Where are Moriarty's Haters Now?

(Courtesy: Comrade Libre)

There's a joke making the SMS rounds in Nepal. It goes as follows:

Mrs. Prachanda: "I'm pregnant."
Prachanda: "How is this possible? I've been living underground for the last decade???"
Mrs. Prachanda: "I'm still pregnant."
Prachanda: "Damn those Royalists! Those 'regressive' forces have struck again!!"

Although there's no connection between Mrs. Dahal's pregnancy and American Ambassador James F. Moriarty, there's definitely a strong correlation between increasing public awareness and what Moriarty, and like-minded individuals, have been alluding to all along - that the Maoists are ideologically incapable of adapting to a political environment, devoid of violence.

The Maoists' branding political developments (outside of their narrow world-view) as "Royalist"-initiated or "regressive," has reached an all-time high on the scale of stupidity. American Ambassador Moriarty was branded a Royalist sympathizer for the exact same reasons the Maoists call the Madhesi Janadhickar Forum (MJF), selective members of the Nepal's business community and any other group that opposes Maoist intimidation, violence and coercion, "Royalists."

The Maoists' arcane "red book" is an inadequate tool with which to interpret 21st century political phenomena. Their brain-washed cadre know nothing about original thought and remain content regurgitating "scripture" from their little "red books." The "broken record" approach is the only approach Maoists have been taught and it is the only approach they have the mental capacity to employ - whether in politics or life.

For the Maoists, the idea of democratic opposition is a complete anomaly. Hence, the application of the term "Royalist" as a panacea to any phenomenon that outdated Maoist ideology is incapable of explaining. The Maoists have proved, time and again, their inability to rationalize political opposition. They need to urgently learn that as along as opposition is not of the armed variety, it is completely legitimate in democratic politics.

Unfortunately for Nepal, the Maoists continue to live by their mantra that "power comes from the barrel of a gun." This has always been, and continues to be the Maoists' guiding principle. Despite the plethora of apologists who actively advocated the signing of the 12 Point Agreement (on the basis of changed Maoist ideology), there is absolutely no evidence to even marginally substantiate that the Maoists' strategic end-goals have changed.

As repeatedly pronounced by various members of the Maoist leadership, the Peace Process currently underway is merely a tactical adaptation, necessary to achieve higher, strategic objectives. As a matter of public record, the Maoists' strategic objectives include the following: the establishment of a one-party communist republic, a dedicated thrust in support a Compact Revolutionary Zone (CRZ), and by default, the systematic eradication all non-Maoist political ideology from Nepal.

While over-zealous civil society and human rights activists feed off the UN's $88 million "peace dividend" to Nepal, the Maoists continue, unrelentingly down a path of radical politics. Hundreds of cases of intimidation, of reporters being threatened for publishing news harmful to the Maoist "image," of ordinary citizens being taxed twice and thrice, of extortion drives, of armed politics, have all gone undocumented.

With standing orders from the Home Ministry to not confront the Maoists, the public remains completely exposed to Maoist atrocities. Never mind a handful of Maoists who were arrested as a public stunt. Rather, consider that the cop (who restrained the armed Maoist body guard from entering parliament), was first reprimanded by the valley Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and then re-assigned outside of Kathmandu, the following day. Why? Because the poor chap did his job.

Then there came back-to-back allegations from the Maoists that first, they had collected information of a plot by the Royal Palace to assassinate SPA politicians and second, that the Royalists had engineered another plot to kill American dignitaries.

Even though the "evidence" was presented in the House, not a single politician demonstrated the courage to point out the very serious nature of what the Maoists had alleged or to evaluate the "evidence," which of course, turned out to be completely bogus. Nepali politicians seem to show no hesitation when begging for American aid, but when it comes to protecting American citizens in Nepal, not a single snivelling politician, said a word. There is only one term to describe this - "shameful."

The Maoists continue to blatantly disrespect diversity in political ideology. Last week, the nation was shocked by images of RPP party members wearing "shoe garlands," with soot rubbed on their faces. In a few months' time, UML cadre will face similar humiliation and at the end of the line, the Nepali Congress (the bahun-baad faction which is most the feudal of all political institutions in Nepal), will face the brunt of the leftist backlash, alone.

Then came the icing on the cake of intolerance - a fire fight in the midst of the much hyped peace process, that resulted in 28 deaths. Is this not a violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement? Or does armed Maoist militia exchanging fire with MJF personnel, somehow differ from Maoists "hi-jacking" 13 Army trucks or beating businessmen for not paying extortion fees? Can't wait to hear about the conspiracy theories on this tragedy!

So where are Moriarty's critics today? Where are the Civil Society and Human Rights activists who were falling over each other, kissing Prachanda's ass in public? Where are the self-proclaimed "protectors" of Nepal's democracy when what little we have, is being systematically dismantled. Do these idiots finally understand where Moriarty and like-minded people were coming from when they warned of the nation being held "hostage" to the peace process (under the pretext of "regressive" activism)?

What Nepal is witnessing dangerously borders on all-out anarchy. The accounts listed above aren't sporadic, these are systematically orchestrated events, with Maoist sponsors on one end and anti-Maoist elements (and possibly Royalists) on the other end. While Maoist sympathizers and their Maoist handlers maintain that Royalist and anti-Maoist elements are synonymous, the Madhesi movement has invalidated this myth, completely. What next?

Regardless of what the Maoist leadership says, with every passing day, they are losing their grip on their own organization. With every passing day, the Maoists are getting more and more desperate and it is no secret that desperate people tend to commit desperate acts.

Welcome to the New Revolution… with no idiot king as a focal punching bag, this revolution definitely won't be "televised." Even with all the atrocities that persist, Nepal will be lucky to get an occasional column in a right-wing rag like the Washington Times - that too, written by elements that grovel to known, left-wing extremists like Prachanda and his clowns. Yet another irony on a never-ending list of ironies that collectively, describe the tragedy that Nepal is.