Going by what Ogura believes, the first uprising was largely accomplished by indigenous Newars of core Kathmandu whereas the second one was spurred on by those who flocked to the capital in search of a better living. Ogura, whose book vividly illustrates 60 volatile days of the 1990’s uprising, however, finds a common feature in both uprisings.
That both revolutions gained their goals owing to unbeatable vigor and verve of youths is what Ogura finds strikingly common.
Despite the fact that every political change has taken place in Nepal with the sacrifice of youths, politicians’ offspring have really little to do with politics. Barring a few exceptions, most of them are out of, or say far off, political realms. Regardless of their parents’ ideology or political trajectory, it seems that they tend to go abroad for higher education and lead yuppies’ lives. At least, they end up with more secure and stable lives than that of their parents.
Prime Minister Madhav Nepal was recently in news for getting her daughter Suman obtaining a scholarship to study medical science in Delhi from the Indian Embassy. “He did what other politicians often do,” retorts a former close aide of Nepal. His son Saurav is also pursuing engineering degree abroad. The CPN (UML) boss Jhalnath Khanal’s sole son Nirvik is also earning a diploma degree in science from the U.S.
Both daughters of the late leader of the CPN (UML) Madan Bhandari and defense minister Bidhya Bhandari have pursued higher education in Delhi. Usha Kiran earned a Masters degree from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) while Nisha Kusum is studying medical science. After obtaining an engineering degree abroad, Bamdev Gautam’s son Harish is busy in urban planning of Kathmandu. His daughter is living a married life in the U.S.
As in all other South Asian countries, Sujata Koirala, the only daughter of four-time Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, is carving out a political career with the legacy of the charismatic leader, B.P. Koirala. Yet, B.P.’s own sons are lagging behind. Unlike in the Koirala clans, most offspring of the Nepali Congress (NC) leaders have not even thrown a glance at politics.
Take the NC parliamentarian leader Ram Chandra Poudel, for instance. Out of his five children, not one is in politics. His son Chintan is pursuing a PhD. in the U.S. His two daughters, Anugya and Sharmila, are in America and Japan respectively. It is yet to see whether former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s son Jayabir will join politics. Jayabir has not completed his school level study as yet.
NC central committee member Shashak Koiarla’s daughter Supriya is a professional Salsa dancer and performs in the States. Ram Saran Mahat’s son Rakshat is pursuing his Masters at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
Maoist leaders are far ahead when it comes to their offspring following their parents’ political path. Maoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai and Hisila Yemi’s only daughter Manushi Yemi became a cynosure of all eyes during the student union elections. Contesting as a candidate of All Nepal Students Union (Revolution), Manushi won the post of secretary at the Tribhuvan University constituency. Maoist leader Mohan Baidhya aka Kiran’s daughter Sirjana, however, lost at the Pashupati Campus.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda)’s daughter Renu has been a Constituent Assembly member. His son Prakash was recently inducted into the party’s regional bureau after other leaders criticized him of being secretary to prime minister with no responsibility within the party. His other two daughters, Gyanu and Ganga, are also Maoists cadres.
Another influential Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa’s offspring have not overtly engrossed in politics. They, however, have not gone abroad, either. His son Pratik has been enrolled into the T.U. while the daughter is with Sapta Gandaki College in Chitwan.
Yet there is a vociferous uproar within the UCPN (Maoists) regarding some leaders’ children studying in expensive schools and colleges. In a bid to dispel dissatisfaction of cadres, the party has recently come up with a code of conduct that stops leaders from enrolling their children into private schools. Some leaders, however, have sent their children abroad, too.
The enigmatic communist leader Mohan Bikram Singh’s daughter Apurba had been in the news about a decade ago for choosing a modeling career. The Rashtriya Prajatantra Party leader Pashupati SJB Rana’s daughter Devyani is working with the United Nations. Devyani, who became the talk of the world following the Narayanhiti palace massacre, hit the spotlight last time when she got married to Aishwarya Singh, the grandson of former Indian minister Arjun Singh.
A peculiar trend appears in Nepal that those whose parents are in politics look for some other businesses. On the contrary, those whose parents never even thought of politics have always been instrumental in every phenomenal political change. A quick look over student politics suggests somewhat like this. What is it that keeps politicians’ children away from politics? If sociologist Dilli Ram Dahal is to be believed, it is a general mindset of people that considers politics as a dirty occupation.
“Most people do believe that politics is a dirty game,” says Dahal. “This is what drives politicians’ children off politics. Relatively, they do have more access, by using which they go abroad for higher studies and pursue careers somewhere else.’ On the contrary, those others who have no power and access find politics as a short cut to rising high and making money. This is why those involved in student politics are mostly from middle or lower-middle classes, says Dahal.
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