Few days back I wrote, the election might show results that will oppose many speculations after seeing the Maoists flag wavering on the top of hillock. That was just a day before the election for constituent assembly. My guess however did not mean that Maoists will rise above 50 to 60 seats when the noted media and praised intellectuals had bound Maoists within 20-30 seats. The result has made everyone gape in surprise. By the time I am writing this piece 210 seats have been declared out of which Maoists have secured 115 positions, a whopping victory for the rebels. Today as I recollect the sight of my visit to Kathmandu where a long flag was waving with great power at the top of the hillock, above all the smaller flags peeping through the windows of urban area, I find that symbolical. They have indeed risen all above everyone. The victory is not marginal, they have left every one way behind. The fate of the so called mainstream political parties is the trust that they have let down earlier. This has also sent a clear message that the thing that all Nepalese want right now is peace and change. The change they expect is not a mediocre change but a revolutionary change.
There could have been so many reasons behind this unexpected outcome, I sat down if I vote for the Maoists why would I vote them. Then I realized I would not be able to represent a common Nepalese voter because of my urban and a dweller in the capital with comparatively safe job. A common man could have thought more than enough innocent blood has been shed. During their pre-election campaign Maoists had given messages that they will give up the whole peace process and they will be forced to lift weapon once again. People who have slowly started coming out of the civil war’s trauma must have been shocked and they must have thought they have to hold the rebels from going into war once again. The second is the desire for change, may be this was the desperate move of a common Nepalese man. All these years of democracy the things they have witnessed is turmoil, corruption, unemployment among many other hardships. All other political parties have been tried and tested and they have yielded no results as most of the country still struggles for basic resources like reach to education, health and transportation. The revolutionary slogans and assurances from the Maoists must have made them vote for the Maoists. Similarly, in spite of the blood shed they knew Maoists have fought for what they believe is good for the country. They have come to the mainstream politics with a completely different history. They have emerged as the power that has made the established powers to kneel down.
As the election came nearer and nearer we saw the political parties trying to prove that the agenda for constitutional assembly was theirs and it was them who had brought the Maoists to the mainstream politics. Unfortunately people didn’t buy the idea. If the agenda was theirs they had already disowned it. They never spoke about the ‘constitutional assembly’ in all these years when they were in power. They always wagged their tail before the monarch. When Maoists raised their voice for constitutional assembly it was them who issued red corner notice and even tagged price for the heads of Maoists leader. The parties who have come out with slogans for wiping out the absolute monarchy, nepotism, favoritism have become rampant in their own political parties. Change was inevitable.
The other point is that the political parties did not address the youth effectively. This time 22 percent of the voters were the first time voters. During the process of growing up, they have seen turmoil, unemployment and violence all over. They were fed up from the news that came out of media. They hated the cruel grin in the faces of the main political players. More than the love for the new party it’s the hatred for the old players that have made the Maoists emerge victorious in the election.
It is now clear that Maoists will lead the new government but they have challenges to address. The main thing is the trust of International communities specially India and USA they have to secure and to sound revolutionary they have passed sour messages to these giants. The other challenge is to get proper support from the army. The rebels in the cantonment are waiting to be admitted into the main army while the army had made it clear that there should and will be no room for people with political commitments in the army. The stakes are higher for the victors. The assurances of quality education, employment and overall development are not very easy to bring to life. People have loads of expectations from Maoists. In this regard, the speech delivered by the Maoists President Prachanda has come out as a positive message to all including the international community, political parties, security forces etc. Hope new days will come with development and prosperity in the country.
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