Parmeshwar Devkota

As the role of religions declined with the start of the modern age, politics has prevailed everywhere. Based on political philosophies and ideologies, several political theories emerged over the years. It is those theories that have enhanced the ever expanding human civilisations. Absolutism, despotism, monarchy and oligarchy could not sustain in many parts, but there are only a few tyrants in the world who are snubbing today. But they are bound to face the ire of citizens as Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania had to undergo in 1889.

With the collapse of autocracies, the three strong theories that came up include rightist, centrist and leftist. Extreme rightist and extreme leftist theories are not on the list, because the person who champions extreme rightist theory is considered a somnambulist ‘who walks backward’, and the man who follows the extreme leftist path is a man who has his ‘both feet firmly planted in the air’.
So, in course of time, these political ideologies need timely reformation, sophistication and retrospection. It is done in the party conventions. Each political theory has three common things on them. They include political philosophy, political theory and economic strategies.

The political philosophy is the outcome of special beliefs of the group. The political theory, being critical reflection of power, changes in accordance with the alteration in the equation in the state. And, the economic theory of the group is directly related with the production and rational distribution of the goods, materials and services to the society. It is the core area of political conflict. That is why the political parties hold discussions on the above-mentioned three aspects in their conventions.

In our context, two big political parties recently concluded their national conventions. The main opposition CPN-UML held its 10th convention on the bank of the Narayani River in Chitawan. It did not concentrate its attention on three aspects mentioned above, but it focused only on selecting the desired subordinates to party chairman KP Sharma Oli. The right-wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party also held its national convention without focusing its debate on the agenda: whether they will struggle for the restoration of the Hindu state with kingship or not.

Such a superficial attitude weakens them theoretically, with the people calling them a bunch of opportunists intent on grabbing the state power. So, such an approach gives rise to frustration among the masses. So political thinker Thomas Carlyle says: “Politics is a vain hope to make people happy”. But, politics is not a ‘vain hope.’ It has yielded a lot drastic outcomes to the benefit of humanity. If a political party visualises the future and works with strong commitments, it can transform the country.

The two big ruling political parties -- Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist-Centre)-- are also holding their historic conventions. The NC, as a pioneer democratic party, will sharpen its theoretical aspects in its ongoing 14th convention. The people are keenly watching the political tactic and ideology of CPN-MC, because its chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is said to be writing a paper for the convention. The socialist aspects incorporated in the present constitution belong to the school of democratic socialism. If the MC pleads for the scientific socialism, it will certainly ignite another conflict in the country. So, comrade Prachanda may have been facing a political dilemma now.