NEPAL: THE PUZZLING 22 SYNDROME
N.P.Upadhyaya
Kathmandu: Some rare political events happen on a certain fixed date. Other events that could too be taken for granted as an important ones if that does happen on a specified date or that is very close to the one that has already made a history in the country's history.
What has also been seen is that certain numerical figures, more often than not, gets repeated in a country's history for indefinite reasons. Thus coincidence does also work at times in the history of a country or a group of countries. Thus conjectures also perhaps means much to a country as regards the dates and months or even year.
If this is so, then Nepal can't remain exception to such conjectures regarding dates.
Our analysts have noted certain numerical figures that have left an imprint on the country's overall politics.
The intelligent brains at this paper have some tips for our august readers this week regarding such a magic numerical figure which got repeated and repeated without providing even an inkling to all and sundry that why such dates have had assumed political import for this country.
To begin with the magic numerical figure is 22.
Firstly, it was November 22, 2005 that a 12 point peace agreement was signed in between the then agitating seven party alliances with the Maoists who had been seated if safe quarters in New Delhi. Indeed, the Maoists were then some sort of "state guests" of the New Delhi establishment for a variety of explainable and even unexplainable political reasons.
Why Delhi concluded that November 22 would be the auspicious date for such an agreement in between the agitating parties plus the then rebels is still a mystery. Nevertheless, the hard reality is that the SPA signed a deal with the Maoists on that date (22) through the kind courtesy of Nepal's "big brother" that is always India and India alone.
Secondly, the funny conjecture is yet to come. To every body's surprise, the dates for the CA polls have been fixed for November 22, 2007. The numerical figure 22 does suddenly creep here as well for the polls as if this date but no other dates could have been auspicious. Thus the figure of 22 again appears here. This is no less interesting as to why this date that is exactly the same with the date for the previous SPA-M agreements.
Intelligent brains here again smell rat for having fixed 22 November this year for the conduct of the CA polls. Is it once again the Delhi brain? Who knows better than India's proxy Prime Minister Dr. Mohan Singh and his notorious colleagues seated at the South Block apartment who in effect have been entrusted to chart Nepal's political future? Well, having said that, it is not for sure as to Delhi might have opted for this date 22 November polls but mistakenly it could have been put on place. Any way if the polls do happen on November 22 as schedule, it would really be an interesting date which would mark the 2nd anniversary of the 12 point agreement managed by New Delhi.
Unfortunately, we have only one 2 here. But then yet the first 2 is here. No less interesting indeed.
As if this were not enough, yet another 22 is to follow.
The Nepal government's "Peace" Minister Ram Chandra Poudel very recently inked a deal with the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum leaders. The points agreed upon by the two contracting parties to resolve the Terai conflict is no more no less than 22. Jesus Christ!
Here once again the numerical figure of 22 suddenly makes it place in the country's politics. Like it or not, the numerical figure 22 has already become a national pride for Nepal and that if Nepal were to develop, it must start with 22.
Some even say that minister Poudel whose daughter is studying Medicine in New Delhi is at 22 and thus the "father" minister made it a point to make the Government-MJF deal a 22 point one in order to please his daughter enjoying free scholarship there.
However, analysts are yet to confirm the age of the minister's daughter whether she is exactly at 22 or some one wanted to derail our presumption.
This is not all, there is some thing yet to come which perhaps will definitely prompt the readers to pull their hairs out of ecstasy. Cool down please and listen to the one that is just to emerge here.
Perhaps, annoyed by the 22 point government-MJF deal, the Maoists too forwarded their demands which were to the tune of 22 point-no more no less-for the perusal of the Koirala led government and pressed the government (it should have some 22 times if one were to recall their numerous lectures and statements made after the submission of their 22 point demands) to address those 22 demands prior to the polls or else they will quit the government.
One intelligent analyst claims that the Maoists must have warned the government 22 times that they would quit the government if their demands were not met with much ahead of the polls. (The tussle is perhaps continuing at time of this story being penned).
After having explained four 22s already, the one is the universally recognized "Catch-22" situation which is prevalent in our case as well.
The literal meaning of this catch word having 22 in it means that "neither you are here nor there".
This perhaps explains the sum total of all the previous 22s whose extension would make the readers easier to conclude as to where this country is heading for, through the kind courtesy of this magic figure of 22.
Not at all satisfied by the inclusion of the 22 figures in almost all the significant agreements and peace treaties knowingly or even unknowingly or even purposively, analysts at this paper approached a Nepali astrologer, Mr. Gopal Raj Poudyal to seek his million dollar advice as to what this magic figure was all up to for Nepali and its unfolding politics?
This modest astrologer, who claims that he was just a student of this earth-size science, said that the figure 22 in itself is not that bad as some one would wish to interpret. Instead, says Poudel, 22 is a sign of richness, power and communication, relates to the establishment of friendly behaviors with neighbors and the likes.
Nevertheless, according to Poudyal, this figure could well become a potential threat to a person or for that matter a country if 22 are not managed in a proper way.
According to him, figure 22 could well be very dangerous and fatal if the figure concerned is not taken in one's full command. In saying so this astrologer says that the 22 could augur well only if it is in a controlled state or else the figure could bring disasters to the person or for that matter the country.
Finally, the figure 22 has two 2s. If separately added, the total is four obviously.
If multiplied separately, it again becomes four again.
This means that among the eight party alliance, only four major political parties have their pressing presence and the rest are just in the fringe having no say in the conduct of the EPA functioning.
The four parties, namely are, Nepali Congress, NC-D; the UML and the Maoists. Mind boggling this 22.
2007-09-19 06:50:30
