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VOL. 27, NO. 8, October 05, 2007 (Ashwin 18 2064 B.S.) |
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A Religious Role
In a Secular State!
By taking up the role of the King in traditional programs of religious importance, PM Girija Prasad Koirala shatters the myth of secularism. However, there is no single voice against him from the alliance of the communists or members of civil society
By KESHAB POUDEL
Prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, head of the government of newly declared secular state, graced Indrajatra, Hindu festival, and worshipped Kumari, a living Hindu goddess on Monday evening. Though prime minister's role was basically against the spirit of secularism, nobody opposed his move. Even Shakya priest treated Koirala, a Hindu Brahmin, as equal to Thakuri Kings.
Although Nepal has been passing through debates on the issues of religion, culture and ethnicity in surface, opposite is happening in practice. From so called secular members of revolutionary communist parties, civil society, ethnic activists to religious groups, all have endorsed prime minister Koirala's presence at religious festivals of particular faith.
Where have these opinion leaders of religious, fundamentalists, revolutionaries and sectarians gone? Why aren't they aghast when Koirala is favoring a particular religion?
Under the pressure of Popular Uprising II, prime minister Koirala was appointed as a prime minister with the mandate to hold the elections for Constituent Assembly. However, Koirala declared himself as an interim head of the state through various announcements even placing himself in a position to play the role of the King. Unlike in the past, this time King worshipped Kumari as a commoner and ailing prime minister Koirala as the acting head of the state.
Though the Interim Constitution has a clear provision that the fate of monarchy will be decided by simple majority of the first meeting of Constituent Assembly, prime minister Koirala has already decided the fate of monarchy by presenting himself as a substitute of the King not only in political sense but also religious and cultural sense.
Tendency of Power
Power has a natural tendency of arrogance and, thereafter, misuse. Previously, it was with King Gyanendra during his direct rule when he tried to project himself as a leader commanding popular support. From addressing the mass meeting to mingling with the people like a political leader, King Gyanendra tried to project himself as a replacement for popularly elected leaders. King Gyanendra visited religious festivals under a tight security but mingled with the people in political programs.
Although the King visited Kumari temple as a commoner this year, prime minister Koirala sought explanation from King's secretary Pashupati Bhakta Maharjan. "King
violated norms. I cannot tolerate these kinds of things. I will show the King what I can do to him," Koirala was quoted as telling the dissatisfied ex-presidents of Nepali Congress District Committees. "Prime minister Koirala has expressed his concern to the King through his secretary," said Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel.
Now prime minister Koirala - who has enormous power with no accountability to the people - is trying to exercise even religious and traditional power of monarch by attending the religious festivals.
"Situations are created by which neither he has to face general elections nor a house of elected representatives elected by the people and what he has been exercising is enormous power with no accountability," said a political analyst.
After dissolution of parliament and dismissal of elected prime minister, similar situation was created in favor of King Gyanendra who exercised all the power without accountable parliament.
Whether it was the King then or the prime minister now, both of them do not enjoy popular support when they perform other's role. "When the King was reaping the power of elected parliament, he was unpopular. Now when prime minister is reaping the role of traditional monarch, he, too, is making himself unpopular," said the analyst.
This time people chanted slogans against prime minister Koirala when he arrived at the Kumari Temple in Basanthapur.
Kumari Festival
Worshipped and revered as a Hindu goddess, the Kumari is selected from the Newari caste of Shakya goldsmiths, who are Buddhists. People of valley celebrate the festival of Indra, the lord of heaven and worship Kumari, a Living Goddess on the same day.
Traditionally, the King visits to legitimize his rule accepting Tika from Kumari. "During the Indra Jatra, which coincides with the Kumari Jatra in early September, the King comes to receive tikka from the Kumari and obtain from her the right to rule for another year. In exchange, he presents her with a golden coin and touches his forehead to her feet," writes Desmond Doig, in his book In the Kingdom of God. "The King himself considered a reincarnation of Vishnu appears in the festival."
