By BIJO FRANCIS
Column: Incredible India

HONG KONG, China,  In a recently published interview Prachanda, the head of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), expressed his willingness to cooperate with the government of India to bring prosperity and longstanding peace to Nepal. Seeking further cooperation with India, he said, "Without cooperating with India, it is not possible to bring stability and prosperity in Nepal; indeed it is more or less impossible…without taking cooperation with India forward, we cannot do anything for Nepal."

The message, in unambiguous terms, is a declaration to India and to the rest of the world that Prachanda, also known as Pushpa Kamal Dahal, is no more the head of a gun-wielding Maoist group, but is set to be a head of state. Through his recent interviews and speeches, Prachanda has made it clear that Nepal is indeed looking forward to restructuring itself as a secular, socialist and democratic state.

While neither of Nepal's "big" neighbors, India and China, can claim that within their jurisdictions they have been successful in establishing such a state -- secular, democratic or socialist -- in letter and spirit, Nepal is looking more toward India, where such a state at least exists in theory.

Some 60 years ago, many Indians expected that their newfound freedom would allow them to form a secular, democratic and socialist republic. It was created, and still exists in theory, in a great document -- the Constitution of India. Yet India has not advanced much toward realizing the goals set out in that document, if secularism, democracy and socialism mean more than casting a vote once in a while.

The aspirations outlined in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's speech "Tryst with Destiny" on the eve of India's independence in 1947 are yet to be realized. There can be no democracy without morality. Most of those who succeeded Nehru lacked both morality and even the slightest belief in democratic principles and their values.

Prachanda's call for India to assist Nepal in achieving what Indians dreamed of creating for themselves in 1947 must be a wakeup call for India.

As one of the largest countries in the region, India must be sensitive to what is happening across its borders. Not only in Nepal, but also in places like Pakistan, Myanmar and China there are strong urges for democracy and for establishing democratic institutions. India must not ignore this.

But in order to serve as a guiding light amidst these calls for democratic, socialist and secular principles, India must work to bring these values into actual practice. The vitality of the nation's newfound freedom was lost with the last generation. The current generation of Indians must make extra effort to rediscover this and practice what is guaranteed in their own Constitution. For this, a return to the aspirations of the founding fathers of India is imperative.

Indians as a community are a demoralized society. Such evil practices as caste-based discrimination, widespread public corruption, religious intolerance and the practice of violence as a means of law enforcement are bad enough to bring despair in any society. How many Indians can claim that they are immune to a sense of desolation?

This sense of anguish among Indians is bad enough to obliterate fresh aspirations for equality and democracy in the neighborhood. The region suffers from the ill effects of brutal discrimination, practiced for centuries, that has resulted in a caste-affected mindset.

Yet India and Indians have proved that it is possible to bring change despite hard times in the past. The Constitution of India and the life history of the mastermind behind the Indian Constitution are good examples. The message Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar left through his struggle to become Dr. B. R. Ambedkar is a good lesson not only for Indians, but also for others who believe in democracy, secularism and equality.

By helping Indians enjoy their rightful claim to democracy, India will also help its neighbors, and can create space for a regional dialogue on democratic values. India still has that potential.

Emerging leaders like Prachanda must not only speak about their aspirations to restructure their countries into democratic republics. They must also learn the lessons of history and not repeat the same mistakes.

While Indians may take time to rediscover their path to true democracy, perhaps Nepal will forge ahead, setting a great and shining example for the rest of the region to emulate. The future will show whether Nepal will learn from India, or whether it will be the other way around.

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(Bijo Francis is a human rights lawyer currently working with the Asian Legal Resource Center in Hong Kong. He is responsible for the South Asia desk at the center. Mr. Francis has practiced law for more than a decade and holds an advanced master's degree in human rights law.)

28 April 2008
Link: http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Human_Rights/2008/04/28/can_india_be_an_example_to_nepal/2091/