The general made good use of the first opportunity provided by King Mahendra. It is time for him to make an equally good use of the second chance indirectly provided to him by a formidable leader of our country. In his case, to rise to the helm of the military may have been normal but to figure as the main bone of contention between a prime minister and a president is nothing less than sheer chance.
Dwight D Eisenhower, a hero of the Second World War, became one of the greatest presidents of the USA.
What can be more dramatic than to be sacked at midday by an elected prime minister and be reinstated at midnight by the president? It is comparable to what happened to Gen Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan in 1999. After being denied permission to land in Pakistan by the-then PM Nawaz Sharif, he launched a coup and ultimately became the president.
It is not to suggest that Gen Katawal should follow in the footsteps of Gen Musharraf by dragging the army into the noisy world of politics. But he should try to read the momentous writing on the wall and emulate the subtle message therein. He stands out in the present context as the prime cause of wrangling among the political parties impeding not only the normal functioning of the Constituent Assembly (temporarily restored under the four-point agreement) but also the constitution-writing process. He, in Maoist terms, has held the whole nation hostage.
Fate has actually given him a golden opportunity to emerge as a national hero. It is the right time to give a fitting reply by tendering his resignation, thus sending a clear message to Dahal that “if you can quit in the interest of the public, I can do that too”. If Dahal has earned democratic credentials by giving up his top job, Gen Katawal can gain national credentials by quitting his job for national reconciliation and peace settlement.
By resigning now, his dignity is not going to get bruised in any way. What he will lose is only two months of active service but, in lieu of it, he will win great admiration for his sacrifice for the greater interests of the nation. To leave after his normal term ends will make him a non-entity. Moreover, if he decides to resign now, he will do a great favor to PM Madhav Kumar Nepal who has given a pledge to the Maoists to resolve the Katawal dispute through consultations with all political parties.
Additionally, by doing so, he will get an enviable political mileage that can catapult him to some higher political role in the days ahead. Conversion from the position of a “problem” to a “solution” overnight, that too in the national limelight, is a rare chance that he should not squander.
Unfortunately, we do not have a precedent or a track record of any military officer pursuing a political career. That however does not mean that one should not try. We can derive cues from some of the American generals. Dwight D Eisenhower, a hero of the Second World War, became one of the greatest presidents of the USA due to, among other things, popularity following the Allied victory over the Axis powers. Gen Colin Powell, the hero of Iraq war of 1991, was considered a probable presidential candidate for a long time because his name was already familiar to the American people. Being known to the people is a big merit and advantage in a democracy.
Gen Katawal, endowed with enough intelligence and knowledge of modern affairs, can start a fresh career in politics. He can try to do something democratically with popular support. Any political party, in all likelihood, will be ready to reign in such a high-profile personality in their fold.
It won’t be surprising if Dahal, who is so critical of Gen Katawal primarily because he recognizes ability and competence latent in him, considers inviting him to his party at some point of time in the future. After all, Dahal already has a history of inviting many Nepali luminaries from different walks of life to his party. Now, this looks like a far-fetched possibility. But our soil is fertile for making erstwhile diehard enemies good friends. Look how the Nepalis fought against the British in the 18th century but became great friends. Girija Prasad Koirala once wanted Dahal’s head but now their heads are moving together. Politics is said to be a game of possibilities and this is also one of them.
adityaman@hotmail.com
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