However, this year people found new incarnation of Brahmin prime minister performing the ritual practiced by Thakuri King. Unlike the monarch, prime minister needs to renew his legitimacy thorough popular votes under periodical elections and it is not the blessing of god but the vote of the people which legitimizes prime minister.
"Prime minister Koirala is seriously violating age old religious norms and cultural values of the country. Queen of England is also the head of church but chancellor of Germany and France cannot be the same. If United Kingdom goes to republic, it is unthinkable to see British prime minister becoming the head of the Church," said the political analyst. "If such trend set by Koirala continues, he may usurp the religious and cultural position
exercised by the King. There must be self restrain to a person who exercises unlimited and unchecked power of the state."
Because of his age, prime minister Koirala seems to be in too much haste to fulfill his ambition to exercise the same power as the King. In fact, the King had not only the political authority but by the age old tradition, the cultural and religious authority. As a popularly elected person, prime minister has political authority but he does not have cultural and religious authority.
"It is a bad precedent on the part of prime minister Koirala, who always claims to be a popularly elected secular leader, to visit such a highly respected religious festival. In this sense prime minister violated cultural and religious belief," said the analyst.
This is not the first religious festival attended by prime minister Koirala. In the last one year, he has already graced Bhotejatara of Rato Machhindranath and visited Krishna Temple during Krishna Janmashtami. If he continues like this, he will have to grace Tika during Dashain and perform other religious rituals specifically assigned to Hindu monarch.
Positive Side
Although the move of prime minister Koirala violated the age old religious norms, this also showed that Nepalese society still holds centuries-old cultural and religious binding which brings all the religious, ethnic and other groups together.
Whatever appears in the surface in terms of conflict, the reality is different. In depth, the people are similar having same social and cultural relations with each other. People don't have hatred against each other.
"Nepal's history is free from the stories of bickering and animosities which occupy a large portion of the religious histories of other countries. Nepalese are tolerant to other religions too. They took religion to be a matter of personal belief and not as a rigid dogma. Religious tolerance continues to be the special feature of life in Nepal even today. Not only Hindu King but a secular prime minister was allowed to perform King's role. Hindus worshiped Buddhist god and Buddhists worshipped Hindu's shrine," said renowned archeologist Saphalya Amatya in his book Art and Culture of Nepal.
"All old archeological and historical evidences point to the fact that both Hinduism and Buddhism have flourished side by side in Nepal. Nepal is the meeting ground of various religions and sects."
It is not only the militia, military or prospect of job that binds Nepal together but the unity and assimilation is still intact though some forces are trying to create confusion, hatred and conflict.
"Nepal is not a newly born society like several countries in the map of the world. In fact, it was founded first on cultural basis than it was founded on political basis..
The tradition-minded people took him in the same way as Shah Kings replaced the Newar Kings in the past. Perhaps, their inner feeling was to accept Koirala as the new King of New Nepal!
"A rational man may not believe the traditional base of the King but as long as the mass of the people have faith in culture, religion and glorious tradition of society, legitimacy of the monarchy continues. This institution does not exist merely upon a piece of paper but upon the faith of the people. There is no other way to test the real opinion of the people
except a method of direct democracy contrary to overthrow of power by revolution. Referendum is the only way to express the will of the people which is known as direct democracy," said the analyst.
Nepal has a long history of assimilation and coexistence. Whether there was Malla King or Thakuri King, people accepted every ruler. Though they were bewildered, people have maintained the tradition. Even this time they gave same respect to prime minister Koirala, a Brahmin. But it is unjustifiable that this traditional role assigned for the King has been usurped by prime minister of a secular state. Some people even shouted slogans against prime minister saying it was a violation of religious belief and practice.
Although geographically and ethnographically Nepalese people are separated from one another, culturally they are united. This is one of the strengths of Nepal to survive as an independent and sovereign nation. They who love Nepali culture have to take this into notice. There is a hope that given a wise political leadership, Nepal can yet be an ideal society to harmoniously live with various ethnic and religious groups.
