The Long Awaited Death of the Koirala family Legitimacy.
What a sad fate for the Koirala family hegemony? I am personally not a very big fan of dynasty politics; however I can’t help but admire the rise and fall of this family. No other family has dominated civilian politics like the Koiralas. They have developed a love-hate relationship with the country. There are those who think the Koiralas are the pioneers of Nepali democracy and can always be trusted. While there are those who hate the constant nepotism and abandonment of the ideologies that is associated with the family. However, the recent appointment of Sujata Koirala as the Deputy Prime Minister is so shameful, that the last ounce of legitimacy that the Koiralas enjoyed historically in the Nepali Congress party and the country has been exhausted.
On January 26,1947 when The Nepali Congress was inaugurated under the Presidency of Tanka Prasad and the Acting Presidency of a certain B.P. Koirala things were different. The call for an armed struggle against the Rana’s was in the air and the Nepali congress was leading the charge. The Koiralas were in the center of the action. Girja babu was in his youthful prime and lead demonstration of the jute mill workers in Biratnagar. Even after the fall of the Rana regime in 1951, the Koirlas contribute in shaping the destiny of this country. B.P was so liked that half a million showed up for his funeral. The countless number of times we’ve had a Koirala prime minster shows that Nepali’s have provided the Koirlas legitimacy to lead us in the frailest of times. We have turned to the much “hated” Koirlas for reconciliation trusting in there legitimacy to hold the country together as recently as the April 2006 when we handed over the top position to Girja babu. Koirala’s have earned this legitimacy on bases of sacrifice and worth in the past. They have made personal sacrifices for the country and the people have rewarded them with love, respect and political authority. But now rewards they are reaping have far exceeded the service they are providing.
Blatant nepotism, ceaseless personal glorification and embarrassing hold of the power structure within the party and the country has drained there political authority. The “new” generation of Koiralas has taken more from the system than put into it. There is no struggle behind their words and hallow promises mar their speeches.
Being able to persuade one’s father is not reason enough to be appointed the DPM of a country.There seem to be no Koirala heavyweight in Nepali politics once Grirja babu kicks the bucket (touch wood!), and his attempt to make Sujata the custodian is to say the least pitiful. The relatively weak political careers of Shekar and Shashank Koirala, the switching of sides of Prakash Koirala and the death of Sushila and Nona Koirala has not helped to maintain the power either. All this drama has even blemished Sushil Koiralas comparatively “respectful” political life and families hold on politics.
People now view the Koiralas as an old and desperate family clinging helplessly to power cause they don’t have an idea of what will happen if they let go. They have enjoyed political limelight for so long that it scares them to think about being “just another family”. They are unpopular among the youth. Although vaguely loyal the congress party youth is fed up, seeing the family as a hindrance to the democratic transfer of power within the party. For the educated youth the Congress is unattractive to follow. The youth knows that worthless and boring ideas of the previous decades do not work in the 21st century. And the Koiralas have been justifiably reduced to a personification of those decaying ideas.
