Is Dr Baburam Bhattarai The Ultimate Savior for Nepal? I would love to believe so. But, NO, he is NOT. He, however, is practically one of the very few, if not the only one, we now have faith on to deliver the constitution.
Finally. We Nepalese get to see Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai, the most competent of the all, to take the helm of the ever-lasting chaotic home politics. For decades, we have praised, prayed, and envied the intelligence, innocence, and inveiglement this man possesses.
We all like to believe that DR. BR Bhattarai, with all his brain and willpower, and some tricks and some magic, will get rid of the country’s miseries. As a fellow Gorkhali, that is even more true in my case. But Nepal’s problems are a little more complicated.
Nepalese society is a complex heterogeneous mixture of ethnic groups, languages, standard-of-living, education-level, economic power, geographical diversity, and tens of other aspects. In theory, these are the very problems Bhattarai and his CPNM party started a revolt which eventually dragged the country into a civil war. Now, that the CPN-M and Bhattarai have taken over the power, I shall try to point out his chances and challenges.
Attractive CV and Untainted Image.
Ever since he topped SLC in 2026, Bhattarai has been in the national limelight. For a society hungry for education and academic achievements, he is the perfect example for every student. As a politician, he is as a very witty speaker and someone who can deliver. His term as the finance minister in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government is seen as highly successful. His commitments to anti-corruption and development sound more sincere than his usually extravagant and certainly lavish predecessors. His frequent visits to all parts of the country has made him a leader of the people. However, his image has been tainted by a few appointments he and his wife made during their terms in the Dahal cabinet.
He speaks simple and speaks it with confidence and distinct vision. On top of that, he speaks for the lower class of the people. For this reason, he is loved, admired, and at the same time, feared. It will be very easy for the people to understand and judge his policies and achievements, unlike the previous PMs whose agenda used to be as abstract as: strengthen the democracy and transform the country into a Singapore. Bhattarai has to his advantage a very clear and distinct mission : deliver the constitution.
21st Century Communism : Pillar of Salt and Sand.
CPN-M have a very poor reputation in the international arena. Five years after the end of the war, they have not yet gained confidence of the US, which still lists them as terrorists. With the suspicion and non-cooperation communists get from most of the world, it is a फलामको च्युरा task for Bhattarai to take the country into a better economic path.
Let’s analyze communism the Nepalese context. After 1990, the educated and intelligent class experienced freedom. Students, business-owners, labourers, civil servants, journalists, and party-workers have seen the miracle of democracy. To camouflage this society into a strictly state owned corporate is a task impossible. The end of 20th century and the beginning of the 21st has proved that prosperity is possible through competition and freedom and not through constant state-moderation. Frequently, Bhattarai himself has stated that all private schools be nationalized and the industries be more closely moderated. The middle middle-class and above take this as a threat to their personal and social freedom.
I shall also discuss communism with respect to the current technological advances. With the mobile phones reaching most corners of the country and the ever increasing ubiquity of the Internet, the CPN-M’s model of governance is becoming more obsolete than ever. We have seen the fall of autocratic Arab states one after another. Nepal would not be different if autocracy would rise again.
CPN-M’s Intra-Party Struggle
The ever-growing struggle between various factions within CPN-M has brought the party to its nadir. This has weakened Bhattarai’s position in the national level. The moment the Baidhya faction or the Dahal faction decide to withdraw, his premiership is in question. The tradition of Nepalese communists to break away time and again has allowed political pundits to speculate if the same would be the case for the CPN-M.
Right Person at the Right Time. But at a Wrong Place.
This is most true for Bhattarai. He may be the best person in the crowd. But he is definitely not in the right place. He may be a suitable candidate to deliver the Constitution, but certainly not for a matured society we all dream of. The very basic principles he stands upon and the heavily-factioned party he represents, as we discussed above, have made him a weak potential candidate in that scenario.
Constitutional Assembly and Beyond.
The Constitution is the first task at hand. Factionalism and power have been the ultimate reason for the rise and fall of the governments we have seen the past five years. Leaders have spent very little time in the constitution writing process. What’s more? They admit it. It is time people like Bhattarai concentrate on the very reason they were elected for.
As for the post-CA period, we may still have to look onto for some other leader to emerge from a party whose base is more towards the center. OR, we may have to expect some softer political stance from people/parties like Bhattarai. The search for the ultimate savior is still far from over.
Note: All views are personal. Political tilt – none. The analysis on communism is carried out more on practical aspect than theoretical.