Source: http://baandarpur.blogspot.com/

Agreement reached – the 8-party, leap-forward coalition will perform the month-long Swasthani Barta for a ganatantric Nepal
Baandar-pur on-line, Jan 3 2007

A meeting of the eight-party's leap-forward coalition (LeFoC) which met for eight hours until early morning today at the PM’s bed chamber failed to agree to a list of headmasters in government schools in Kathmandu. This follows similar disagreements in the last seven months on ambassadors, vice chancellors, health assistants and pandits in government-run temples. However, facing intense pressure from the press and people alike, and the prospects of 108 more burning tires across the country, the LeFoC agreed that they must agree to something before they disperse.

After toying with a dozen ideas – where no agreement was possible – the LeFoC finally agreed that the coalition will observe the month long Swasthani Barta and Puja from tomorrow. According to the government spokesperson Haku, who finally appeared on the gate doing hai-hai for lack of sleep, this demonstrated the remarkable responsibility of the coalition partners towards people of Nepal and a commitment to a ganatantric Nepal.

The month-long Swasthani Barta will start in Nepal from today. Throughout the month, thousands of devotees take month-long fast and the Holy Scripture Swasthani is recited and listened to in most households every evening.

The agreement has been generally hailed as a positive step towards ganatantra by most non-political organizations with some exceptions. The Nepal Jilfi Haluwain Association supported the historic agreement on the condition that Jilfi should amount to 33% of all sweets offered to Swasthani as well as eaten by the leaders when they break their fast. At the time this piece hit the Internet, negotiations between the LeFoC and the Association were still going on as regards the threshold percent asked for.

The Agreement was however denounced, without using any ifs and buts, by Nepal Women Organization (Agragami). The Association, according to its spokesperson Birodhini, objected that no woman from any LeFoC is taking the Barta and reminded in strongly worded words that it was a woman - Queen Chandrawati – who started the Barta after the Shali River suddenly erupted in a flood while she was crossing the bridge on her palanquin and was – being a sinner - swept away into the river. After going through many difficulties and learning the Swasthani fasting from nymphs, and the miracles that followed, she taught the technique to humankind and thus the tradition began.

According to the Minister Haku, the point was well taken by the LeFoC but the deadlock remained because they could not immediately find a queen and a sinner – the two key qualifications. There was no problem to find a sinner woman among the rank and file of the 8-party coalition (mostly wives and daughters of party men), but none agreed to be called a queen even for a month. Finally, it was agreed that the queen will be represented by a local fruit, like kubindo, and thus the matter settled.

None of the coalition leaders dared to take the whole matter lightly because having listened to the Swasthani before, they knew about the wrath that could come their (ie: the party's) way, especially at this critical juncture just before the CA elections. That is why agreement came in so easily. All agreed that the whole Pooja should be done true to the letter and spirit.

Accordingly, they agreed that the month-long Puja should end with a Yagya. However disagreements surfaced immediately on the traditional rituals of this Yagya. Mr. Bhunde, the NCP (Kim II) leader, argued that cow is no longer the national animal and so they should not be doing gai-daan at the Yagya; rather, it should be the new national animal, baandar. Given that the leaders were already very tired by now, they agreed to this proposal. The Nepal Army (Democratic) said that it has the required expertise to capture banndars and so offered to help, which was appreciated by the 8-parties.

At the end, the following 7-point agreement was signed by the leaders of the LeFoC:

1) During the 30 day Brata period, the 3rd highest ranking leaders of the coalition will observe fasting by eating only one meal a day – it was further agreed that that meal will not exceed 2.75 kg in gross weight.
2) All Central Committee members of all eight parties (exceptions for pregnants and on-oxygens), will have to listen to the Swasthani Mahima each night. They will assemble at Birendra Centre in Baneshowr where the leaders of the parties will read in turn . The order will be determined by the popular votes garnered in the previous election – the leader of the NCP (Awesome), having no such record, will be the last in that order.
3) The leaders of the 8-party will travel twice a week to the bank of the Shali River, 26 kilometers east of Kathmandu, to do Swasthani Pooja – the Nepal Army (Democratic) will provide helicopters for this.
4) In order to purify their souls, the leaders will have to take three dips in the holy river Sankhu, before they offer the pooja; each dip should last at least 10 seconds.
5) At the Yagya after the month-long Barta, there will be 8 baandar-daans by the leaders of the 8 party; the baandars will have to be captured by the Nepal Army (Democratic) in the jungles no earlier than 8 hours before the Yagya.
6) A LeFoC monitoring team is formed to monitor the implementation of the agreements, notably that:
a. the meal of the fasting leaders will not exceed 2.75 kg.
b. leaders do actually pronounce in full the difficult and long Sanskrit words (instead of the usual skipping);
c. Central Committee women members are indeed pregnant;
d. Each dip in Sankhu river lasts at least 10 seconds;
e. The Nepal Army (Democratic) does not assemble baandars from the zoo.
6) During the month-long Barta, as all leaders are expected to be tied to the affair in one way or other, no other meetings, negotiations and agreements will take place. This will, however, not affect the commitment of the leaders made last year that the assembly elections will be held in April 2008.

Signed by august leaders of:

Nepal Congress (Oxygen)
Nepal Congress (Larbare-Latheuro)
Nepal Communist Party (Kim Il Sung II)
Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist-Maoist)
Nepal Communist Party (Maoist-Marxist-Leninist)
Nepal Communist Party (Leninist-Maoist-Marxist)
Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Bihar)
Nepal Communist Party (Awesome)

On 2 January 2007 at PM’s bed chamber, Kathmandu

http://baandarpur.blogspot.com/

-----

Kind members are requested to offer their opinions about these latest developments? Are they good?