Prachanda VS Obama

We Nepali people have been listening "Change, revolution" like words for couple of decades pretty much all the time by all the leaders. Not only the maoists but by Madhesi Janadhikar Forum to Brutal criminal groups around the map of Nepal are using the word "Change" sometimes to attract people and sometimes to fulfill their ill-thinking. Every group that is created, every party that is formed is claiming they are for the people and for the society. Their violent and forceful activities are for short term to take out the people from the ditch of corruption, inequality, poverty and so on. Today going through American Presidential election to the inaguration programme of Barrack Obama, I am asking many questions to myself "What really change mean" ?

Breaking the long history of White presidency in this most powerful country in the world, Obama became 44th President of Unites States of America defeating John Mccain, an american Hero. What brought him here, how he get here is a long debate and a subject of study for researchers but one thing is clear that the word "change" meant a lot in the longest election campaign in the american history. Obama showed his qualitiy of intelligent, determination to solve the problems America facing on this time, his patience to react in every issues, his ability to address the people's expectation, keep up the American Dream in the time when people are suffering from falling American Economy. Even after the civil war that lasted from 1961 to 1965, 15th amendment in American Constitution in 1970 states that anyone cannot be prohibited to vote by gender, race, color, previous condition of servitude or because of failing pay any taxes, black people in America were not feeling that this is their country. They were still feeling that they are discriminated and left behind though the constitution termed every citizens as equal. With Obama's move to the white house, they have started feeling that "America Belongs To Them Too". Without any bloodbath, without any trouble to the people, with ballet and help of enthuisiastic people for change, Obama created history in United States by becoming 44th President.

It may be ridiculous to compare Nepalese and American politics but in this compact world many issues are same within these two countries. Barrack Obama elected as 44th president of USA with the slogan of "Change" and "Yes We Can" where Maoists in Nepal won many seats in Constitutional Assembly with the slogan of "Republic" and "New Nepal". Being people of most powerful country in the world, Americans were suffering from job loss, health problems, energy crisis and much more in Bush's administration. Bush was record low 22% in approval ratings in American presidents except Richar Nixon and Obama is taking his job with high 78% approval rating. Likewise though there is no rating system in Nepal, while Maoists came to power people's expectations and hopes were high and they were much more relaxed that the country would go in new direction solving severe problems the country is facing. As the Americans were tired of "Same old politics" working for rich, Nepalese people also tired of same old things happening after every movements or after every change in government. As the American hope that Obama would show his charisma to bring them together as United, nepalese people were spellbound by the word "Miracle" by Prachana or Puspa Kamal Dahal.

It is yet to see how Obama gonna change the american politics and keep up the American Dream, we have seen some signs in Prachanda's works. Obama never forgets to admit that this country was made by ancestors and wants to rebuild the nation with unity in the base of past while Prachanda never realizes the sacrifice made by our people in the past to handover the one nation even in bad condition. Good leader is that who makes the country thinking that he is there to change because nobody did. Bad leaders blame other people to make excuse that he cannot do anything because of his own weakness. Obama wants to fight with status quo and lead the nation but our prime minister says"If we fail because of status quo, our country will fail". While Prachanda came to power he was kind of strength and his voice was powerful but these days he seems like tired of all the consequences and the prachanda path followed by every group and parties all over the country.

Change doesn't mean change in uniform, change in the car you drive, change the room where you sleep or change the place where you work. Change means change the system, change the behavior, change the trend of things happening now. Obama ordered to shut down the Guantanamo Bay Prison as soon as he took oath of office. I am sure he is gonna change many things in Washington without blaming anybody and making every American United. But Prachanda showing that the change means change in uniform, change in his bedroom and change in his vehicles and no real change is in the scene of Nepali politics and old system. Our prime minister stated in his document presented in his party that Nepali congress is the main enemy of the nation and development. I think there is no enemy of New Nepal if you follow the path of co-existence and co-operation. In such situation, it is really impossible to work together. If everyone is not united and don't work together, "New Nepal will not only be a day dream but also will be a disaster to Nepal when new intra-party conflict begins". Lets hope our leaders will understand the importance of reconciliation in our country of multi-parties. With all weakness and mistakes, we still want Prachanda lead the nation because we don't see any other good alternative in horizon of Nepal's politics who can bring the country out of the ditch of violence and chaos.