Nepal Army plays a good role model for democratic inclusiveness
Surya B. Prasai
September 10, 2009
This week Nepal Army got a new chief, General Chatra Man Singh Gurung who formally took up the post of new CoAS, the highest rank a Nepali soldier can aspire to achieve. CoAS Gurung is an enlightened army professional, who understands the difficult phase the country is going through, and why the Nepal Army must continue exhibiting its true neutral democratic bearing on national affairs, overall loyal to the supremacy of the Nepali people, from which the disciplined forces ultimately are born.
In his recent farewell speech, former CoAS, Rookmangud Katawal, who performed his job in a resplendent manner, took a jab on the Nepali media when questioned about NA´s inclusiveness. The NA, as he rightly commented, had various battalions that were formed to exhibit Nepal´s cultural and ethnic diversity, all existing in an egalitarian and democratic manner for several decades, such as those composed of Gurungs, Magars and from the Madhes. Giving due credit to General Katawal, new CoAS Gurung has been spared the time to continue defending NA´s democratic credentials. Gurung was sworn in as the newly Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) by Nepal´s President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, who put on him the CoAS insignia at the Presidential Palace, Shital Niwas, Kathmandu on September 9, 2009. The former CoAS, Gen. Katwal too had received the decoration from the then acting Head of State and Prime Minister, Girija Prasad Koirala.
General Gurung has made new history, since he is the first Gurung to be appointed CoAS. Secondly, he is also the first Army Chief appointed by the President of Nepal, whereby Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, government ministers, top officials, army generals and dignitaries also officially witnessed the ceremony. Earlier on August 22, the Nepal Government had formally recommended General Gurung´s name for CoAS based on its own democratic consensus.
In 2009, some core challenges facing the Nepal Army include: creating a secure atmosphere to revive the democratic ethos in the country, provide a strong national security cordon throughout Nepal, and assist the Nepal Armed Police and the regular police force´s presence to contain cross-border crimes, human trafficking, and illegal trade. Nepalis consider it lucky that the Nepal Army still remains apolitical and neutral on national affairs, showing steadfast democratic commitment to the constitution building process under various governments that have succeeded one another, since the 12 point was signed to end the decade long Maoist civil conflict.
Nepal´s Prime Minister M.K. Nepal, who is a strong believer in the Nepal Army´s contributions to the national development process, has stated several times that NA´s support is crucial to government´s success. The Maoists have also shown new willingness to work closer with the Nepal Army. The army integration issue, however, must be dealt in an apolitical manner, and UNMIN must play a crucial observer role when called for. The UN must be a guarantor of the Nepali peace process to bring it to a logical and democratic conclusion, most of all repository of the wishes of the Nepali people as part of a larger national consensus in the form of the much awaited new Constitution. This view has been expressed numerous times by a great power such as the United States, as much as Nepal´s traditional friends, the UK and G-8, China and India.
It is only a coincidence that the Nepal Army has received valuable training from all these countries. Its top officers have integrated all their trainings received abroad to develop a unified democratic pledge and platform for Nepal´s disciplinary forces to integrate their development and security role into different implementable battalion activities on a regional basis. Thus, NA has played a valuable key development role through its corps of army doctors, engineers and ordinary soldiers who have helped in various calamities, national disasters and medical emergencies. At the same time NA forces have been deployed internationally to fulfill various U.N. commitments. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and former UNSG Kofi Annan both must be congratulated for their complete trust in the Nepali disciplined forces in various UN peace keeping missions, whereby they performed with much success and valor.
There is famous quote from Thomas Paine, "An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot." Nepal Army is one such institution which has truly served the Nepali people. Similarly, Victor Hugo claimed: No Army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come. CoAS Gurung´s appointment comes at an opportune time, where the NA shines as an example of good team work, mutual trust and democratic self-reliance on national decision making, at a time when Nepali politics is mired in mutual distrust and unable to forge a national consensus on many issues, including writing the Constitution within the slated February 2010 deadline. This is a view carried forward by various donors in Kathmandu, expressing a unanimous wish to see Nepal remain truly independent and vigorous in its international affairs role play and whereby the Nepal Army has always been viewed as a guarantor of national security, peace and development).
The sad fact is, Nepali development has regressed in the past few years which has demoralized all national and international contributors. It is necessary that the Nepal Government think seriously of mobilizing donor activities in partnership with NA to on a regular basis. It is only a few genuine politicians such as ex-PM Sher Bahadur Deuba who repeatedly express strong support and encouragement to Nepal Army in this important role.
While NA was borne out of its loyalty to the Shah Kings, and many of its values are still steeped in that culture of traditional respect, in the new democratic age, NA must continually forge ahead to integrate the values of the common Nepali, especially those living below the poverty line, and those enmeshed in the former civil conflict, including ex-Maoists combatants, who might see a new ray of hope in joining a ´positive force´ for change contributive to national development. The fact is, one country can have only one army, as Prachanda came to know all too well when he became Prime Minister. Now it is up to Prime Minister Nepal to point to a good example of how a national institution, such as the Nepal Army, can serve as a good role model to others. In my view, Nepali politicians can learn a lot from NA´s consensual and tolerant decision making structure, besides, the moral support each jawan(soldier) takes from the other to fulfill their daily noble pledge to defend the small Himalayan nation´s interest and serve the Nepali people.
