what every Nepali can learn by a thorough reading of the Federalist Papers is that all new political power can and will be abused - no mater how virtuous and pious it appears. Personally, I have to be cynical, as I have first-hand experience under the tyranny of a multi-century-old democracy, have intently watched the rise and fall of communism many times over (well, mostly the fall), and have unsuccessfully debated the merits of socialism until I was blue in the face.
So what I have resorted to of late is a return to another “ism” altogether, western Buddhism, which interestingly enough returns power back to a benevolent king, whomever that may be both spiritually and economically. It’s almost like my political beliefs have come full circle, running the gamut of every conceivable way to rule a people, and returning to a way thought up during the very dawn of humankind. Ironic, isn’t it?
But I am optimistic on the part of the Nepali people, as in the words of my favorite guru the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, “Never give up.”
herojig@gmail.com
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