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What does September 11, 2001, mean to a guy from Nepal, the country, which not only has had to battle against the crippling poverty, but also a festering rebellion that has shaken her very foundations?
The reverberations of that fateful day some three years ago echo loud and clear in the Himalayan kingdom, even today. That September morning completely reshaped the image of America we thought we knew, vastly altering our perception of the superpower, in which ‘Americanism’ took a completely new meaning for us Nepalese, and the rest of the world.
It may be hard for someone outside South Asia to understand how profound an effect the attacks have had towards reshaping the American policy toward Nepal, and many of her neighbours; with two nuclear arsenal laden giants, India and Pakistan, invariably grabbing most attention of the international media. Countries like Bangladesh get little attention, and the likes of Nepal—despite all her troubles—and Bhutan, barely get any.
More than eight years of the conflict between the Maoists – the supposed follower of Mao Tse-Tung, the great Chinese luminary—and the government forces have left Nepal in tatters. Nobody took notice unless the situation festered to the degree that it endangered the power balance of the whole reason; only then, were some eyebrows raised. United States started giving volume to its anti-Maoist rhetoric. Since then, Maoists have officially been tagged ‘terrorists’ by the American government. But the single biggest factor which led the Bush administration to adopt hard-line policy towards the Maoists has been, again, 9/11; which acted as a harbinger to the notion of pre-emptive actions against any likely threat to US interests.
Here in Nepal, the American government provides ammunitions, logistics and training to the Royal Nepali Army, directly under the control of the regressive king, to boost their anti-terror campaign against the Maoists. Many senior White House officials, as well as top ranked American Army personnel have time and again visited Nepal with the aim of helping our security forces thwart the Maoist insurgency, without trying to gauge the sentiment of common people.
Nearly 11,000 people have died in a little more than eight years since the Maoist’s uprising in Nepal. While the bloodshed continued, the likes of United States only turned a blind eye; came 9/11! Only then did Americans find terrorists roaming villages across Nepal; noticed blatant human rights abuses at the hand of the rebels: no longer was everything happening here condonable.
Today, I do not think any American can touch his heart and say the Bush administration represents his true ethos; particularly in wake of the despicable prison episode in Iraq. Keeping in mind that President Bush is an entrenched Christian, it becomes even harder to fathom his administration’s indiscriminate treatment of people of other cast and creeds; in which, he undoubtedly has been waylaid by warmongers like his Veep, Dick Cheney and his Defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. (Somebody please assure me that the world vision of a bunch of ideologues dose not represent that of the majority of Americans, because it is not American people most of the secular world is against, but the administration that has been duping them for the last three-and-a-half years.)
It is heartening to see most Americans finally realize -- they had been cheated all along: the latest poll results only illustrate this fact. Bush and co. must go come November: Americans cannot continue to have such intolerant and naïve president; nor can the world withstand his belligerent stance for another five years. I think I will speak for the majority if I say: most of the world would breathe a huge sigh of relief to see the back of Mr. Bush when the dust has settled on the presidential election in November.
The need of the hour is a more tolerant US foreign policy that stops acting on impulses and whims of a bunch of vested interests groups. Nepal does not need more machineguns! In the last few years since intensification of the American anti-terrorism campaigns, the focus has shifted from contributing to projects boosting the sustainable development, primarily, to curbing the insurgency by making funds available for arms and military trainings. The current American view that conflicts can only be resolved by the use of absolute force is wrong. If anything, in the last couple of years, with the backing of their American counterparts, the government in Nepal has only been successful in worsening the already hopeless situation. The use of overwhelming force did not work in Iraq, or Afghanistan-- completely under the control of the tribal warlords, now—and it certainly is not working here in Nepal!
Lastly, I would like to call for the unity of youths from every background, cast and, culture to join hands in urging the American people to choose wise this November. We youths have made a telling difference, time and again; our voice shall be heard this time, as well.
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Biswas Baral
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