In his recent farewell speech, former CoAS, Rookmangud Katawal, who performed his job in a resplendent manner, took a jab on the Nepali media when questioned about NA´s inclusiveness. The NA, as he rightly commented, had various battalions that were formed to exhibit Nepal´s cultural and ethnic diversity, all existing in an egalitarian and democratic manner for several decades, such as those composed of Gurungs, Magars and from the Madhes. Giving due credit to General Katawal, new CoAS Gurung has been spared the time to continue defending NA´s democratic credentials. Gurung was sworn in as the newly Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) by Nepal´s President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, who put on him the CoAS insignia at the Presidential Palace, Shital Niwas, Kathmandu on September 9, 2009. The former CoAS, Gen. Katwal too had received the decoration from the then acting Head of State and Prime Minister, Girija Prasad Koirala.
General Gurung has made new history, since he is the first Gurung to be appointed CoAS. Secondly, he is also the first Army Chief appointed by the President of Nepal, whereby Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, government ministers, top officials, army generals and dignitaries also officially witnessed the ceremony. Earlier on August 22, the Nepal Government had formally recommended General Gurung´s name for CoAS based on its own democratic consensus.
In 2009, some core challenges facing the Nepal Army include: creating a secure atmosphere to revive the democratic ethos in the country, provide a strong national security cordon throughout Nepal, and assist the Nepal Armed Police and the regular police force´s presence to contain cross-border crimes, human trafficking, and illegal trade. Nepalis consider it lucky that the Nepal Army still remains apolitical and neutral on national affairs, showing steadfast democratic commitment to the constitution building process under various governments that have succeeded one another, since the 12 point was signed to end the decade long Maoist civil conflict.
Nepal´s Prime Minister M.K. Nepal, who is a strong believer in the Nepal Army´s contributions to the national development process, has stated several times that NA´s support is crucial to government´s success. The Maoists have also shown new willingness to work closer with the Nepal Army. The army integration issue, however, must be dealt in an apolitical manner, and UNMIN must play a crucial observer role when called for. The UN must be a guarantor of the Nepali peace process to bring it to a logical and democratic conclusion, most of all repository of the wishes of the Nepali people as part of a larger national consensus in the form of the much awaited new Constitution. This view has been expressed numerous times by a great power such as the United States, as much as Nepal´s traditional friends, the UK and G-8, China and India.
It is only a coincidence that the Nepal Army has received valuable training from all these countries. Its top officers have integrated all their trainings received abroad to develop a unified democratic pledge and platform for Nepal´s disciplinary forces to integrate their development and security role into different implementable battalion activities on a regional basis. Thus, NA has played a valuable key development role through its corps of army doctors, engineers and ordinary soldiers who have helped in various calamities, national disasters and medical emergencies. At the same time NA forces have been deployed internationally to fulfill various U.N. commitments. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and former UNSG Kofi Annan both must be congratulated for their complete trust in the Nepali disciplined forces in various UN peace keeping missions, whereby they performed with much success and valor.
There is famous quote from Thomas Paine, "An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot." Nepal Army is one such institution which has truly served the Nepali people. Similarly, Victor Hugo claimed: No Army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come. CoAS Gurung´s appointment comes at an opportune time, where the NA shines as an example of good team work, mutual trust and democratic self-reliance on national decision making, at a time when Nepali politics is mired in mutual distrust and unable to forge a national consensus on many issues, including writing the Constitution within the slated February 2010 deadline. This is a view carried forward by various donors in Kathmandu, expressing a unanimous wish to see Nepal remain truly independent and vigorous in its international affairs role play and whereby the Nepal Army has always been viewed as a guarantor of national security, peace and development).
The sad fact is, Nepali development has regressed in the past few years which has demoralized all national and international contributors. It is necessary that the Nepal Government think seriously of mobilizing donor activities in partnership with NA to on a regular basis. It is only a few genuine politicians such as ex-PM Sher Bahadur Deuba who repeatedly express strong support and encouragement to Nepal Army in this important role.
While NA was borne out of its loyalty to the Shah Kings, and many of its values are still steeped in that culture of traditional respect, in the new democratic age, NA must continually forge ahead to integrate the values of the common Nepali, especially those living below the poverty line, and those enmeshed in the former civil conflict, including ex-Maoists combatants, who might see a new ray of hope in joining a ´positive force´ for change contributive to national development. The fact is, one country can have only one army, as Prachanda came to know all too well when he became Prime Minister. Now it is up to Prime Minister Nepal to point to a good example of how a national institution, such as the Nepal Army, can serve as a good role model to others. In my view, Nepali politicians can learn a lot from NA´s consensual and tolerant decision making structure, besides, the moral support each jawan(soldier) takes from the other to fulfill their daily noble pledge to defend the small Himalayan nation´s interest and serve the Nepali people.
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