Parmeshwar Devkota

THE formation of political theories and parties was the outcome of the long struggles and sufferings of people. In the primitive ages, our forefathers prayed to gods for justice and progress. Later, the clan leaders and warlords declared themselves as kings and the incarnation of gods, forcing our forebears to serve and worship them. The kings and queens could enforce order but not prevent natural calamities. They reigned in the countries based on hereditary system. Unsatisfied with their feudal rule, the poor masses comprising workers and farmers stood against them for revolutions.

In course of time, revolutionaries emerged, especially in the Western society. Martin Luther (1483-1546) of Germany can be taken as the revolutionary religious leader. He burnt down 95 papal bulls, important documents of a pope, at a church door in Wallenberg. He married a former nun Katharin von Bora in 1525, breaking the trend. Luther was not only punished but also banished. However, his ‘misdeeds’ gave a new message to the supressed primitive society. Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), another bold man in the history of mankind, ignored the order of King Henry. So, he was imprisoned and beheaded for refusing to recognise Henry as the head of the English Church.

Similarly, the writings of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau gave new impetus to the French revolutionaries. His book The Social Contract helped establish cardinal political values -- liberty, equality, and fraternity. As Karl Marx’s revolutionary theory of communism inspired many nations, including Russia and China to engineer communist revolution across the globe. The revolutionaries started using the term ‘socialism’ synonym for communism. Later, reformists also started using the same term ‘socialism’ for their rightist agenda. It shows that the term ‘socialism’ become popular among the opposite political schools.
Though some countries from across the world are under the reign of tyrants, dictators and religious leaders, the term ‘socialism’ has become very popular in those countries, too.

In our context, former CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has registered CPN (Unified Socialist). Likewise, the names of many other parties also bear the word ‘socialism.’ They are Upendra Yadav-led Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Mahantha Thakur’s Loktantrik Samajbadi Party. Leader Hridayesh Tripathi also leads a party called Nepal Socialist Party. It is also noteworthy that Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shobhakar Parajuli has written a 125-page book attributing to pioneer leader late BP Koirala. The name of the book is ‘Samajbad Ra BP Koirala.’

Dr. Parajuli has made every effort to prove the late Koirala as a socialist leader. His claim is that BP Koirala was an ardent socialist. So is Nepali Congress. Attaining socialism is one of the objectives of the NC. Another notable aspect is that the preamble of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015 states, ‘Being committed to socialism ...’ It has envisioned building a socialism-oriented economy, with scores of rights.
It is interesting to note that both the rightist and leftist parties want to identify themselves as the socialist force. It is like a cap that anyone can wear. For the commoners, it is a big conundrum – who – rightists or leftists – are holding the flag of socialism high?