The incumbent PM is not the only one to visit foreign countries by draining millions of taxpayers’ money. In his nine months of premiership, Pushpa Kamal Dahal visited nearly nine countries. During his last visit, to Norway in April 2009, he was needed more at home as the House sessions were consecutively disrupted leading to a political deadlock. The then foreign minister Upendra Yadav was not far behind. In a single month, he spent almost a fortnight in Cuba and neighboring countries when a four-day presence would have sufficed. Then the whole nation went into turmoil. His boss, the PM resigned and Yadav’s foreign ministership was no more legitimate. Despite this Yadav was basking in foreign hospitality at the cost of taxpayers’ money. He could not see the fall of his own government!
These visits suggest that Nepal’s power center has shifted from home to other foreign locations.
Nepal, Dahal and Yadav were simply continuing the culture that so regrettably got rooted after the post 1990 politics of democracy in which almost every prime minister and foreign minister made it a point to visit the West under one pretext or the other. From Girija Prasad to Sher Bahadur to Surya Bahadur to Pushpa Kamal no one failed to visit Europe and America.
Foreign visit was not always such an epidemic in Nepali history. During the 103 years of Rana rule only two PMs visited the West. But they impressed, even mystified their hosts. The first Nepali PM to visit Britain, Janga Bahadur Rana, had enthralled the British. He and his party had been described by the British press and the public as “an incarnation from the Arabian night... attended by the fiery Pari Banou... journeying with passports covered with hieroglyphics and stars.” He was respectfully acknowledged and looked upon in awe. When he came home he brought along substantial ideas pertaining to law, education, and printing press. Then in 1908, his successor Chandra Shamsher visited Britain with a desire of “clearing the way for the free importation of industrial, agricultural and scientific machinery into Nepal.” He consolidated the image that his predecessor had set. There in London, the British royalties and public were extremely awed by diamonds and glittering mass of precious stones in his apparel and turban. He proved himself to be a symbol of oriental power and wealth. Before returning he is said to have distributed large sums of money as subscription to the chief charities of London. He gave large gifts to King Edward’s Hospital Fund and Queen Alexandra’s Home for Officers’ Widows. He also gave to the poor and the children.
Interestingly, the Ranas never allowed imperial kings to enter Kathmandu Valley. King George VI and King Edward VIII were kept confined to the Tarai in hunting expeditions when they came to Nepal in 1911 and 1921 respectively. Those allowed to enter the Valley would usually be commanders-in-chief or other officials from British India Government. After the fall of the Rana rule, Shahs started to frequent the West. King Tribhuvan and King Mahendra visited Europe in the 50’s and decades later for medical purposes. In the 80’s and 90’s there was almost an outbreak of visits by the royalties to the West.
Post 1990 visits to the West and India have been reciprocated very rarely and disproportionately. The most important personality to visit Nepal from USA was Hillary Clinton in 1995. The only one high-ranking royalty to visit Nepal from Britain was Prince Charles in 1998. German President Dr Roman Herzog paid a visit in 1996. President Heinrich Lübke and Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited in 1967 and 1987 respectively. As for India, Prime Minister I K Gujral paid a formal visit in 1997 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Nepal in 2002 for the 11th SAARC summit. This one way traffic of visits by Nepali leaders in the post 1990 politics suggests that Nepal’s power center has shifted from home to somewhere else in other foreign locations. In the past, just as we needed them, the British too needed us. Deep down they held apprehensions regarding us. Now, we need India and the West. They nearly never need us.
As for the PM’s upcoming America visit, this scribe is not expecting anything from it. In fact, did anyone’s visit achieve anything substantial for Nepal in the recent times? The PM should also not attempt to prove himself as remarkable as one of those Ranas. They had the benefits which he does not. He will be there as the prime minister of the country wrecked in violence and a seemingly eternal political instability. As a representative of a country where political circumstances, fate and happenstance lead a man to premiership, he will, possibly, shake hands with Barack Obama, who was voted by Americans with a huge margin. The PM can though leave an impression that he is not helpless and weak. He can present himself assertively, look eye to eye, and speak his mind courageously and confidently. He can extend invitation to Obama and make him visit Nepal during his tenure. If he does this he will be one of those to break the tradition of unreciprocated visits. Mr Nepal, your surname bears a benefit of pun. Act Mr Nepal, at least, during your stay in America.
mbpoudyal@yahoo.com
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