Demise Of Multiple Family Members Of Prime Minister Prachanda

The parliament was virtually in a state of standstill over the speech made by Prime Minister Prachanda in a book release program authored by an Indian National Mr. Pritam Singh. Mr. Prachanda had said that Pritam, his good friend as he is, tried to make him the Prime Minister by running from pillar to the post not only in Nepal but also in India. All the parties in opposition condemned the speech in various tones with the United Marxists and Leninists(UML) asking the resignation of the Prime Minister. Some politicians had been walking a tight rope by saying that both the resignation and the speech are wrong. As it often happens in Nepal, the political events reach to the point of ignition and the big three again cool it down back to the normal. Accordingly, after the meeting of Sher Bahadur Deuba, K P Oli and the Prime Minister himself, the Prime Minister was allowed to clarify his stand and after offering apology the parliament has started to function again.

It has to be admitted that the formation of the Government in a country is looked with keen interest by the neighboring countries. In Panchyat days, the Indian parties likely to win the election for sure and even otherwise used to receive donation from Nepal. Hard evidences like written documents are not found as these activities take place behind the curtain.

Mr. Prachanda has already lost his daughter Gyanu Dahal. Later, he had to bear with the death of his son Prakash Dahal in young age. And now his spouse has departed for ever.

Everybody knows that Russia always seeks to secure win for the Presidential Candidate who they think will be more friendly to them. Accordingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported Mr. Donald Trump and tried all the ways and means to send Mr. Joe Biden packing by spreading rumors about his son Hunter Biden to have received huge sum of money from Russia. Such activities continue in the side lines which however came to the fore and sent shock waves in the country when Pritam Singh was alleged to lobby in India for Prachanda's accession to the coveted post of Prime Minister.

Not even after a week of this incident, the Prime Minister had to endure the shock of the demise of his beloved wife Sita Dahal. Mr. Prachanda has already lost his daughter Gyanu Dahal. Later, he had to bear with the death of his son Prakash Dahal in young age. And now his spouse has departed for ever. What kind of feelings must be simmering in his mind? Condolences have been virtually pouring from the country and outside for the untimely death. But there are also quite a few who have been indifferent and some even have been overjoyed at the distress falling on the Prime Minister especially among those whose dear ones had been killed in the Peoples' War by the Maoist fighters. And these are many as Prachanda himself has admitted that he holds responsibility for the death of 5000 odd persons out of 17000 who were killed in the Maoist rebellion.

There are several myths related to the behavior of the rulers after losing their dear ones one after another. One of them was Ravan who after losing his brothers like Kumbhakarna, Dushana, Khara and the likes in the battle became more revengeful. He did not surrender to Ram even after the request of his brother Kumbhakarna and wife Mandodari to do so.  Krishna's father Vasudeva and mother Debaki lost one son after another making it a total of seven when Krishna was born as the eighth one. The couple must have undergone through incredible trauma. The production of one son after another demonstrates them being in good mental nick but it appears that there was no other alternate than producing kids when the young couples were imprisoned together in young age.

That the people come back with vengeance after losing several of the dear ones can be seen in the behavior of Dhritarastra of Mahabharata fame. After knowing that all his hundred sons were killed in the war and his most beloved one Duryodhan by Bhim, Dhritatarastra made a request to embrace Bhim whom in fact he wanted to crush to death with the strength of hundred thousand elephants that he possessed. Krishna, ever clever as he was forwarded an iron statue to blind Dhritarastra which was converted to pieces after he embraced with his awesome strength.

Arjun was so distressed by the expiry of Abhimanyu, his son, that he decided to give up the fight. Later, Krishna arranged for a meeting with Abhimanyu' soul and the soul said that the relation is over after one passes away and that Arjun no longer was his father. Arjun expected that Abhimanyu would be happy to see him. Realizing that relations are just illusions, Arjun again took the arms to fight. It is said that it fueled the fire in the determination to kill Kauravs in Arjun's mindset who otherwise was vacillating to murder his own relatives. In fact, Krishna is believed to have orchestrated the killing of Abhimanyu in order to motivate Arjun to take part in the war actively and bring it to an end as soon as possible as it had already advanced to the thirteenth day.

He is not likely to take be vengeful because the demises of his dear ones were not duet to any attempt on their life as described in Ramayana and Mahabharat.

These stories are myths and may not be convincing to everybody. But a research paper published by Katherine M Keyes et al entitled "The Burden of Loss: Unexpected death of a loved one and psychiatric disorders across the life in a national study" has shown that unexpected end was the most common traumatic experience. It is most likely to be rated as the respondent’s worst, despite of other traumatic experiences. Such tragic events lead to major depressive episodes, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Adults face manic episodes, phobias, alcohol disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder.

It is clear from the aforementioned Ramayan and Mahabharat stories that one becomes more relentless after losing near ones. The research on the other hand shows that such events lead to depressive episodes. Mr. Prachanda has not demonstrated any of these disorders after the cessation of his daughter as well as his son. It is thus likely that he will not fall victim to the aforementioned disorders even after the finish of his wife's life. His unwarranted statements like being responsible for the murder of 5000 people in the Peoples War and the role of Pritam Singh to make him Prime Minister by visiting several power centers may however be just an offshoot of the trauma that he has faced.

He is not likely to take be vengeful because the demises of his dear ones were not duet to any attempt on their life as described in Ramayana and Mahabharat. Even if he turns ruthless, he should demonstrate this feeling for eradicating corruption in the country. Whether one likes or not, it is after he became the Prime Minister that corrupt dealings like Bhutani Refugee and Lalita Niwas scams came to light with the imprisonment of high level politicians and bureaucrats which were otherwise covered up to save the corrupt politicians and the bureaucrats. The Prime Minister Prachanda has made it public that he will not negotiate when it comes to address the corrupt practices that have crippled the country right from its spine.

Questions are asked why did Prachanda keep mum in his earlier stints as the Prime Minister? There are also some, who say that Prachanda has targeted only feather weight corrupts and the heavy weight ones are basking in the illegally earned property. He has been fishing aiming for small ones allowing the larger ones to go unaddressed. The Prime Minister does not have the teeth to bring the towering politicians to the book because he is himself alleged for corruption with respect to the Cantonment scam.

Whatever the reality, the time is to take comfort from the fact that the investigation has made a beginning and it should be taken to a logical end without any discrimination. The general Nepali public wishes to see this campaign going from strength to strength and wish the Almighty to bestow enough patience in this hour of grief to the Prime Minister as they want the Prime Minister to be undeterred in this national endeavor despite the loss of his family members one after another.

The author is the former Vice-Chancellor of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).