http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Editorials/Maoists_and_the_monarch/articleshow/2387974.cms Maoists and the monarch 21 Sep, 2007, 0000 hrs IST, TNN The decision of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to quit the interim Cabinet — after Prime Minister Koirala refused to give in to its demand that the monarchy be abolished by the interim legislature — is disappointing. More disturbing is its resolve to obstruct the November 22 constituent assembly polls. To have an interim legislature abolish the monarchy would lead to a crisis of legitimacy for the nascent constitutional-democratic process. The reasonable course of action for the Maoists now would be to go back to the Cabinet and leave it to the constituent assembly to decide the future of the monarchy. It’s unlikely that a representative constituent assembly would confer anything more than a ceremonial status on the monarchy. The CPN(M) knows that all too well. Why else would a committed republican force like it have dared to pledge its unqualified acceptance of a future constituent assembly’s verdict on the monarchy? Clearly, its change of tack is a response to concerted attempts by pro-monarchy elements to subvert the democratic process in Nepal. The latter have, among other things, been abetting the Madhesis in their violent conflict with the Maoists in the terai region. And a sharpening ideological struggle between the pro-republican and ‘pro-revolution’ sections within the CPN(M) has only served to further reinforce its hard line. The Nepali Congress-led seven party alliance needs to do its bit to inspire trust in the constitutional-democratic process. The interim government should, without any dither, crack down on anti-democracy mischief mongers. Any attempt by Maoists to short-circuit the constitutional process would severely erode the political capital they accumulated by joining the democratic mainstream. Worse, their recalcitrance would only help the pro-monarchy forces reclaim lost ground by delegitimising the republican cause. The BJP and its sangh parivar siblings should, meanwhile, desist from aiding the Madhesis against the Maoists. Their agenda of conserving the world’s last ‘Hindu’ kingdom is turning out to be a dangerous zero sum game.