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VOL. 03, NO. 08, Sept. 11 2009 (Bhadra 26 2066) |
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“I took The Oath in Hindi and There Is Nothing Wrong On It” - Upendra Yadav
President of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum UPENDRA YADAV is a well known politician. He was the foreign minister of the first Maoist-led government. Yadav started his political career as a worker of Nepal Communist Party led by Pushpa Lal back in 1970s. He was close to Maoists during their insurgency. Following the collapse of the Maoist government, his party split. Yadav, who champions the Madhesi cause, spoke to KESHAB POUDEL AND SAROJ DAHAL on contemporary politics. Excerpts:
You reportedly declared that you will inflame Madhesh in case vice president Parmananda Jha is dismissed for taking his oath of office in Hindi. What is the stage of agitation?
We are now persuading political leaders to amend the constitution to allow the vice president to take his oath in his mother tongue Hindi. If political elites of Nepal don’t listen to our genuine calls, we will resort to agitation. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has also assured us not to take any harsh decision yet on the issue.
But the government has already withdrawn the privileges of the vice president, including his guards, and the national flag. What remains with the vice president now and what remains with you to rely on the Prime Minister’s assurances?
This is a very objectionable step and we have already condemned it. The government should have shown the guts to ignore the biased and personally motivated vendetta of the Supreme Court. All of us know that the court went to the extent that it does not have constitutional rights to issue orders to vacate the residence of the vice president.
But the lawyers said the Supreme Court decided on the basis of the interim constitution and it is mandatory for the vice president to take oath again.
I don’t agree with this. From the very beginning, the court is always biased against Madhesh and Madheshi issues. An overwhelming number of judges in the courts belong to particular groups of people. Vice president Parmananda Jha is a victim of this discriminatory policy.
Since there are many other national languages in Nepal including Bhojpuri, Maithali, Abadhi and others, what prompted the vice president to take oath in Hindi?
Hindi is a common language of Madhesh and it is also the mother tongue of many Madheshis. I don’t see there is any constitutional barrier stopping anyone from taking oath in Hindi. I took the oath in Hindi, which is the language related to the identity of Madhesh. Vice president’s struggle is for the recognition of the identity of Madhesh.
Lawyers argue that there is no provision in the constitution to take oath in Hindi and the court also has issued orders in a similar vein. How do you look at this?
Don’t talk about the court which has given a biased verdict in the case of the vice president. Even I took my oath in Hindi. If the judges have guts, they should declare all oaths taken in the mother tongue as unconstitutional.
Since all political parties have been suggesting that the vice president should take oath in a national language like Maithali, Bhojpuri or Abadhi, why is he stressing Hindi?
I want to stress that Hindi is the language related to the identity of Madheshi people and to the aspirations of Madhesh. The issue of Hindi language is now linked with the struggle for linguistic identity of Madhesh.
Since the issue of the vice president is a pertinent political and constitutional issue, do you have suggestions for solving it?
Vice president Jha has already made it clear that he is not going to retake oath without amendment of the constitution. It has already created a constitutional deadlock. Our suggestion is that recognized languages should be put in the annex of the constitution. We can write all the languages spoken in Nepal, including Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithali, Tamang, Newari and others in the annexes.
How can you register the proposal seeking amendment in the interim constitution when the Maoists continue to disrupt the Legislature Parliament?
We believe that disruption of work at the Legislature Parliament cannot solve any political problem. Maoists must pave the way to start the parliamentary session so that the government will be compelled to bring the bill for amendment of the interim constitution.
What about Prime Minister Nepal’s commitment?
It may seem bitter but I have to speak the truth. Madhav Kumar Nepal is one of the most confused, helpless and incompetent prime ministers in the history of Nepal. He talks in a childish manner, not as a politician. The Prime Minister assured us that he did not take any hasty decision, but he took it.
Is that a fair comment?
My comment is based on the reality. Have you seen any government dominated by defeated candidates of the previous elections? Over 16 cabinet members are defeated in elections at one or the other place.
Why did you not raise the issue when the previous Maoist-led government had similar ministers?
There was a couple of such ministers but not like now. Here every Tom, Dick and Harry is a minister.
Given your statements, it seems that you are also in the mood to pull down the government. What do you say about the future of this government?
We don’t want to get involved in dirty politics of making and breaking governments. The way experienced and expert players in the game of making and breaking governments have issued warnings to this government, I am pretty sure, it will fall within its own contradictions.
It is reported that Maoists are now in close contacts with your party to topple the government?
It is a baseless reporting. As I have already told you that the old players having expertise on pulling down governments are in the race and Maoists too are with them.
Recently your CA members voted for Maoist stand on the judiciary in the CA committee to decide the forms of judiciary. Is not it the reflection of your closeness with Maoists?
I have to admit that there is technical error. Of course, we want the judiciary system as in the United States where judges are appointed with approval of the legislature. Our CA members did not realize that the Maoist proposal was purely guided by communist philosophy of party supremacy.
The rebellion in your rival party might make you happy?
This is what I predicted when my party was split. There is no hope in a party which was formed on the basis of petty interests and for personal gains. The present rebellion is a natural political course.
As a former foreign minister, how do you assess the recent visit of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to India?
It was a goodwill visit and such a high level visit is natural between the two countries having centuries old traditional relations based on geography, culture and religion. I don’t see anything to boast in Nepal’s visit.
As a politician, tell us on the future of this government?
I am not an astrologer to predict the future of the government. Looking at the existing political exercise, I can say that this government will fall after Dashain and Tihar.
That means as predicted by Maoists?
I don’t know about Maoist prediction but this is my own political calculation. You can also see some simmering voices coming from different corners.
At a time when the country’s major political parties are in the race of making and breaking the government and the Constituent Assembly Secretariat is in the process of amending the calendar of operation, how likely do you think it is to bring a new constitution by the end of May 2010?
Whatever the situation may be, I am certain that the new constitution will be promulgated in accordance with the schedule. Once three big parties agree on a settlement they have enough strength to promulgate the new constitution. I don’t have any doubt about the promulgation of new constitution but what I have in mind is whether it will last or not.
Since your party is out of government and you said that you don’t have any intention to join any government, what is your political strategy now?
We are now working to strengthen our party organization at the grassroots level. We are organizing various training programs for our party workers to strengthen the federal, democratic and republic Nepal. My whole concern now is to make Nepal as an inclusive federal republic.
Out of four major parties from Madhesh, three are in the government. How do you see their role in the vice president’s case?
It is very unfortunate to say that these Madheshi parties sacrificed the interest of Madhesh just for the sake of power. Had they been sincere to the cause of Madhesh, they would have resigned en mass protesting the decision of the government to pull out security personnel from the residence of the vice president.
