REMEMBERING JANAANDOLAN 1990

REMEMBERING JANAANDOLAN 1990

Kathmandu, 7 April: Janaandolan 1990 swept away a partyless panchayat system
toppling Nepal’s first elected government in 1990.
For 30years, Nepali Congress pushed a movement to legalize banned political
parties, reduce absolute powers of a king and limit his role to a constitutional
monarch.
A movement led by NC around Ganesh Man Singh toppled the panchayat and legalized parties,
Singh, Prime Minister Krishna Prasdad Bhattarai and King Birendra worked together to first restore normalcy, draft a constitution , hold elections and restore parliamentary democracy toppled by King Mahendra in December 1960.
Present rulers drafted the 1990 constitution which they shred to pieces—not the
king In fact, Madhav Kumar Nepal is one of the drafters of the 1990 constitution,
The same persons that toppled panchayat rule and wrote the 1990 constitution have failed in four years to restore normalcy n the country and promulgate a constitution.
Maoists emerged from he ashes of the 1990mevement; they helped draft the
constitution which they shred and were represented in the then parliament by
a small group headed by Krishna Bahadur Mahara under the United Democratic
People’s Movement.
Disgruntled with led with what the party called ‘the excesses’ of NC in government, a movement was launched to stop the excesses; dissatisfied, the present Maoists went into the jungle and the urban jungles of India and launched a movement against the Nepali government not monarchy.
NC –led governments in fought the Maoist insurgency and finally mobilized the Royal Nepali Army against the rebels—the first time a state army was launched with such massive force against its own people.
Maoists first didn’t first launch their people’s way against monarchy; they launched it against the excesses of NC-led governments of Girija Prasad Koirala and
Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Maoists Friday commemorated Janaandonan amidst a open split in their ranks.
Apparently to give unity some hope, Chairman feigned illness and stayed away
from a public meeting of the party establishment in the capital.
What the present rulers achieved in six months 1990 ,the parties haven’t delivered in more than four years; they still want more time.
“The changes an transition were complex. It takes time,” justified one leader asking for ore time.
The transition period in 1990 weren’t easy either but it was managed.
The problem with the management of the second transition: The same set of managers are in the transition team created problems starting a fire; the firefighters don’t have
knowhow and the ability to douse the fire which has gone out of control.
The firefighters helplessly look on as they see the house which they set on fire
burn.
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